Climate Action 100+, the world’s largest investor engagement initiative on climate change, is pleased to announce that Michael Cohen has been named as the next chair of the initiative’s global Steering Committee.
Cohen is the Chief Operating Investment Officer of CalPERS, the largest pension fund in the United States, and one of the founding members of the Climate Action 100+ Steering Committee. He joined CalPERS in 2018 as Chief Financial Officer and was appointed Chief Operating Investment Officer in 2023. Cohen will be succeeding François Humbert, Lead Engagement Manager for Generali Asset Management, as the next chair of the Steering Committee.
Climate Action 100+ is governed by a global Steering Committee comprised of five investor network CEOs and ten investor representatives. In recognition of the global nature of the initiative and the different priorities and conditions for company engagements in each region, the roles of Steering Committee chair and vice chair rotate every twelve months between different regional representatives.
“We are thrilled to welcome Michael Cohen to the governing body of Climate Action 100+,” said Ceres CEO and President Mindy Lubber and vice-chair of the Climate Action 100+ Steering Committee: “With more than two decades of expertise in executive and financial leadership, he will undoubtedly bring valuable and strategic leadership in his role as chair.”
“I am honored to be named chair of the Climate Action 100+ Steering Committee and eager to help guide the initiative through its next phase of investor engagement,” Cohen said. “Climate Action 100+ was founded to ensure companies take meaningful steps to address the existential financial threats from climate change. There is still more to do to constructively engage with our corporate partners and build upon early successes.”
Before CalPERS, Cohen was the Director of the California Department of Finance, where he managed the state budget for California Governor Jerry Brown. Cohen holds a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Stanford University.
About Climate Action 100+
Climate Action 100+ is the world’s largest investor engagement initiative on climate change. It involves over 700 investors focused on ensuring 170 of the world’s biggest corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters take the necessary actions to align their business strategies with the goals of the Paris Agreement. This includes improving corporate governance of climate change, reducing GHG emissions, and strengthening climate-related financial disclosures.
The 170 focus companies include the initial 100 ‘systemically important emitters’, identified with the highest combined direct and indirect GHG emissions, and additional companies selected by investors as critical to accelerating the net zero transition.
Launched in 2017, Climate Action 100+ is coordinated by five investor networks: Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC); Ceres; Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC); Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) and Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). These organisations, along with investor representatives from AustralianSuper, Afore Sura, BNP Paribas Asset Management, California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), GAM Investments, Generali Insurance Asset Management (Generali Group) Franklin Templeton, Phoenix Group and QIC form the global Steering Committee for the initiative. Follow us on Twitter: @ActOnClimate100.
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