Foundation News

NEW YORK – The Sierra Club Foundation is excited to announce Sara E. Murphy as the new Director of Shifting Trillions, a campaign to move capital away from fossil fuels and toward a better, sustainable future.

Sara has spent the bulk of her 27-year career in sustainable investing, corporate responsibility, and environmental and social advocacy. She most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer at The Shareholder Commons, a nonprofit advocate for diversified shareholders, and previously worked with BNP Paribas Asset Management and the Investor Responsibility Research Center.

In this new role, Sara will oversee the Shifting Trillions campaign as the climate crisis continues to devastate our economy, our planet, and every living thing within it. Climate change is predicted to cost the global economy $38 trillion annually through 2049 and to put 40% of global stock values at risk; already, climate change is devastating businesses and causing home values to plummet. The Sierra Club Foundation’s Shifting Trillions initiative aims to accelerate the shift of investments across the economy toward a sustainable financial model that prioritizes regenerative business activities over extractive practices

“After more than two decades working to protect essential environmental and social systems through sustainable investment, I’m thrilled to take on this new role leading the Sierra Club Foundation’s work to shift trillions of dollars to investments that support our economy, our environment, and future generations,” said Sara E. Murphy. “Climate change threatens every sector of our economy, from infrastructure to insurance, and prudent fiduciaries must factor it into our financial futures. With the Shifting Trillions initiative, we’re working to change the culture of investing so our capital works toward a healthy and prosperous future for everyone.”

Today’s announcement comes in the wake of the Sierra Club Foundation’s decision to cut ties with BlackRock/Aperio as one of its asset managers after the company’s continuous refusal to address the financial implications of the climate crisis. After cutting its support for shareholder proposals linked to environmental and social issues, abandoning the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, and making significant changes to its climate and decarbonization guidelines, BlackRock has proved it is incapable of protecting the assets of its clients by enabling value-destructive energy practices that harm our entire economy.

“At a time when the dangers posed by the climate crisis are clear and obvious, trillions of dollars must be quickly shifted to build the better world we all need and deserve,” said Dan Chu, Executive Director of the Sierra Club Foundation. “Sara has a career full of expertise and accomplishments in the field of sustainable investing. We are thrilled she will accelerate our efforts to spur systemic change by helping investors maximize their impact, mitigate climate risk, and support the right of everyone to live in healthy communities, with just and restorative economic systems.”