OSFI consults on expectations to advance climate risk management

Today, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) issued a draft version of Guideline B-15: Climate Risk Management. This guideline proposes a prudential framework that is more climate sensitive and recognizes the impact of climate change on managing risk. The draft Guideline sets the stage for OSFI’s expectations of federally regulated financial institutions.

Climate-related risks, including physical and transition risks, could have significant impacts on the safety and soundness of financial institutions, and the broader Canadian financial system. Building financial resilience against intensifying climate-related risks requires institutions to address vulnerabilities in their business model, their overall operations, and ultimately on their balance sheet.

OSFI is also introducing mandatory climate-related financial disclosures aligned with the international Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework. These disclosures will incentivize improvements in the quality of the institutions’ governance and risk management practices related to climate. In doing so, this contributes to public confidence in the Canadian financial system by increasing transparency. This also aligns with a commitment made by the federal government to require financial institutions to publish climate disclosures starting in 2024.

Given the pace of change in climate risk management, OSFI intends to review and amend this Guideline as practices evolve and standards harmonize. OSFI welcomes public comments to draft Guideline B-15 before August 19, 2022.

Ensuring that the financial system remains resilient in the face of climate change demands that we address its threats with a greater sense of urgency, vigour and effort. With the release of this draft Guideline, we are taking deliberate steps towards addressing climate-related risks in our broader regulatory and supervisory activities.

- Peter Routledge, Superintendent