On Friday 8 March, the PRA and FCA hosted the first meeting of the Climate Financial Risk Forum (CFRF). The objective of the CFRF is to build capacity and share best practice across financial regulators and industry to advance financial sector responses to the financial risks from climate change.
It brings together senior representatives from across the financial sector, including banks, insurers, and asset managers. The forum is chaired by Sarah Breeden (Executive Director of International Banks Supervision, PRA) and Christopher Woolard (Executive Director of Strategy and Competition, FCA). It will meet three times a year and will report to Sam Woods (CEO of the PRA and Deputy Governor at the Bank of England) and Andrew Bailey (CEO of the FCA).
Climate change and society’s response to it presents financial risks that are relevant to the PRA’s and FCA’s objectives. While these risks may crystallise in full over longer-time horizons, they are becoming apparent now. Firms are enhancing their approaches to managing these risks, but face barriers to implementing the forward-looking, strategic approach necessary to minimise the risks. The CFRF aims to reduce these barriers by developing practical tools and approaches to address climate-related financial risks.
Membership is representative of the UK financial sector, including firms of varying size, business model, and maturity of approach to climate-related risks. The full list of members is as follows:
| Banks | Insurers | Asset managers | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNP Paribas | Aviva | Blackrock | Green Finance Institute |
| HSBC | Legal & General | Hermes | London Stock Exchange Group |
| JP Morgan | Lloyd's of London | Invesco | |
| RBS | RSA Insurance Group | Schroders | |
| Yorkshire Building Society | Zurich | Standard Life Aberdeen |
The forum will also include observers from trade bodies to represent a broader range of firms and ensure the outputs of the CFRF are communicated to their members.
Andrew Bailey, Chief Executive of the FCA, said:
'The first forum meeting today was an important step in tackling a major threat to the future stability of the financial system. The FCA and PRA have been working closely together, combining and building on our joint knowledge, to develop an approach which will enhance the UK financial system’s resilience to climate change. The Climate Financial Risk Forum will seek to encourage approaches in the financial sector, managing the financial risks from climate change as well as supporting innovation in green finance.'
Sam Woods, Deputy Governor and CEO of the PRA, said:
'Climate change has the potential to create significant financial risks for the firms the PRA regulates. The challenge we face in mitigating these risks is unprecedented, and we need to begin to act now if we are to ensure an orderly transition to a low-carbon economy. The establishment of the Climate Financial Risk Forum will provide a platform through which the PRA, FCA and industry can share experience and build expertise as we begin this work.'
At its first meeting, the forum decided to set up four working groups to focus on risk management, scenario analysis, disclosure, and innovation. Each working group will be chaired by a member of the forum and will meet more frequently than the CFRF, reporting back at each CFRF meeting. The aim is to produce practical guidance on each of the four focus areas. The final outputs will be shared with industry more widely. Membership of the working groups will be wider than the forum to allow them to draw on expertise as necessary, such as from academia and industry.
Notes to editors
- CP23/18 Enhancing banks’ and insurers’ approaches to managing the financial risks from climate change
- FCA discussion paper on climate change strategy
- Bank of England climate change website
- Transition in Thinking: the impact of climate change on the UK banking sector
- The Impact of climate change on the UK insurance sector September 2015
- Quarterly Bulletin June 2017: The Bank’s response to climate change