The public consultation seeks input on the priorities, strategic direction, and future work of the ISSB.
On 4 May 2023, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) launched a public consultation to seek input...more
The Commission has clarified requirements for financial product classifications and the definition of “sustainable investment” under the SFDR. ...more
5/24/2023
/ Alternative Investment Funds ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) ,
Financial Products ,
Investors ,
Market Participants ,
Marketing ,
Regulation Technical Standards (RTS) ,
SFDR ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
UCITS
The government published a new document outlining its existing and proposed objectives to develop the UK’s sustainable economy.
On 30 March 2023, the UK government published an updated version of its Green Finance...more
4/28/2023
/ Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Institutions ,
Green Finance ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
Net Zero ,
Public Policy ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Taxonomy ,
UK
The Commission is also consulting on proposed targeted amendments to the Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act and on the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act.
On 5 April 2023 the European Commission opened a consultation on its...more
4/18/2023
/ Climate Change ,
Consultation ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU ,
European Union Delegated Act (EUDA) ,
Green Finance ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Taxonomy
The fourth beta version establishes draft disclosure metrics as well as biome and sector guidance — with final TNFD recommendations due in September 2023.
The Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)...more
From 2024 at the earliest, more European and global companies will need to disclose their ESG activities in greater detail.
On 10 November 2022, the European Parliament adopted a final version of the Corporate...more
11/18/2022
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Commission ,
European Parliament ,
Financial Reporting ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
The FCA hopes the proposals will protect consumer trust in ESG-related financial products and help consumers navigate the increasingly complex ESG-related financial market.
On 25 October 2022, the UK’s Financial Conduct...more
The outcome of the review may signal what climate-related laws and policies to expect in the UK in the coming years.
On 8 September 2022, newly appointed UK Prime Minister Liz Truss announced that Chris Skidmore MP, a...more
9/27/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Emissions Trading System ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU Directive ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Net Zero ,
SFDR ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
UK
This Client Alert probes the ESG “materiality assessment” process, why it is a misnomer, when and how the assessment can be conducted, and legal and practical tips for conducting the assessment.
Companies have been...more
The call highlights the challenges in developing alignment between global ESG reporting standards.
The European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), two of the world’s leading public financial...more
8/22/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Central Bank ,
IFRS ,
IMF ,
International Regulatory Standards ,
Net Zero ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
The second version includes guidance on metrics and how companies can conduct dependency and impact evaluation.
On 28 June 2022, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) released version 0.2 of its...more
Companies should be prepared for increasing demand to factor ESG into their value chains as well as new mandates from government authorities.
Latham & Watkins is pleased to introduce a series of Clients Alerts on ESG and...more
6/28/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Human Rights ,
International Trade ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
UK
The Claims Code seeks to ensure the integrity of voluntary carbon markets to support achievement of the Paris Agreement goals.
The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity (VCMI) Initiative is “a multi-stakeholder platform to...more
The move follows a number of similar standards that regulators and governments across the globe have proposed. With effect from 1 June 2022, the Guidance for Enterprise ESG Disclosure (the Guidance), published by...more
6/16/2022
/ Accounting Standards ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Guidance ,
SASB ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
The SEC proposals track EU requirements in certain respects, but differences in content and scope could leave advisory firms with increasingly complex compliance challenges.
Key Points:
..The proposal on ESG...more
The two new bodies are expected to help harmonise standards in different jurisdictions to meet investor demand for comparable ESG information.
On 27 April 2022, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)...more
HM Treasury’s Transition Plan Taskforce aims to influence international standard setting and make the UK the world’s first net zero-aligned financial centre.
On 25 April 2022, HM Treasury (HMT) announced the launch of...more
What the proposed rule would mean for registrants and their filings with the SEC.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed climate disclosure rule, approved by a 3–1 vote on March 21, 2022, is the agency’s...more
4/6/2022
/ Business Strategies ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Rules ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Regulation S-X ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
The proposed rules would require significant, detailed new climate-related disclosures in annual reports and prospectuses.
On March 21, 2022, by a 3-1 vote, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC or the...more
Corporate reporting (including SEC developments), climate change, energy transition, supply chain management, and the mitigation of ESG-related litigation risk are expected to be the leading ESG themes of this year.
As...more
1/6/2022
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Supply Chain ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
Truly Green? CMA Continues to Evolve Guidance and Metrics for Companies’ Environmental Claims -
The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) Green Claims Code (the Code) and final guidance (the Guidance) on...more
12/22/2021
/ Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
EU ,
Green Marketing ,
Net Zero ,
New Guidance ,
Regulation Technical Standards (RTS) ,
Sustainability ,
Taxonomy ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The UFLPA aims to clamp down on the import of items produced by alleged forced labor in and relating to the XUAR.
On 16 December 2021, the US Senate unanimously passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA),...more
12/21/2021
/ China ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Imports ,
Pending Legislation ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Strategic Enforcement Plan ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariff Act of 1930 ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
The House UFLPA aims to clamp down on the import to the US of items produced by alleged forced labor in the XUAR, while offering less guidance for importers than similar July 2021 Senate bill.
On 8 December 2021, the US...more
The association noted that regulators could provide market participants with much-needed additional trust in ESG ratings and data.
On 23 November 2021, the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)...more
11/30/2021
/ Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Information Reports ,
IOSCO ,
Jurisdiction ,
Market Participants ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Ratings ,
Securities Regulation ,
UK
The regulator is inviting views on potential criteria for classifying and labelling investment products, and on further entity- and product-level sustainability-related disclosures.
On 3 November 2021, the FCA published...more
11/5/2021
/ Comment Period ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Institutional Investors ,
Investors ,
Product Labels ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Sustainable Finance ,
UK