Ceres to call on investors, companies and policymakers to increase climate ambition and action at Climate Week 2021

With Climate Week 2021 set to kick off next week, Ceres is calling on investors, companies, regulators, and policymakers to increase their climate ambition and action. Ceres experts will participate in high-level virtual events and panel discussions to highlight opportunities for public-private collaboration and take stock of our climate goals ahead of COP26 in November. 

Featured events include:

• Wednesday, September 22, 12 pm EST: Walking the Talk on Climate Lobbying. Ceres’ recent assessment of 96 large U.S.-based companies reveals that only 40% have engaged directly with lawmakers on science-based climate policies and only a handful are assessing and acting on misalignments found within their trade associations. Join this Ceres-led session to examine growing investor expectations on corporate climate lobbying and explore opportunities that publicly advocate for science-based climate policy.

• Thursday, September 23, 5 pm EST:  Shareholder Engagement Shaping Corporate Sustainability in the Real Economy. 2021 has been a landmark year for shareholder engagement on climate, sustainability and human rights—providing evidence that collaborative investor stewardship initiatives are driving impressive, sometimes surprising, results. Join Ceres and CalPERS for a discussion on leading and innovative practices for corporate engagement.

• Friday, September 24, 2 pm EST: Strategies for Supporting Adoption of the Advanced Clean Truck Rule. The ACT rule requires truck makers to sell an increasing number of clean, zero-emission trucks in place of diesel and gasoline to cut toxic fuel emissions in polluted communities. Businesses and government officials will share opportunities for collaboration in charting a new course for the country to protect public health while building a cleaner and more equitable economy.

• Wednesday, September 22, 11 am EST: Ceres expert Lindsey White, director, Ceres Investor Network, will moderate a panel  at the World Climate Forum NORTH AMERICA 2021: "Build Back Better Together—Advancing the Green Recovery through Cross-Sectoral Coalitions and Financing of the Green Transition," with keynote remarks by Tom Steyer. Find more information here. 

• Wednesday, September 22, 12pm EST: Ceres CEO Mindy Lubber will join The HUB LIVE at Climate Week NYC for “Fast Tracking Finance: The crucial role of investors and financers in the Climate Decade,” which will explore the innovations and pathways needed for the financial system to accelerate investments toward a zero-carbon economy. Register for the HUB Live today.

• Wednesday, September 22, 12pm EST: Ceres expert Steven Rothstein, Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets will join the panel “Create Opportunity and Climate Justice with Financial Accountability” to discuss the importance of financial inclusion to advance climate justice. Register for this climate justice event here. 

• Ceres is partnering with Climate Action for SIF NA 2021, which will bring together asset owners and investment managers, institutional investors, pension funds, banks, development banks, policymakers, think tanks and NGOs to continue to build the momentum for sustainable finance and responsible investment. Find more information here.

The convening comes on the heels of a ‘code red’ warning from leading scientists that  the climate crisis is widespread, rapid, and intensifying, and that without immediate, large-scale emissions reductions, previous targets limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius will be out of reach. It also comes as the U.S. Congress negotiates a large-scale budget bill with robust climate measures, presenting the best chance in a generation for the U.S. to enact impactful climate legislation at the federal level.

“As climate leaders come together for Climate Week 2021, the U.S. and global leaders face a critical moment in mitigating the climate crisis. All eyes will be on what leaders will do next to save our planet and safeguard our economy,” said Ceres CEO and President Mindy Lubber. “We must build on the significant momentum going into COP26, where policymakers, regulators, investors, and companies must show each other and the world that they are raising their climate ambition and action and have a bold plan in place to achieve a more just and inclusive zero emissions future.”  

Climate Week’s collective call for increased commitment to climate ambition and action mirrors Ceres’ recent initiatives to push investors, companies and policymakers to go further and faster. This week, a record number of 587 investors with $46 trillion in assets under management urged governments to rapidly implement five priority climate policy actions. A new Ceres effort, Ambition 2030, launched to decarbonize six high-emitting sectors: banking electric power, food, oil and gas, steel, and transportation—which together are responsible for up to 80% of global emissions. Ceres is also mobilizing hundreds of businesses that support federal climate action to endorse the climate provisions in the federal budget reconciliation package. 

Next week, there will be new announcements on corporate climate lobbying, investor-led efforts to align portfolios with the goals of the Paris Agreement, and corporate support for driving up the number of clean, zero-emission trucks on the road. Reach out to Helen Booth-Tobin ([email protected]) at Ceres for more information.

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.