Central banks plan radical regulatory changes to tackle climate crisis - time for banks to get ready

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Feb 19, 2020, 09:50 ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazars, the international audit and advisory firm, and OMFIF, the independent think tank for central banking, economic policy and public investment, today reveal how central banks and regulators are responding to the climate crisis.

70% of central banks and regulators see climate change as 'major threat' to financial stability
Inclusion of climate considerations in stress tests set to soar
Central banks split on where responsibility for action lies

"Four years after the Paris agreement the climate change debate continues to proliferate. Climate change will impact all financial institutions and the topic is high on the agenda of supervisors and regulators around the globe," says Rudi Lang, partner, Leader Financial Institutions Group at Mazars, and sponsor of the Mazars-OMFIF report, "Tackling climate change: The role of banking regulation and supervision."

A Threat to Stability

The report, based on research and surveys with 33 central banks and regulatory authorities, finds that 70% of respondents consider climate change a 'major threat' to financial stability.

Recognition – But What Reaction?

Just over half of central banks (55%) say they are monitoring climate risks. But there is disagreement over responsibilities, with 12% overall saying that, while they see climate change as a major risk, action should come from other policy institutions, such as government departments.

Regulatory Approaches to Climate Risks

Central banks and regulatory authorities are increasingly integrating climate risks into their activities. Moving ahead, top measures expected are:

1. Assessing climate risk as a financial risk in stress tests

2. Encouraging or mandating climate-related financial disclosures

3. Setting sustainability criteria standards for green finance/lending by regulated banks

While 'market-fixing' initiatives – which involve correcting market failures in financial markets – are gaining traction, central banks report being wary of using more interventionist 'market-shaping' prudential and monetary tools for climate purposes.

Obstacles

Almost all respondents highlighted the lack of appropriate analytical tools, methodologies and data as major problems. Data availability and quality are the key concern for 84% of respondents.

Fragmentation of climate-risk frameworks is also deemed a key challenge, with 31% of respondents concerned about the comparability and consistency of supervisory frameworks.

More Climate Stress-testing Expected

The inclusion of climate-related considerations in stress tests is still at an early stage with only a minority (15%) of respondents currently including them in their routine stress tests of financial institutions. But this is set to soar, as nearly four-fifths (79%) say they intend to do so in the future.

Facing the Future

'The success of any policy response will rely on the engagement of market participants who will be expected to assess, disclose and mitigate their climate change risk and continue to change some of their practices,' highlights Leila Kamdem-Fotso, partner, financial services, Mazars, and contributor to the report. 'Encouragingly, collaboration has already started between regulators and the private sector through various initiatives.'

About Mazars USA
Mazars USA LLP is a high-performing accounting, tax and consulting firm with significant national presence in strategic U.S. geographies. Since 1921, our dedicated professionals have leveraged technical industry expertise to develop customized solutions for clients, create value, and Optimize their performance. We offer a broad array of industry specialists providing services to growth-oriented enterprises and individuals. As the independent US member firm of Mazars Group, we deliver seamless access to the expertise of 24,000 professionals in 90+ countries. At local and global levels, we are proud of our value-added services, building lasting relationships with our clients and communities. For more information, visit us at www.mazarsusa.com.

About the research
The Mazars-OMFIF "Tackling climate change: The role of banking regulation and supervision" report is based on research and survey responses from 33 central banks from across six regions, representing 77% of global GDP. Most respondents are members of the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS). The survey was conducted by OMFIF between August and December 2019.

About the report
The full report can be downloaded on https://www.omfif.org/tacklingclimatechange/ . Visit www.mazars.com/TacklingClimateChange to hear more from report contributors Rudi Lang, Mazars, Danae Kyriakopoulou, OMFIF, and Leila Kamdem-Fotso, Mazars.

About OMFIF
OMFIF is an independent think tank for central banking, economic policy and public investment, providing a neutral platform for public and private sector engagement worldwide.  With teams in London, Singapore and the US, OMFIF focuses on global policy and investment themes relating to central banks, sovereign funds, pension funds, regulators and treasuries. Global Public Investors with investable assets of $37.8tn are at the heart of this network.

www.omfif.org

For more information on Mazars USA, contact:
Mazars USA LLP | Beth More, 732-205-2012 | [email protected]

Makovsky | Ben Jaffe, 212-508-9646 | [email protected]

SOURCE Mazars USA LLP