Bank of America Votes for Renewables with Its Very Large Wallet

By: Tom Murray, Vice President, Corporate Partnerships Program

A company’s public statements matter – they can influence consumer choice, sway public policy decisions, and demonstrate leadership on important issues. But in terms of actual change, it’s where a company puts its money that really matters. This week, Bank of America (BoA) spoke with both its voice and wallet: At its shareholder meeting last week, the bank announced a new coal policy that continues the company’s commitment to reducing its exposure to coal extraction companies and accelerating the transition from a high-carbon to a low-carbon economy.

According to BoA, its portfolio has grown to favor renewable energy over coal by a ratio of more than three-to-one. That’s an important step forward toward a clean, low-carbon energy future. And, it’s one that builds on moves by other institutions, like the recent news from Goldman Sachs about how the company is looking to divest some of its mining interests and Citi’s recent 10-year, $100-billion commitment toward investments in areas like energy efficiency, renewable energy, green affordable housing, and climate change resiliency projects.

Investors are seeing the terrain change beneath them – from upcoming regulations like the EPA’s Clean Power Plan and federal regulations on methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, to consistently lower natural gas prices, which undercut coal’s prior price advantage over other power sources – and beginning to bet on a future that’s powered by lower-carbon options.

More of this type of corporate leadership, including metrics and timelines, is what’s needed to help make the leap from today’s polluting energy system to tomorrow’s thriving, clean energy future.

This post originally appeared on our EDF+Biz blog.