The European Union published its long-awaited "Omnibus" package, proposing to delay key European ESG rules, while simultaneously reducing the applicability and burden of corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence...more
2/27/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Investors ,
Omnibus Guidance ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sustainability
Acting Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC" or the "Commission") Chairman Mark Uyeda directed SEC staff to request that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals not schedule an oral argument in the pending litigation...more
Australia has now officially passed laws that will introduce a mandatory climate-related financial disclosure regime from 1 January 2025. This is one of the most significant reforms to corporate financial reporting in...more
REGULATORY ISSUES & UPDATES -
Update on Australia's New Climate-Related Financial Disclosure Regime -
Australia's mandatory climate-related financial disclosure regime is inching closer to implementation after the proposed...more
9/23/2024
/ Clean Air Act ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Popular ,
Tax Credits
The Development: Recently, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ("ACCC") published draft guidelines designed to assist businesses to understand how they can collaborate on sustainability initiatives without...more
The California legislature continues to press forward with the implementation of two of the state's sweeping climate disclosure laws after a proposal to delay the implementation dates by the governor failed to be considered...more
Following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC")'s adoption of the climate-related disclosure rules on March 6, 2024, dozens of parties filed petitions for review across different appellate courts. The Judicial...more
On September 10, 2024, the SEC settled charges against Keurig for "incomplete and inaccurate" ESG disclosures about the recyclability of Keurig's K-Cup pods, signaling a continued focus on environmental-related disclosures...more
The Development: On August 22, 2024, the Australian Senate passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and Other Measures) Bill 2024 ("Bill")....more
This White Paper focuses on ESG developments through the Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) region since the start of 2024.
For businesses present in the APAC region, as well as doing business there, it is imperative to be vigilant of...more
7/24/2024
/ Asia Pacific ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Green Energy ,
Greenwashing ,
Net Zero ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements
The Context: Litigation over State obligations to mitigate climate change intensifies globally, with NGOs and individuals pressuring corporations to cut emissions. The European Court of Human Rights ("ECtHR") issued three...more
On 27 March 2024, Australia's climate disclosure regime moved a significant step closer to implementation, with the federal government's introduction of proposed legislation into Parliament. Any organisations with a presence...more
4/17/2024
/ ASIC ,
Audits ,
Australia ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Reporting ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Sustainability
The Council of the European Union ("EU") approved the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive ("CS3D") on March 15, 2024. The CS3D contains due diligence and governance obligations that will have an extensive impact...more
3/20/2024
/ Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Commission ,
Financial Institutions ,
Green Deal ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Assessment ,
Sustainability
The impact of ESG (environmental, social & governance) laws, regulations, and obligations has increased in recent times at an almost incomprehensible rate. This is particularly true in the Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) region. Within...more
2/13/2024
/ Civil Penalty Fund ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Green Energy ,
Greenwashing ,
Natural Resources ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Shareholders ,
Solar Energy
Business groups in California challenge the constitutionality of new climate reporting laws. ...more
This 2023 U.S. Real Estate Round-Up provides key insights to commercial and residential building owners facing a flock of new state environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") laws proposed or taken effect in 2023,...more
In a watershed moment for green and sustainability-linked bonds, on November 30, 2023, the Regulation on European Green Bonds ("EuGB Regulation") was published in the Official Journal of the European Union ("EU")....more
The Council of Europe and the European Parliament announced on December 14, 2023, that they reached a political agreement on the text of the upcoming European Union ("EU") Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive...more
In Short -
The Situation: The California legislature passed landmark climate bills that surpass emissions disclosure requirements of any other existing state law. The bills are branded as the nation's first comprehensive...more
9/28/2023
/ California ,
CARB ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Doing Business ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainability
The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) requires the most detailed and onerous ESG reporting and disclosures anywhere in the world. All told, it is estimated that more than 50,000 companies, including...more
9/21/2023
/ Air Pollution ,
Biodiversity ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Parent Corporation ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Sustainability ,
Water
The growing carbon credit and related derivatives markets continue to attract the attention of regulatory agencies and law enforcement. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has just announced that it is...more
For many companies, summer is the time when they prepare and publish Sustainability Reports, which report on efforts with respect to environmental, social, and governance initiatives. Other companies may have already...more
7/1/2022
/ Business Strategies ,
Capital Investments ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenwashing ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Sustainability
We believe our proposed changes support all market participants' common objectives of investor protection and fair and efficient capital markets.
...more
6/20/2022
/ Capital Markets ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Investment ,
Investor Protection ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
SEC Comment Letter Process ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
What Happened On May 25, 2022, the SEC voted 3–1 to propose amendments to: (i) the "Names Rule" (Rule 35d-1) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act") and (ii) rules and forms under both the Investment Advisers...more
On March 21, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") voted 3–1 to propose amendments to Regulations S-K and S-X that would require registrants to provide certain climate-related information in their registration...more
3/24/2022
/ Annual Reports ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Statements ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Public Comment ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulation S-K ,
Regulation S-X ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation