Finance
Investor climate group relaunches with looser rules but fewer US members
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 25, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 25, 2026
Quick Summary
The Net Zero Asset Managers initiative relaunched with looser rules after a year-long pause, retaining 250+ members but fewer US signatories. It drops a 2050 mandate and interim targets, letting firms set and report goals independently.
Climate investor group relaunches with softer rules, fewer U.S. backers
By Simon Jessop
NZAM’s Relaunch and Rule Changes
LONDON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The Net Zero Asset Managers initiative re-launched on Wednesday with more than 250 members after a year-long suspension and with looser rules after a U.S. political backlash prompted BlackRock to leave the climate group.
The group's new membership statement, created following a six-month review, no longer has an explicit requirement for members to align their investment portfolios with net-zero by 2050, or a requirement to set shorter-term targets.
U.S. Exits and Antitrust Backlash
It followed attacks from some U.S. Republican politicians that membership of the group and others like it could breach antitrust rules, prompting BlackRock, the world's biggest manager, to leave in early 2025.
BlackRock and Follow‑on Departures
A further 32 U.S. firms then followed suit including Capital Group, JPMorgan Asset management and Franklin Templeton.
U.S. Membership After the Relaunch
Despite the new, weaker rules, just 12 U.S. firms re-signed compared with 44 U.S. members at the time of the suspension. Others such as State Street Investment Management and Wellington Management re-signed but only for their European businesses.
Leadership Response and Rationale
Rebecca Mikula-Wright, Chair of NZAM's Steering Committee, said the scale of remaining support nevertheless sent a "strong signal to clients, regulators and other key stakeholders" that members were focused on managing the climate challenge.
"The strong participation in today's relaunch reflects the value NZAM signatories find in having a credible platform to demonstrate to their clients how they are addressing climate-related financial risks and capturing transition opportunities."
Independent Targets and Strategies
What the New Commitment Statement Changes
Under the new commitment statement, signatories would independently set targets and develop their own strategies as they look to reduce the climate-damaging emissions linked to their investments, and report annually on progress.
Transition Finance and Stewardship Focus
"The new statement reflects the evolution of climate investing from an original focus on decarbonising portfolios, towards a broader set of approaches that includes decarbonisation alongside transition investing, climate solutions, adaptation and resilience," said Dan Grandage, chief sustainable investment officer at Aberdeen Investments.
(Reporting by Simon Jessop; Editing by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes and Elaine Hardcastle)
Key Takeaways
- •NZAM reopens after a year-long suspension with 250+ members returning.
- •New commitment drops explicit 2050 net-zero and interim target requirements; managers set their own goals and report annually.
- •US political and antitrust pressure spurred exits such as BlackRock; only a small group of US firms re-signed.
- •Some managers, like State Street, kept European entities aligned while scaling back US participation.
- •Focus broadens beyond portfolio decarbonisation to transition investing, climate solutions, adaptation and resilience.
Frequently Asked Questions about Investor climate group relaunches with looser rules but fewer US members
1What is the main topic?
The article covers the relaunch of the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative (NZAM) with looser rules, a return of 250+ members, and a notable decline in US participation.
2Why did NZAM ease its rules?
Following a US political backlash and antitrust concerns that led major managers like BlackRock to exit, NZAM revised its commitment to be less prescriptive and more globally workable.
3What changed in the new commitment?
Signatories no longer must align portfolios to net zero by 2050 or set near-term targets. Instead, they set their own strategies and report progress annually.
4Which firms adjusted their participation?
Some large US managers exited. Others, such as State Street, re-signed only for European entities, reflecting differing regulatory and client expectations across regions.
