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Climate Change and ESG

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The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recognizes that climate change poses a​ serious threat to the U.S. housing finance system. FHFA's regulated entities – Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Ba​nk System – have an important leadership role to play in addressing this issue. In its supervisory capacity over the regulated entities, as well as its role as conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, FHFA has been actively working to ensure that the regulated entities are accounting for the risks associated with climate change and natural disasters while also overseeing the regulated entities' work related to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) broadly.

To this end, FHFA established an internal Climate Change and ESG Steering Committee, consisting of the Agency's leadership, and eight working groups staffed with experts from across the agency on the following areas:

  1. Data and research;​​​​
  2. Assessing climate exposure;
  3. ESG reporting and disclosure;
  4. Governance;
  5. Green bonds;
  6. Consumer protection;
  7. Internal agency operations; and 
  8. Legal.

The working groups will work with FHFA's regulated entities, members of the FSOC Climate-Related Financial Risk Committee (CFRC), members of the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), members of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC), members of the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG), and other stakeholders.

A​dditional Steps Taken

In April 2023, FHFA joined the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG). MitFLG, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is focused on strengthening the nation’s disaster resilience by expanding mitigation awareness, coordination, and action.

In July 2022, FHFA joined the Financial Literacy Education Commission (FLEC). FLEC is a national interagency group focused on coordinating financial education efforts throughout the federal government.

On May 11, 2022, FHFA joined the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System (NGFS). NGFS is an international group comprised of central banks and financial supervisors whose purpose is to help strengthen the global response required to meet the goals of the Paris agreement.

Econ Summits

On November 1, 2022, FHFA hosted an Economic Summit on climate risk, with sessions on climate stress testing and academic research on impacts to vulnerable communities.

Agency Documents

See FHFA’s climate-related performance measures and targets for 2023 within FHFA’s FY 2023 Annual Performance Plan.

See FHFA’s FY22 climate-related activities and plans for FY23 within FHFA’s 2022 Performance and Accountability Report.

See FHFA’s climate-related activities in 2021 within FHFA’s 2021 Annual Report to Congress.

Climate Blog Series

Read about the ongoing work and accomplishments of FHFA’s Climate Change and ESG Working Groups.

The Need to Address Climate Risk
Author:
Daniel E. Coates Deputy Director, FHFA Division of Research and Statistics
Chair, Climate Change and ESG Steering Committee
Executive Sponsor, Climate Change and ESG Working Groups
Understanding the Climate’s Impact on Vulnerable Populations
Authors: Leda DeRosa Bloomfield
Branch Chief for Policy and Equity, Office of Fair Lending Oversight
Division of Housing Mission and Goals
Sarah Friedman
Examination Specialist, Office of Fair Lending Oversight
Division of Housing Mission and Goals
FHFA’s Fall 2023 Econ Summit on Climate Risk
Author: November Wilson
Senior Economist, Climate Change and ESG Branch
Division of Research and Statistics

​Disaster Response and Assistance

In May 2019, FHFA formalized its agency-wide Disaster Response Team (DRT), which had been meeting informally for years prior. The DRT has experience coordinating with the regulated entities, other government agencies, external parties, and internal FHFA stakeholders during natural disasters. It is guided by a natural disaster response and recovery framework developed by FHFA in coordination with its regulated entities to support borrowers and renters affected by natural disasters. This framework incorporates forbearance and workout options for borrowers in areas impacted by natural disasters, tailoring options to their specific circumstances.

For more information on disaster response and assistance: See https://www.fhfa.gov/Homeownersbuyer/MortgageAssistance/Pages/Disaster-Assistance.aspx

RFI: Climate and Natural Disaster Risk Management at the Regulated Entities

Link to Comments – select “Climate and Natural Disaster Risk" in dropdown menu

Link to RFI Synopsis

Listening Session

On March 4, 2021, FHFA held a public listening session on Climate and Natural Disaster Risk Management at the Regulated Entities.

March 4, 2021 Listening Session

March 4, 2021 Agenda

March 4, 2021 Listening Session Transcript

March 4, 2021 Listening Session Presentations

Statements, Remarks, and External Engagements

Daniel E. Coates, Deputy Director for the Division of Research and Statistics at FHFA, delivered remarks on FHFA’s actions to address climate-related risk during the Ceres webinar, The Climate Risk Scorecard: Assessing U.S. Financial Regulator Action, on December 6, 2022.

Sandra L. Thompson, Director of FHFA, delivered remarks during the Financial Literacy Education Commission (FLEC) Public Meeting on November 17, 2022, which also touched upon climate.

Daniel E. Coates, Deputy Director for the Division of Research and Statistics at FHFA, served as the keynote presenter for the September 30, 2022, Climate Adaptation Forum (CAF).

Sandra L. Thompson, Director of FHFA, addressed climate change during the National Association of Federally Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU)’s Congressional Caucus event in September 2022.

Daniel E. Coates, Deputy Director for the Division of Research and Statistics at FHFA, addressed climate change in a podcast on climate change risk organized by the National Association of Federally Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU) in August 2022.

Remarks of Sandra L. Thompson, Director of FHFA, at Financial Stability Oversight Council Principals Meeting on July 28, 2022.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Announces Membership in the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System (NGFS)​ on May 11, 2022.

FHFA Acting Director Sandra L. Thompson's Statement on Climate Change on December 27, 2021.

Prepared Remarks of Sandra L. Thompson, Acting Director of FHFA, at Financial Stability Oversight Council Principals Meeting. on October 21, 2021.

​Regulated Entities

The ESG website of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas describes their ESG strategy and includes a link to their 2022 ESG Report, published in April 2023.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's ESG websites describe their ESG strategies and include links to their Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and ESG Reports.

​Contact:

Email: ClimateChange-ESG@fhfa.gov

​Meet the Team

​Daniel E. Coates
Executive Sponsor of Climate Change and ESG Working Group  
Chair, Climate Change and ESG​ Steering Committee

Varun Joshi
Assistant Project Coordinator
Climate Change and ESG Working Group​

Jessica Shui
Project Coordinator 
Climate Change and ESG Working Group​

Read the bios of additional experts working on climate and ESG.

​Page last updated: January 22, 2024​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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