Major U.S. banks will participate in climate scenario exercise

The Federal Reserve announced Thursday that six of the nation’s largest banks would participate in a pilot climate scenario analysis exercise in 2023.

Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo will undergo the exercise, which the Fed said will not have capital or supervisory consequences. The Fed plans to publish aggregate findings from the exercise but no firm-specific information.

The exercise, which had been expected, will kick off the Fed’s efforts to gauge the level and management of risks for banks when it comes to climate change, after European regulators already mounted similar efforts.

The potential effects of climate change — namely through rising sea levels, worsening floods and fires, and government policies transitioning away from carbon-heavy industry — could destroy trillions of dollars of assets around the globe.