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9/19/2023

Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at Net-Zero Financial Institution Leaders Roundtable in New York,…

Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at Net-Zero
Financial Institution Leaders Roundtable in New York, New York
September 19, 2023

As Prepared for Delivery
Good a ernoon. Itʼs nice to see many of you again.
Iʼd like to start by expressing my appreciation for the work you and your firms are doing on
climate – particularly the support you provide to your clients and portfolio companies to both
better manage the risks and take advantage of the opportunities associated with climate
change. The steps youʼve been taking are significant.
But there remains much work to be done, and now is the time for all of us to build on progress
made and continue advancing our climate-related work.
Later today, Iʼll give remarks on the release of Treasuryʼs Principles for Net-Zero Financing and
Investment, which we have just published. These Principles lay out best practices for financial
institutions that have made or are thinking about making net-zero commitments.
Following the Principles is, of course, voluntary, but many of those in this room are taking or
have already taken actions consistent with some of the best practices they highlight. And for
those that havenʼt, we think they can be useful in clarifying what to consider.
We know that every financial institution is di erent. And your clients and portfolio companies
are diverse. For this reason, the Principles highlight approaches – such as developing
transition plans – that are both rigorous and flexible.
They help set shared expectations for net-zero commitments while being adaptable to your
and your clientsʼ progress along the transition.
All of this is in service of achieving shared goals: navigating both risks and economic
opportunities as the United States builds the clean energy economy of the future. Today, I
hope we can discuss the challenges and opportunities your firms are facing as we work to
realize those goals.
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https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1749

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9/19/2023

Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at Net-Zero Financial Institution Leaders Roundtable in New York,…

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1749

2/2