Climate Finance Action

Union Voices on Climate & Retirement — Climate Finance Action Union Voices on Climate & Retirement is a digital campaign to amplify the perspectives of union members on climate change and pension fund risk mitigation.

This short survey collects anonymous insights from union members about climate impacts, pension security, and the role unions can play in responsible investing.

Help make worker experience visible.

👉 Share your voice in the survey:

Workforce and Climate Standards Are Essential to Securing Pension Investments — Climate Finance Action Workforce and climate standards are essential to pension investment security. This blog explores how labor practices, responsible workforce policies, and climate risk management work together to…

🔗 Read the full CFA blog to see why labor and climate standards belong at the center of pension investing: www.climatefinanceaction.org/blog/workfor...

Research shows companies that invest in workers deliver better returns, and pension funds are starting to connect the dots. Climate resilience and workforce protections aren’t competing priorities; together, they help secure long-term retirement outcomes.

Our white paper shows how in-state climate resilience investments, from water systems to energy grids and housing, can deliver stable returns while strengthening the communities that pension beneficiaries call home.

Download now to see what’s possible: www.climatefinanceaction.org/white-paper-...

Frequently Asked Questions — Climate Finance Action Get clear answers to common questions about pension funds, climate risk, fiduciary duty, and responsible investing. Learn how Climate Finance Action supports transparency, accountability, and…

Public employees and retirees deserve real access to the systems that manage their retirement savings.

CFA works alongside unions to demystify pension systems, increase transparency, and build the knowledge and confidence workers need to influence how their funds are governed and invested.

Our research explores:

👉🏼 The governance gaps that keep funds from investing in upgraded water systems and modernized energy grids.
👉🏼 How to confidently pursue resilient investments that create local economic value.

Read the full analysis: www.climatefinanceaction.org/white-paper-...

The work of strengthening pension governance, protecting retirement security, and addressing climate risk doesn’t happen by accident.

If you believe public capital should protect workers and the future they’re retiring into, consider supporting our work: www.climatefinanceaction.org/donate

The key to unlocking competitive, long-term returns lies in overcoming organizational barriers to focus on in-state infrastructure modernization.

Read the full analysis on shifting your fund from caution to confidence: www.climatefinanceaction.org/white-paper-...

If you work anywhere near public finance or pension fund decision-making, you’ve probably felt how difficult it is to cut through the noise around climate investing. The politics are loud, but the practical guidance is often left out.

Learn more: www.climatefinanceaction.org/white-paper-...

"Public pension funds aren’t just passive allocators of capital. With the right tools and governance, they can be active drivers of economic resilience and long-term portfolio stability."

This is a core conclusion from our latest research: www.climatefinanceaction.org/white-paper-...

If you've been looking for a path forward, this is a clear place to start.

www.climatefinanceaction.org/white-paper-...

Our new white paper, Unlocking State Power, looks at why adaptation keeps getting overlooked, why governance structures matter, and what steps can help funds move from caution to confidence.

Systemic market risks are already reshaping markets, budgets, and local economies. Pension funds feel that pressure every day, but they also have enormous potential to reduce risk and build stability.

Trillions in US pension assets out of reach for local climate projects Public pension funds control $6.6tn in assets, yet invest little in local climate mitigation or resilience, a report finds US states are facing a widening gap in funding for climate-resilient…

#ICYMI — CFA’s work was recently featured in Sustainable Views, which examined how public pension funds are navigating climate risk, governance reform, and in-state investment opportunities.

You can read the full article here: www.sustainableviews.com/trillions-in...

Why Integrated Resilience Matters Now: Protecting Labor’s Future in a Shifting Climate — Climate Finance Action Climate change is transforming economic competitiveness, jobs, and pension security. Learn why union leaders and pension stakeholders must move beyond climate compliance to integrated resilience,…

Our latest blog breaks down why compliance-only climate strategies fall short, and how union leaders and pension stakeholders can push toward real resilience and transition readiness.

Check it out now at:

Unlocking State Power: Overcoming Barriers to In-State Climate Investment for Pension Funds — Climate Finance Action Explore the structural barriers that keep pension funds from acting on climate risk, shows where the biggest opportunities actually sit, and offers practical steps trustees and staff can use to make…

State pension funds manage trillions of dollars, yet much of that capital still flows away from the places it’s meant to support, with climate risk being treated as a future concern. Our new white paper outlines how funds can move beyond outdated models.

Our new white paper breaks down the biggest barriers that keep pension funds from investing in high-potential infrastructure and resilience projects and outlines practical steps trustees, staff, and policymakers can take right now.

🔗 Download now at www.climatefinanceaction.org/white-paper-...

Resources — Climate Finance Action Explore resources to better understand and limit climate risk for pension funds to ensure stronger long-term health, financial sustainability, and security of public workers’ retirement futures.

Download our resource, "Managing Risk and Opportunity in Private Market Investments."

Learn how public pensions can manage climate risk and opportunity with responsible stewardship in mind.

www.climatefinanceaction.org/download-res...

Private markets don’t have to be a black box. With the right tools, pension stakeholders can ask better questions, strengthen accountability, and protect long-term retirement security in a rapidly changing climate.

Support CFA — Climate Finance Action A donation to Climate Finance Action scales up proven solutions for a just transition to an inclusive economy.

CFA is a nonprofit with a clear vision: a thriving planet and an inclusive economy where financial decisions account for climate risk and worker well-being.

Learn more and make a donation today at www.climatefinanceaction.org/donate

#ClimateFinanceAction

What are public pension trustees doing with that public money? What should they be doing? And how can they balance their public goals with their fiduciary duty to support the retirement of state and local government workers?

How Our Public Pension Dollars Can Advance Climate Justice | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice. Public pension funds have more than $6 trillion in assets, over $500 billion in California alone. These dollars can be mobilized to support climate justice—if they are so used.

Our eyes often glaze over when we are talking about trillions of dollars. To translate that into everyday terms, $6.17 trillion works out to over $18,000 per person in the United States or over $72,000 for a family of four.

Continue Reading: nonprofitquarterly.org/how-our-publ...

Unlocking State Power: Overcoming Barriers to In-State Climate Investment for Pension Funds — Climate Finance Action Explore the structural barriers that keep pension funds from acting on climate risk, shows where the biggest opportunities actually sit, and offers practical steps trustees and staff can use to make…

In-state economic resilience investments could bring many benefits to pension funds. But to scale it up, Funds must address organizational barriers to set them up for success.

Explore examples of how successful funds are doing it in our white paper at

Unlocking State Power: Overcoming Barriers to In-State Climate Investment for Pension Funds — Climate Finance Action Explore the structural barriers that keep pension funds from acting on climate risk, shows where the biggest opportunities actually sit, and offers practical steps trustees and staff can use to make…

Policymakers, union leadership, and fund staff: Learn how to align financial goals with local prosperity.

🔗 Download the full paper for actionable steps: www.climatefinanceaction.org/white-paper-...

#StatePolicy #EconomicDevelopment
#JobCreation #PublicFinance

Unlocking State Power: Overcoming Barriers to In-State Climate Investment for Pension Funds — Climate Finance Action Explore the structural barriers that keep pension funds from acting on climate risk, shows where the biggest opportunities actually sit, and offers practical steps trustees and staff can use to make…

This approach generates competitive returns for beneficiaries while:

➡️ Strengthening local economies and supply chains.
➡️ Creating high-paying, in-state jobs.
➡️ Fortifying state assets against physical and market volatility.

Public capital has the potential to do more than secure retirements—it can create quality jobs and build vital state infrastructure.

Our white paper, Unlocking State Power, demonstrates how pension funds can strategically invest in local economic resilience projects.

Our Mapping Board and Influencers to Build Power worksheets help you identify the right people, conversations, and shared interests to strengthen protections for your pension.

📥 Download now at static1.squarespace.com/static/5eda5...

Trillions in US pension assets out of reach for local climate projects Public pension funds control $6.6tn in assets, yet invest little in local climate mitigation or resilience, a report finds US states are facing a widening gap in funding for climate-resilient…

Why are public pension funds sitting on trillions in capital while electricity grids need updating, and extreme-weather defence upgrades need to be restored?

Read this article by Elizabeth Meager featuring CFA to find out.

www.sustainableviews.com/gift-article...

📥 Plus, download our Transition Readiness Primer to learn how funds can protect retirement futures while supporting a just and sustainable economy.

Building an Effective Climate Risk Transition Plan for Pension Funds — Climate Finance Action Addressing physical and climate transition risks is essential to protecting long-term retirement, and that's why more resilient pension funds use science-based climate measurement tools and a…

A strong transition plan anticipates risk.

Our blog breaks down key indicators of a climate-ready pension fund and why tools like science-based targets and transition readiness assessments are essential to long-term security.

🔗 www.climatefinanceaction.org/blog/buildin...