Press Releases

VATICAN CITY — On June 13-14, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the University of Notre Dame hosted their second Dialogue at the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences on “The Energy Transition and Care for Our Common Home.” California State Controller Betty T. Yee, a member of the CalPERS, CalSTRS, and Ceres boards, was invited to participate in the Vatican Dialogue as a member of a group of policy, civil society, finance, academic, and legal experts along with executives from the world’s leading oil and gas producers and global investors. Participants signed statements on the importance of carbon pricing toward the reduction of emissions, and the necessity for disclosures to provide clear information on strategies and actions regarding climate change.

“Climate change does not recognize human-drawn borders, and neither should our international response,” said Controller Yee. “At the urging of His Holiness Pope Francis who has declared a climate emergency, it is encouraging to see oil and gas company CEOs, investors, and climate experts agree that the pressing transition to a low-carbon global economy depends on more robust climate-related disclosure and carbon pricing policies while advancing human and economic prosperity.”

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The Controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds. She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds. Elected in 2014 and reelected in 2018, Controller Yee is the tenth woman elected to a statewide office in California’s history. Follow the Controller on Twitter at @CAController and on Facebook at California State Controller’s Office.

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