The Biden administration issued a Voluntary Carbon Markets Joint Policy Statement and Principles for Responsible Participation in Voluntary Carbon Markets on May 28, 2024, in an effort to bolster confidence in the voluntary...more
After much anticipation, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted last week its climate-related disclosure rules. The adoption of the rules included a press release available here and a fact sheet available here....more
Partner Todd Roessler discusses a legally binding agreement that requires countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a new Lexology article titled "Is My Company Required to Comply with the Paris Agreement?"...more
In December 2015, 196 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reached consensus on the Paris Agreement, which is an international treaty that seeks to keep global temperature rise well...more
There are three letters in ESG. Although different sectors will be weighted differently, every company—big/small, public/private, manufacturing/services/some other sector—touches each component of ESG.
Starting with the...more
In addition to regulations outside the United States, a number of proposed and current federal regulations address ESG disclosure requirements. Disclosures refer to the release of information by a company that can influence...more
As discussed in the last blog post, there are many reasons to address ESG, but does it make business sense? In deciding whether or to what extent to address ESG issues, a business case must often be presented. What is the...more
ESG factors not only have the potential to directly affect a company’s financial position, these factors may also significantly affect a company’s reputation. Companies and investors now recognize the potential costs of not...more
As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, globalization, technology, and society and consumer behavior continue to grow and evolve, it’s important that companies take actions to address these short-term and...more
Described as “a watershed moment for investors and financial markets” by Commissioner Allison Herren Lee, on March 21, 2022, the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) released a 506-page proposed rule...more
1 Focus on material ESG risks and opportunities and begin measuring ESG successes.
2 Suggest that legal counsel and compliance personnel begin vetting disclosures and reviewing contractual obligations.
...more
Once a month, we cover an interesting topic in 60 seconds. This month, Partner Todd Roessler addresses essential strategies to help organizations understand and navigate the myriad of Environmental, Social, & Governance...more
In a recent seminar on “Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Elements and Legal Considerations” for the Charlotte Chapter of the Association for Corporate Counsel, Kilpatrick Townsend’s Scott Marrah, Adria Perez, and Todd...more
A day does not pass without another article on the environmental, social and governance trend accelerating around the world, and climate change is at the forefront of the ESG movement.
Recently, the U.S. Securities and...more
Kilpatrick Townsend Partner Todd Roessler recently spoke with other industry leaders David Golden, Former Senior Vice President, Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer, and Corporate Secretary of Eastman Chemical Company and...more
Kilpatrick Townsend Partner Todd Roessler recently spoke with other industry leaders David Golden, Former Senior Vice President, Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer, and Corporate Secretary of Eastman Chemical Company and...more
With the bipartisan confirmation of Michael Regan to Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Biden administration gained an experienced and well-respected leader to move its ambitious...more
Climate change is not just an environmental issue, it is an economic issue. It is not an event scheduled to take place in the future; it is happening now. The recent increase in costly extreme weather events, ranging from...more