Dear NRDC Activist,

Climate change threatens the lives and livelihoods of people in every region of the world. Climate change is also a critical economic and financial challenge. Last year in the U.S. alone, extreme weather events caused more than $145 billion in damages.

Businesses at risk include hundreds of major publicly traded companies. And if you are an investor, climate change could be a major threat to the value of your investments, now and for your future.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is proposing a rule that will help investors make better informed decisions. The rule would require publicly traded companies to provide investors and the public with information about how they are affected by the financial risks of climate change.

Companies will be required to disclose reliable, standardized information about climate-related financial risks. That includes information on their contributions to climate change from greenhouse gas emissions and how climate change impacts (like storms and wildfires) put their businesses at risk, and disclosure of their plans to address these financial risks.

The SEC is seeking comments on this proposed rule until June 17.

So please write to the SEC in support of requiring companies to disclose climate-related financial risks!

People put their hard-earned money into investments, from stocks to retirement plans. But people often don't know enough about the companies they invest in — and that includes how much those companies' financial health is at risk because they're exposed to climate impacts or because their emissions or activities contribute to climate change.

Some companies share climate risk data voluntarily, and some don't share it at all. What data is available often isn't reliable or standardized. This pattern of unreliable and incomplete information disclosure leaves investors at high risk.

The SEC's proposed rule will provide the public with information about companies' climate-related financial risks in a reliable, standardized manner — so people can make the best investment decisions. The rule will align the U.S. more closely with other countries that already require or are planning to require similar climate-related disclosures from businesses.

Comment today to build up the momentum for corporate transparency and reliability.

The SEC's proposal is an important first step for understanding and managing our climate risk. The financial risks posed by climate change to the public and the economy are real. We, as current and future investors, deserve to have all the information we need to make decisions in the face of climate impacts.

Voice your support to get this rule across the finish line for mandatory climate disclosures and protect investments! Make sure to submit your comment before the June 17 deadline.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Sarah Dougherty
Director, Green Finance Center, Healthy People & Thriving Communities Program, NRDC