What Is the Global Impact of Mandatory Climate-Related Disclosures?

By Lucas Mahieux, Haresh Sapra and Gaoqing Zhang November 6, 2023 by renholding

In response to extreme weather events, regulators and standard setters are developing climate-related reporting requirements and standards. The thinking behind making disclosure of firms’ climate-related risks mandatory is that it will allow the market to price these risks, thereby using …

How Corporate Counsel Enable Management Misstatements in ESG Matters

By J. Robert Brown, Jr. and Eli Wald May 15, 2023 by renholding

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) is considering proposals that would require public companies to disclose reliable and complete information about the risks of climate change. The Commission’s efforts will fall short, however, unless it addresses the role …

Climate Disclosure Line-Drawing and Securities Regulation

By Virginia Harper Ho March 27, 2023 by renholding

In 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed climate disclosure rules requiring each public company to tell investors specifically about the financial effects of climate risk on the company and how the company assesses those risks. The rules will …

Can a Greenhouse Gas Disclosure Rule Lead to Emissions Reductions?

By Sorabh Tomar January 30, 2023 by renholding

In response to growing concern about the effects of climate change, different regions of the world have adopted mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) disclosure rules, including Australia, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Notably, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission …

Can Shareholder Lawsuits Police Companies’ Climate Disclosures?

By Emily Strauss November 18, 2022 by renholding

In March 2022, the SEC proposed mandatory climate disclosures for public companies.[1] While climate activist investors applauded the proposed rules, opponents lamented their scope and cost, arguing that the SEC lacks the authority to promulgate such rules. But the …

Climate Change, West Virginia v. EPA, and the SEC’s Distinctive Statutory Mandate

By Jill E. Fisch, George S. Georgiev, Donna M. Nagy and Cynthia A. Williams September 6, 2022 by renholding

In March 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a rule that would require publicly traded companies to provide investors with various climate-related disclosures (the Proposal).[1]The rule has generated extensive debate and the SEC has received more …

ISS Discusses Global Crackdown on ESG Greenwashing

By Thomas Harding, William Cowper, Karina Karakulova and Manpreet Singh Sandhu June 22, 2022 by renholding

The meteoric global rise of ESG investing is increasingly being met with an equally ambitious regulatory disclosure regime, and, targeting greenwashing, policymakers are beginning to bare their teeth. In the latest salvo, on 25 May the US Securities and Exchange …

Do Investor Reactions Differ Across the Lifecycle of ESG Initiatives?

By Shannon Garavaglia, Ben W. Van Landuyt, Brian J. White and Julie R. Irwin June 14, 2022 by renholding

Firms often take on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives to increase their sustainability and the positive feelings among investors. However, specific ESG initiatives, like all business initiatives, rarely continue indefinitely, and “pruning” them is an integral part of firms’ …

Don’t Forget the “G” in ESG: The SEC and Corporate Governance Disclosure

By Jennifer O’Hare June 8, 2022 by renholding

In March 2022, the SEC proposed rules (the “Proposed Rules”) that, if adopted, will require public companies to include extensive climate-related disclosures in their periodic reports.[1] According to the SEC, this disclosure will help investors “make informed judgments about …

SEC Chair Gensler Speaks at Conference on Financial Market Regulation

By Gary Gensler May 9, 2022 by renholding

The field of economic research is central to our work at the SEC. It helps shape every aspect of our policymaking, from the early design phase to the proposing releases to the consideration of public comments to the adopting releases.

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Business Risks Stemming from Socio-Economic Inequality

By Todd Cort, Stephen Park and Decio Nascimento April 15, 2022 by renholding

Socio-economic inequality has risen over the last 40 years in almost every part of the world and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequality does not only affect societies – it can also have a significant impact on the …

Cleary Gottlieb Discusses SEC’s Proposed Climate-Change Disclosure Rules: The Climate Note to Audited Financial Statements

By Nick Grabar, Lillian Tsu and Helena Grannis April 15, 2022 by renholding

On March 21, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued for public comment a rule proposal that, if adopted, would require reporting companies to provide certain climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports filed with the SEC. …

Wachtell Lipton Discusses SEC’s Proposed Climate-Related Disclosure Rules and Audit Committees

By David M. Silk, Carmen X.W. Lu and Ram Sachs April 11, 2022 by renholding

The SEC’s proposed amendments to Regulations S‑K and S‑X to require new climate-related disclosures will, if adopted, require an expansion in the scope and responsibilities of audit committees. As described in our prior memo, the rules contemplate domestic and foreign …

How to Translate Climate Disclosure into Investor Action

By Felix Mormann and Milica Mormann March 31, 2022 by renholding

Massive investment is required if mankind is to meet, and master, the challenges presented by global climate change. A recent report by McKinsey & Company posits that capital spending on energy and land-use infrastructure alone will need to exceed $9 …

Will It Float?: The Legitimacy of the SEC’s Authority for Climate Risk Disclosures

By James D. Cox March 29, 2022 by renholding

On March 21, 2022, the SEC formally launched one of the most significant initiatives ever taken in its nearly 90-year history: proposals for disclosure of climate-related risks. (SEC, The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors. Sec. Act. Rel. …

Wachtell Lipton Discusses Mandatory Climate Change Disclosure Rules – A Preview From the SEC Chair?

By David M. Silk, Sabastian V. Niles and Carmen X.W. Lu August 3, 2021 by renholding

As noted in our previous memos, the SEC is considering and has sought input from investors on potential new disclosure requirements related to climate change and other sustainability issues. Yesterday, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler made remarks that add some …

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