ECB's Lagarde will struggle to fulfil self-imposed climate mission

FILE PHOTO: European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde looks on as she testifies before the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee in Brussels, Belgium December 2, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Christine Lagarde has called the fight against climate change "mission critical" for the European Central Bank but she will struggle to match those words with actions during her eight years leading Europe's most powerful financial institution.

While the ECB will be able to use its platform to highlight the financial risks associated with climate change, its narrowly defined mandate of fighting inflation will limit what Lagarde can actually do.