American Retirement Association (ARA)

Sector

Financials

Headquarters

Arlington, United States

Official Website

usaretirement.org

Climate Finance Policy Engagement Analysis

Climate Lobbying Overview: The American Retirement Association (ARA) appears to have had limited engagement with climate-related finance policy but, where it has engaged, ARA has been generally supportive of efforts to permit the use of climate factors in investment decision making.

Top-Line Messaging on Climate-Related Finance Policy: In a 2021 letter to the SEC the ARA stated its preference for sustainable finance policy action by a government entity rather than an industry-led body.

Position on Regulated Corporate Climate Disclosure: In a 2021 response to the SEC’s request for public input on climate change disclosures, the ARA voiced support for a regulated climate disclosure framework, pointing to the growing use of climate factors in retirement investing.

Position on Incorporating Climate Factors Into Investor Duties: In 2021 comments on the Biden administration’s proposed rollbacks of the Trump-era Department of Labor rules that restricted ESG investing, the ARA asked the Department to remove references to ESG considerations in rule language and voiced concern about an implied requirement to consider ESG factors in investment decision making. In an 2021 press release CEO Brian Graff initially expressed support for the Department’s proposal, but in a March 2022 interview Graff expressed concern that requirements on evaluating climate risk would become “too prescriptive” and warned against “overemphasizing climate change.” In May 2022 comments to the Department of Labor, the ARA did not support regulatory action to require fiduciaries to consider climate risk in decision making. However, the ARA has pushed back on “anti-ESG” efforts to limit ESG investing, in a 2022 press release opposing a bill that sought to overturn the Biden-era Department of Labor’s ESG rule. In March 2023, when this bill passed, CEO Brian Graff applauded Biden’s use of the veto to stop the measure. In April 2024, ARA filed an amicus brief in support of the Department’s rule.

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InfluenceMap Score for Climate Finance Policy Engagement

C+

Performance Band

67%

Organization Score

8%

Engagement Intensity

Primary Evidence

All primary evidence used to inform the analysis of American Retirement Association (ARA) can be found in the two tabs below below. In the first tab, hyperlinks in each cell of the matrix provide access to evidence collected on American Retirement Association (ARA)'s direct policy engagement activities. The second tab provides a record of any links between American Retirement Association (ARA) and the Industry Associations stored in the LobbyMap database.

DATA SOURCES
QUERIES
Main Web Site

Main Web Site

Corporate Media

Corporate Media

CDP Responses

CDP Responses

Direct Consultation with Governments

Direct Consultation with Governments

Media Reports

Media Reports

CEO Messaging

CEO Messaging

Financial Disclosures

Financial Disclosures

Reforming the financial sector: Does the organization support the need for systemic reforms to deliver a sustainable financial system?

NSNSNANSNSNSNA

Climate Science Stance: Does the organization support a science-based response to the climate crisis?

NSNSNANSNSNSNA

Need for climate policy: Does the organization support the need for climate-related finance regulation?

NSNSNA1NSNSNA

Disclosures: Does the organization support regulated corporate climate disclosure?

NSNSNA1NSNSNA

Taxonomies: Does the organization support a taxonomy?

NSNSNANSNSNSNA

Financial Products and Ratings: Does the organization support climate standards, labels and/or benchmarks for financial products and policy on ESG ratings?

NSNSNANSNSNSNA

Investor Duties: Does the organization support policy to incorporate climate factors into investor duties?

NS1NA111NA

Prudential Regulation: Does the organization support policy to incorporate climate factors into risk management/ prudential regulation?

NSNSNANSNSNSNA

Real Economy Climate Regulations: the organization support real economy climate policy and regulation?

NSNSNANSNSNSNA

Energy, Industry and Land Transitions: Does the company support energy, industry and land transitions as required by the IPCC?

NSNSNANSNSNSNA

Disclosure on Lobbying: Is the organization being transparent about their positions on climate legislation and policy?

1NSNANSNSNSNS

Disclosure on Relationships: Are companies being transparent about their business associations which may impact climate debate and policy?

-1NSNANSNSNSNS