Dear John,
This time around it felt like Earth Day was really Earth Week. There were so many encouraging announcements and important breaking news happening that it was hard to keep up. So here’s a recap of the progress we made together to get the U.S. back on track to tackle the climate crisis and make good on our commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.
But first, we want to show our appreciation to those of you who donated in record-breaking numbers to support our work and celebrate Earth Day.
Thanks to you, we reached our Earth Day goal of $100,000 which will go straight toward accelerating our transition to a more just and sustainable future. Without the generosity of our Ceres supporters, none of these important accomplishments would be possible. Thank you.
We hope you’ll take a moment now to read on and learn about the great strides we are making for our planet.
U.S. Commits to Strong Emissions Reduction
On Earth Day, during the Leaders Summit on Climate, the Biden-Harris administration made a bold commitment to achieve 50-52% emissions reductions by 2030. The announcement comes after Ceres and the We Mean Business coalition mobilized more than 400 business and investor voices to call for an ambitious national emissions reduction target.
Accelerating Finance Towards Net Zero
During the Biden-Harris administration’s Leaders Summit on Climate, Ceres united U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry and financial leaders from Bank of America, State Street Global Advisors and other institutions to discuss the role the U.S. financial industry can play to help build back a more resilient economy and just and sustainable net-zero future. |
Kerry commended the financial sector for the increase in recent net-zero commitments, thanking Ceres for setting an example for the entire industry. But, he added, we’re still at the beginning and have a gigantic task ahead of us.
Watch the full event here.
World’s Largest Financial Leaders Commit to Net Zero
As of last week, the three largest asset managers, BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street Global Advisors, have all joined the Net Zero Asset Manager Initiative, committing to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. The global initiative, launched by Ceres and our global investor partners, has grown to include 87 signatories with nearly $37 trillion in assets under management,
representing nearly 40% of assets around the globe. Read more about this in our CEO and President Mindy Lubber’s latest article in Forbes.
Corporate Support for Mandatory Climate Risk Disclosure Grows
In the lead up to Earth Day, tech giant and Ceres Company Network member Apple announced that it supports regulatory action by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to mandate climate change disclosure rules. By becoming the first major publicly traded company in the U.S. to openly support mandatory climate disclosure rules from the SEC, Apple is demonstrating its commitment to transparency and support for necessary regulatory change. Following Apple’s announcement,
Salesforce and HP also announced their support for mandatory climate disclosure. We hope that more companies will go on record to support mandatory climate disclosure, which Ceres has been advocating for for more than a decade.
Leading Companies Call for Strong Fuel Economy and Emissions Standards
Ahead of Earth Week, the Ceres-led Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance and the Ceres BICEP Network (representing more than 80 companies with a combined $1.3 trillion in annual revenue) called on the Biden-Harris administration to set strong emissions and fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles. A rapid transition to clean vehicles will reduce fuel costs while enhancing the global competitiveness of the U.S. auto industry.
Major investor groups outline climate policy priority recommendations
Before the Leaders Summit on Climate last week, the CEOs of three major investor groups, representing tens of millions of assets under management, called on the Biden-Harris administration to adopt policies that will enable the U.S. to ‘build back better’
and restore its climate leadership in the world. In an open letter to the administration, the CEOs of Ceres, CDP and PRI applauded President Joe Biden for his quick executive actions putting the U.S. back in the Paris Agreement and restoring environmental protections. But they also urged the U.S. Congress to enact multi-faceted infrastructure legislation to build a more just and sustainable net-zero economy, calling for “a new approach to U.S. climate policy that puts priority on the well-being of our planet and on the health and prosperity of all people both now and in future generations.”
U.S. investors and companies to call for robust infrastructure package
Our efforts to engage the Biden-Harris administration and Congress on climate action isn’t slowing down. In just a few weeks, Ceres will be (virtually) uniting investors and companies from across the country and sectors in Washington D.C. for our annual Lawmaker Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD). Business leaders will meet with Congressional offices to urge elected officials to pass an infrastructure package that will address the climate crisis and help build a more just and sustainable economy.
|
We’re so inspired by these recent achievements, which wouldn’t be possible without your continued partnership.
Again, thank you for your dedication and support, which will ensure a more just and sustainable future is well within reach for everyone.
Team Ceres |
|
|