Treasurer Read presented to the Oregon Investment Council details regarding Treasury’s plan to transition the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund to a net zero carbon emissions portfolio by no later than 2050

Eugene, OR – According to the state officials, the Net Zero Plan lays out specific actions Treasury will take in the short- and long-term to reduce the amount of carbon emissions associated with OPERF investments and protect the fund’s strong investment returns.

State officials also announced that in order to achieve the 2050 goal, Treasury will reduce the portfolio’s carbon emissions intensity by 60% by 2035.

Specifically, Treasury will:

• Triple climate positive investments in Private Equity and Real Assets from the current $2 billion to $6 billion by 2035
• Increase percentage of Public Equity holdings that are climate- or transition-aligned
• Exclude new investments in private market funds that have a stated intention to invest primarily in fossil fuels
• Increase the share of portfolio emissions covered by credible net zero transition plans

Additionally, the plan lays out the importance of prioritizing efforts as a responsible investor and shareholder that will lead to real-world emissions reductions. Through increased shareholder engagement and investor partnerships, Treasury aims to encourage the companies it invests in to be net zero-aligned and adopt credible carbon-reduction plans.