July 16, 2016
I am a retired person and I seek to invest in stocks and bonds that can provide for my future income. I would also like to assure that my investments are environmentally safe. I do not want to leave to my four grandchildren a Planet Earth that exists in an atmosphere that has 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Global climate change is real and is caused largely by fossil fuels. Companies that mine, drill, process and deliver petroleum, gas, coal and its products are contributing to increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These companies should disclose the risks associated with their products in their standard reporting documents submitted to the SEC. I, as a consumer, am entitled to know the environmental risks presented by each company in which I invest. And I ought to be able to have the facts I need to make a planetary responsible investment. Please include in your requirements Environmental, Social and Governance factor disclosures that truly help consumers decide whether or not to invest in specific companies. We need to know the climate risks of investing in fossil fuel companies. And we need to know that renewable energy companies (such as wind and solar companies) present no such risks to the planet, and are thus responsible investments for those of us who are concerned about the temperature on our planet in years, decades and centuries to come. Thank you.