Government subcommittee report examines climate change impact on U.S. financial system

Managing Climate Risk in the U.S. Financial System, unanimously approved by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Climate-Related Market Risk Subcommittee, is the first-of-its-kind effort from a U.S. government entity. The report, which presents 53 recommendations, concludes that climate change poses a major risk to the stability of the U.S. financial system and to its ability to sustain the American economy.  

Jeff Dukes, director of Purdue’s Climate Change Research Center and a professor of forestry and natural resources and biological sciences, served on the 34-member committee and explained the importance of the report.

“I think this is the most important government report on climate change in a long time. If our financial markets do a good job of pricing the risks from climate change, then our society is much more likely to address the problem,” Dukes said.

Dukes, one of a few academic experts who joined with professionals from the financial and commodity sectors to write the report, praised the committee’s unanimous response.

“All of these people voted unanimously to adopt a report that calls for putting a price on carbon

and for helping financial markets account for the risks associated with climate change. Our financial system has been built to price in risks and minimize the damage from sudden shocks, but it hasn’t done a good job of pricing or planning for climate change. This report shows how that could and should be done,” Dukes said.

Featured Stories

spring start kitten
A Dream in Motion: Spring Start in Animal Sciences

In sixth grade, she wrote a letter to her future self. In it, she declared that one day she would...

Read More
dean bestowing awards
Drs. Elizabeth Long and Grzesiek Buczkowski Receive Promotions

Drs. Elizabeth Long and Grzesiek Buczkowski Receive Promotions

Read More
SWABO Team
Making a difference with a tap on an app

Every morning, Barry Pittendrigh, Purdue’s John V. Osmun Endowed Chair in Urban Entomology...

Read More
Evan Hunt
A shift in focus: Evan Hunt finds his path in animal genetics

Evan Hunt pivots from pre-vet to animal genetics after taking ANSC 311 at Purdue.

Read More
Person holding package of processed meats.
Many consumers view processed foods as unhealthy but convenient

When it comes to highly or ultra-processed foods, consumers display a disparity between what they...

Read More
Sunrise in a Corn Field at ACRE
Indiana Corn Update - Issue #28

Cover crop strategies for weed control, N₂O emissions in corn, and the impacts of harvest...

Read More