Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization, applauds the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis for their leadership and thoughtful set of bold policy recommendations released today to tackle the global climate crisis as the U.S. works to rebuild the economy.
The Committee said in a statement that its climate action plan would put the U.S. on a path to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by powering an economic recovery through clean energy investment and jobs, and addressing the environmental injustices harming America’s low-income communities and communities of color.
“We will not be able to achieve a just, more equitable and sustainable net-zero emissions future without a strong climate policy framework in place,” said Mindy Lubber, Ceres CEO and President. Ceres has been mobilizing companies for more than a decade around a science-based policy agenda through the Ceres BICEP Network.
Two months ago, Ceres’ coordinated the largest business-led advocacy day for climate action in the U.S. LEAD on Climate 2020 called on lawmakers to build back better from COVID-19 by aligning policies and programs with a net-zero emissions future.
Lubber added that US financial regulators also need to act quickly to address climate change as the systemic financial risk that it is. The Committee's climate action plan includes several recommendations that will be critical in protecting the stability of the US financial system.
“It is important for the Select Committee to highlight their commitment in tackling climate risk while ensuring there are stable financial markets, helping to move our nation back to a lower unemployment rate and ensuring full and mandatory disclosure for climate risks. The Federal Reserve, Financial Stability Oversight Council, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (on which I serve on the Climate-related Market Risk Subcommittee) and other agencies are perfectly positioned to evaluate and act upon climate risk in in a way that protects investors and the integrity of the US economy."
In a new report released last month, the Ceres’ outlined more than 50 specific actions U.S. regulators can take right now to address climate change -- including how regulators can apply the learnings from Covid-19 to economic recovery efforts.
Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.