Major fossil fuel lender JPMorgan joins UN climate finance plan

NEW YORK, Oct. 8 (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) announced on Friday that it is joining the United Nations Net-Zero Banking Alliance, a group of global banks that have pledged to significantly reduce their banking activities. carbon financing and investment.

As the largest U.S. bank and the fossil fuel industry’s major lender, JPMorgan has come under fire for not joining the group, which was launched in April, earlier. The announcement comes ahead of next month’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP 26, in Glasgow.

A JPMorgan executive said it was time to join rivals Bank of America (BAC.N), Citigroup (CN), Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and others in aligning his climate plan with the Race to campaign UN Zero.

“We join the Net Zero Banking Alliance because we support the ambition of greater climate action, the sharing of best practices and a collaborative approach between the public and private sectors to achieve this goal,” said Marisa Buchanan, manager JPMorgan Sustainability Global. in a report.

Member banks are required to submit science-based climate plans that cover all types of emissions, include interim targets for 2030, and commit to transparent reporting and accounting. Banks have 18 months to set interim targets for 2030.

Critics say the group’s goals are too weak and flexible.

In May, JPMorgan set medium-term carbon reduction targets for its customers, including asking oil and gas customers to reduce the intensity of direct and indirect emissions. L1N2MZ2S4

Reporting by Elizabeth Dilts Marshall; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

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