JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking announced a new Green Economy specialized industry team, which will provide dedicated banking services and expertise to companies that produce environmentally-friendly goods and services or focus on environmental conservation.
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking has named Brian Lehman as the Head of Green Economy. Lehman, who will build a dedicated team of bankers to serve the segment, has more than 20 years of client-facing experience and deep knowledge of sustainable finance. He most recently led the Diversified Financials team within Commercial Banking’s Financial Institutions Group.
“The path to a more sustainable future heavily depends on our actions today,” said Brian Lehman, Commercial Banking’s Head of Green Economy. “At JPMorgan Chase, we’ve seen a growing number of clients and industries whose foundations are built upon reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our Green Economy banking team will not only deliver industry-specific advice, solutions and services to help green enterprises grow, but will also use our leadership position to promote a more sustainable world.”
The new Green Economy team will initially focus on four industry sectors: renewable energy, efficiency technology, sustainable finance, and agriculture and food technology. Leveraging the full breadth of JPMorgan Chase’s offerings across treasury, credit and investment banking, the Green Economy team will utilize their expertise to help clients address operational challenges and fuel the growth of green businesses at large. In addition to offering traditional banking services, the team will focus on providing community-minded financial solutions for clients, including green and environmental bonds.
“Sustainability, including the need to address climate change, is important to JPMorgan Chase and many of our clients,” said Doug Petno, CEO of Commercial Banking at JPMorgan Chase. “We’re excited to launch our Green Economy team, which will expand our capabilities to meet the changing needs of our clients and support the growth of industries and companies that will help make the world a better place for us all.”
The announcement of the new team builds upon JPMorgan Chase’s efforts to advance sustainable solutions, including the adoption of a Paris-aligned financing strategy in 2020 to help clients navigate the challenges and capitalize on the long-term economic and environmental benefits of transitioning to a lower-carbon world. Additionally, the firm committed to facilitating $200 billion in 2020 for transactions that support climate action and efforts to advance sustainable development.