SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. central bank signalled on Friday it may be getting ready to join international peers in incorporating climate change risk into its assessments of financial stability, and may even take it into account when setting monetary policy.

"To fulfill our core responsibilities, it will be important for the Federal Reserve to study the implications of climate change for the economy and the financial system and to adapt our work accordingly," Fed Governor Lael Brainard said in remarks released at the start of the Fed's first-ever conference on climate change and economics.