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Statement on EPA's Proposed Rule for Power Plants

US SIF statement on the EPA proposed rule to replace the Clean Power Plan.

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 23, 2018 – Lisa Woll, CEO of US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment released the following statement today in response to the Trump administration's proposed rule to replace the Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan is aimed at cutting carbon emissions from power plants.

Coal fired power plants are the second leading source of carbon emissions (behind transportation) and initiatives like the Clean Power Plan are essential to curb emissions and address climate change.

US SIF has consistently supported federal policy to reduce the amount of carbon going into the atmosphere, including the Clean Power Plan. The proposed Affordable Clean Energy rule flies in the face of established science, private sector commitments and the health and well-being of Americans.

The proposed rule sends the wrong signal to the investment community, the American people and America's international partners. Instead of artificially propping up outdated technology through regulatory incentives, the Administration should be driving innovation including investment in clean energy sources and leading the international efforts to curb climate change.

The US SIF Foundation's 2016 Report On US Sustainable, Responsible And Impact Investing Trends in the United States found that money managers with $1.42 trillion in assets under management and institutional asset owners with $2.15 trillion in assets considered climate change risk in their investment analysis, more than three times the assets so affected in 2014. With or without leadership from the federal government, Investors will continue to address climate change through their asset allocation and shareholder engagement. We await serious action by this Administration.

About US SIF
US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is the leading voice advancing sustainable, responsible and impact investing across all asset classes. Its mission is to rapidly shift investment practices toward sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts. US SIF members include investment management and advisory firms, mutual fund companies, asset owners, research firms, financial planners and advisors, broker-dealers, community investing organizations and nonprofit associations.

US SIF is supported in its work by the US SIF Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization that undertakes educational, research and programmatic activities to advance the mission of US SIF, including offering trainings on the Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact Investment. The biennial Report on US Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends will be published later this year.  The 9th Annual US SIF Conference will be held in Minneapolis from June 10-12, 2019.    

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