background image

Climate proposals pile pressure on US banks

author image

By illuminem

· 2 min read


🗞️ Driving the news: 30% of shareholders of major US banks, including Goldman Sachs, BoA and Wells Fargo, supported proposals put forward by environmental activists calling for a plan to phase out financing of fossil fuel projects by 2030

🌎 Why it matters for the planet: The support for these resolutions (against the boards' recommendation) highlights the pressure on banks regarding their financing of carbon-intensive companies 

  • The largest sovereign wealth fund globally, Norway's oil fund, supported the transition plan resolutions proposed at BoA, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs, along with Legal and General Investment Management

⏭️ What’s next: The rejection of the proposals does not mean the end of the push towards sustainable investments

  • Watch for upcoming shareholder meetings at JPMorgan Chase (May 17th) and Morgan Stanley (May 19th), where similar resolutions will be tabled

💬 One quote: "Pressure is only going to increase" (Danielle Fugere, President, As You Sow, one of the activist groups behind the proposal)

📈 One stat: The six largest US banks financed $1.6+ trillion in fossil fuel projects since the Paris Agreement (2016). This represents a 10% increase the previous five-year period (source: RAN)

Fossil fuel banking league table

Click for more on sustainable finance

 

Did you enjoy this illuminem voice? Support us by sharing this article!
author photo

About the author

illuminem's editorial team - delivering the most effective, updated, and comprehensive access to sustainability & energy information.

Follow us on Linkedin, Instagram & Twitter

Other illuminem Voices


Related Posts


You cannot miss it!

Weekly. Free. Your Top 10 Sustainability & Energy Posts.

You can unsubscribe at any time (read our privacy policy)