Climate change is not just an environmental issue but a complex economic challenge affecting both global and local economies. In 2022, climate-related disasters and infrastructure failures resulted in a loss of approximately $313 billion. The impact on workers and their economic security is a critical issue as the wealth gap widens. A recent report reveals that the top 1% has accumulated over 38% of all wealth since the mid-1990s, while the bottom 50% holds only 2%. This disparity is set to drastically increase as low-income workers, who make up the majority of the workforce in high-risk industries, are disproportionately affected by climate change. The threat to workers' economic security is a real and immediate concern that demands urgent action.

Integrating responsible investing principles allows public pensions to safeguard the retirement futures of workers while building a resilient and inclusive economy. Addressing the unique vulnerabilities of the queer community within the context of the climate crisis ensures that no one is left behind in the pursuit of a sustainable future, and advocating for responsible investing and equitable climate policies ensures a world where all individuals, regardless of their identity, have the opportunity to thrive.

This summer season spotlights the reality of the climate crisis and its profound impact on our daily lives. The increasing frequency of extreme weather, wildfires, heatwaves, and floods is a stark reminder of the dangers we face in our homes, at work, and in our communities. These events are not just distant threats– they currently impact workers across various industries - from utilities to consumer goods, retail workers, and finance professionals.

Are you wondering what climate risk really looks like and how pension decisions actually contribute to securing a dignified retirement for workers? Keep reading to see how we decode a few of the most crucial but wonky policy solutions a pension can take to tackle climate risk regarding what that means for protecting public workers' retirement future. We hope this is a helpful explainer tool for trustees on a board, fund staff communicating with the public, or union leaders engaging in pension policies to protect their members' retirement security.

It’s not a huge stretch to say that asset managers dominate us all. As financial firms that invest money for clients in stocks, bonds, and other assets, asset managers’ priority is accumulating wealth for their clients. With trillions of dollars under management and major influence within the highest levels of government, these firms hold outsized economic and political power.

Asset managers—especially megafirms like BlackRock and Vanguard—have become key shareholders of thousands of companies, collectively driving rising inequality and a range of injustices. Because of this, asset managers have increasingly become the focus of critique and organizing over the past decade.

Public pension funds should ensure that investment strategies address emerging global risks like climate change because workers' livelihoods and retirement security depend on it. The path forward demands we counter misinformation and actively advocate for policies that recognize the interconnection between our economic systems, the climate crisis, and the well-being of workers and their families.

In the context of racial and climate justice, intersectionality reveals how race, economic status, and environmental factors negatively impact historically excluded groups. Our economies' resilience, environmental health, and communal well-being are undeniably linked. Considering intersectionality is essential for a comprehensive approach to a just transition to a low-carbon economy where everyone benefits.

During "shareholder season," a myriad of proposals or resolutions are presented. Investors engage with corporate leaders to encourage policy adoptions without resorting to a vote during the AGM. Regarding climate risk, numerous groups and shareholder campaigns are gearing up for specific resolutions and director votes to push companies to act on climate change.

We see economic opportunities in tackling the climate crisis, investments that protect workers' retirement future and safer workplaces, real accountability for harmful companies, and a more just economy that serves the people and the planet.

While the big U.S. asset managers voting records in support of ESG issues have historically lagged European and smaller managers, the exodus of State Street, JPMorgan, PIMCO, and BlackRock’s U.S. operations from Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) could undermine your pensions’ climate risk mitigation policies.

Treasurer Read's Decarbonization Plan is a critical milestone in protecting the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund (OPERF) from the systematic risk of climate change and the probability that global warming will surpass the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's projected safe boundaries.

This update, the first monthly edition, highlights recent developments regarding ESG initiatives in various U.S. states, particularly in the context of pension plans. We see states taking bold strides toward sustainability and intentional stewardship, redefining how pension funds are invested.

Bob Eccles is a leading authority on how companies and investors can create sustainable strategies. He recently interviewed our Executive Director, Mary Cerulli, for his website.

July is shaping up to be an exciting month with multiple hearings on ESG in the House Financial Services Committee. This roundtable on the importance of empowering shareholders and stakeholders cut through the political theater to share the truth about investment risk.

We had the honor of sitting with Rev. Abby Mohaupt to talk about climate finance, the role of asset managers, and how people of faith can influence the climate crisis through pensions and assets.

We recently created some resources to people understand how pension funds are used to fuel the climate crisis and the solutions. You can find these videos on our new Pension Resources page.

In 2023 Republican lawmakers in 37 states introduced 165 pieces of legislation to weaponize government funds, contracts, and pensions to prevent companies and investors from considering commonplace risk factors in making responsible, risk-adjusted investment decisions. This report is the first comprehensive look at this legislative campaign and the broad effort to counter it.

Shareholder proposals seek to push corporations to disclose climate impacts, set emissions reduction goals and align their lobbying with their climate commitments. We are sharing links to key organizations who aggregate and flag these proposals as a tool for shareholders who want to vote for climate.

Mindy Lubber with Ceres takes the TED stage to show us the path to address the climate crisis. Spoiler alert! 100 companies are responsible for 80% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions. Let's start there.

Conservatives pushing anti-sustainable legislation and directives in six states could result in taxpayers wasting hundreds of millions in higher municipal bond interest payments