A new SEC rule will require companies to disclose climate-related risks

• A rule proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission would require U.S. firms to disclose the climate-related risks they face.
• The rule would allow investors the ability to evaluate how well a company can handle future costs from a warming planet.
• A changing climate can pose serious financial risks. In the United States, last year’s fire and weather catastrophes caused more than $145 trillion in damages.

Would you consider investing in a winery where the vineyards may not be able grow grapes for a decade? Work in a factory where you might find yourself underwater in 15 years. Buy hamburger from a company that’s burning the Brazilian savanna to grow soybeans to feed cattle?

Groundbreaking federal regulation expected to be unveiled Monday could change how Americans – and American companies – think about climate change. The Securities and Exchange Commission will meet to discuss whether public companies must disclose the risks they face from global warming.