Banks need structured climate‑risk engagement; hiring is rising
Financial institutions are being urged to use structured customer engagement—sector‑specific processes rather than generic questionnaires—while firms like SEI are recruiting climate‑risk and adaptation specialists, signalling demand for in‑house expertise. The message: climate risk is moving from advisory to core risk functions at banks. ( )
The Prudential Regulation Authority’s consultation paper CP10/25 explicitly proposes that firms “periodically carry out structured risk identification and assessment” and requires classification of material climate-related risks into the firm risk register. (bankofengland.co.uk) UNEP Finance Initiative’s Practical Guidance for banks structures adaptation and resilience around three areas—strategy, assessment and action—and directs implementation through client engagement, policies, processes and governance. (unepfi.org) The Stockholm Environment Institute has advertised a Senior Researcher role in “Vulnerability, Climate Risk and Just Adaptation” for its Oxford team (job posting dated 16 Dec 2025), signalling demand for adaptation expertise inside research-to-policy organisations. (weadapt.org) SEI’s global careers portals and regional job listings include multiple climate-related vacancies and fellowship pipelines, and its Climate Corps fellowship was advertising a cohort start date of 5 Jan 2026. (careers.seic.com) The Basel Committee and BIS materials frame climate risk as a set of transmission channels that complicate loss quantification, underpinning supervisory pushes to embed climate into banks’ core risk frameworks rather than siloed advisory functions. (bis.org) A recent U.S. GAO review highlights intensified international supervisory activity—noting the NGFS produced 19 publications in 2024—reinforcing regulatory expectations that banks move from questionnaire-led outreach to structured, repeatable sector-level engagement and internal capability building. (files.gao.gov)
