On October 17, 2023, Themis, a technology platform that helps its clients manage their financial crime risk exposure, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) UK, announced that they are working together to produce a Deforestation and...more
On October 26, 2023, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) published a report with recommendations for linking climate-related actions taken by non-state actors (NSAs) to the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) established by...more
At a September legal conference convened by the European Central Bank (ECB), Frank Elderson, a member of the ECB’s executive board and vice-chair of its supervisory board, observed the increasing risk of climate lawsuits and...more
On September 19, 2023, the European Parliament and European Council agreed on a proposed set of rules to ban misleading advertisements and enhance product information provided to consumers. “Empowering Consumers for the Green...more
On September 6, 2023, climate-focused investor engagement initiative Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) published the Net Zero Standard for Diversified Mining (the Standard), allowing investors to assess the transition plans of...more
On August 24, 2023, at World Water Week in Stockholm, the COP28 UAE Presidency announced its Water Agenda ahead of COP28, formally known as the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held between November 30 and...more
On August 10, 2023, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announced its third civil penalty proceeding this year for greenwashing against LGSS Pty Limited, which is trustee for superannuation fund Local...more
9/27/2023
/ ASIC ,
Australia ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenwashing ,
Investment ,
Misleading Impressions ,
Securities Regulation ,
Sustainable Business Practices
On August 9, 2023, the Brazilian city of Belém hosted a summit of the Amazonian Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) with the participation of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. The...more
On June 5, 2023, Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, and the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, announced a package of eight presidential decrees designed to increase Brazil's leadership in mitigating...more
In May 2023, Global Feedback, an environmental advocacy group based in the UK and the Netherlands, announced that it had filed legal proceedings against the UK government, claiming that it failed to adequately assess the...more
6/27/2023
/ Agribusiness ,
Australia ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Impact Statements ,
Exports ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Imports ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
UK
According to the recently published MSCI May 2023 Net Zero Tracker report, more listed companies are making climate commitments, setting decarbonization targets, and providing related disclosures, but these steps have not...more
On March 28, 2023, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) announced the release of the fourth and final iteration of its beta framework for nature-related risk management and disclosures, including a...more
On May 2, 2023, the Brazilian Senate approved legislation that amends rules relating to public forest concession contracts and, significantly, now allows the use and commercialization of carbon credits. The amendment, which...more
5/19/2023
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Amazon ,
Brazil ,
Carbon Off-Set Credits ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Justice ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Forestry ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Logging
As we have been regularly reporting, the European Union is pursuing major changes in its climate policy. The next significant development is a new legislative policy package, dubbed “Fit for 55.” The planned reforms would...more
The European Commission has launched a public consultation and a call for evidence seeking opinions on the EU’s intermediary climate targets for 2040. This is a scheduled step in the EU’s ambition to reach net-zero emissions...more
5/8/2023
/ Air Pollution ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Financial Transactions ,
Green Deal ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Pollution Control ,
Public Consultations ,
Renewable Energy
On April 20, during a meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF), President Biden pledged $500 million to the Amazon Fund, Brazil’s signature fund set up to raise donations for investments to prevent,...more
A new report by professional services firm EY has found that only 5% of FTSE 100 companies have disclosed “credible” and sufficiently detailed transition plans to become net zero by 2050....more
Last month, Canada’s Department of Finance published the Sustainable Finance Action Council (SFAC) recommendations for the development of a green taxonomy for sustainable investment, as the country moves toward its goal of...more
On March 23, 2023, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) commenced a new “maintenance” project to “explore whether and how financial statements can better communicate information about climate-related risks.”...more
On March 14, 2023, the European Parliament gave its final approval for member nations to implement stricter national targets relating to emissions reduction and the protection and expansion of CO2-absorbing natural ecosystems...more
On March 30, 2023, the UK government announced the publication of its 2023 green finance strategy, updating its earlier 2019 strategy, which is intended to mitigate climate-related risk and damage while increasing the amount...more
4/4/2023
/ Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Green Finance ,
Investment ,
IOSCO ,
New Guidance ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Risk Mitigation ,
UK
On March 22, 2023, Malaysian stock exchange Bursa Malaysia and the London Stock Exchange Group announced the development of a centralized ESG-reporting platform (Platform), due to launch in April 2023. The Platform has been...more
3/29/2023
/ Capital Markets ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Global Economy ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
London Stock Exchange ,
Malaysia ,
Stock Exchange
On March 14, the European Commission (EC) announced a proposal to “revise the rules for electricity market design and for improving the EU protection against market manipulation in the wholesale energy market.” The proposals...more
3/27/2023
/ Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Electric Generation Suppliers ,
Electricity ,
Energy Reform ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Green New Deal ,
Infrastructure ,
Market Manipulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Renewable Energy
In a recent report, the UK-based NGO ShareAction claimed that “[t]he asset management industry needs to change urgently if it is to demonstrate proactive stewardship that safeguards against key social and environmental risks...more
On February 17, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Luiz Alberto Figueiredo as the Brazilian Ambassador for Climate Change. Figueiredo is an experienced diplomat who previously served as Brazil’s permanent...more