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 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
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 Situation: On October 5, 2023, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted the European Green Bond Regulation ("EuGB Regulation"), establishing a voluntary harmonized standard open to both EU and...more
11/27/2023
/ EU ,
European Commission ,
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ,
Financial Markets ,
Green Bonds ,
Green Finance ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
National Competent Authorities (NCA) ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Taxonomy ,
UK
In Short -
The Background: On October 10, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") adopted amendments to the rules that govern beneficial ownership reporting for investors, marking the first update to...more
10/18/2023
/ Beneficial Owner ,
Business Ownership ,
Financial Markets ,
Internal Reporting ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investors ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Regulation ,
Shareholders
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
ESG issues are front and centre in many sectors and many boardrooms. The UK real estate sector is no exception. Unsurprisingly, the principal focus has been on the “E”, with the environmental aspects of developing and...more
The European Parliament has adopted the near-final version of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive under which European Union ("EU") companies (including non-EU companies with substantial business activity in the...more
In Short -
The Situation: Certain large companies incorporated in the European Union ("EU") are already required to disclose nonfinancial information under the current EU regulatory framework. Two upcoming EU...more
IN SHORT -
The Situation: The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") adopted amendments that will mandate the electronic submission of certain documents, including Form 144, the form filed by insiders in connection...more
As discussed in Jones Day's March 2022 Alert, the SEC has proposed climate-related disclosure rules. If adopted as proposed, the Proposed Rules would depart from the SEC's historical regulation of SEC-reporting FPIs, which...more
7/1/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Foreign Private Issuers ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
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
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") Climate and ESG Task Force has filed one of its most significant enforcement matters to date. On April 28, 2022, the SEC brought an action in the U.S. District Court for...more
A JONES DAY TALKS® Encore Presentation.
From May 2021.
The European Central Bank's decision to establish a Climate Change Center and invest in a green bond fund launched by the Bank for International Settlements reflects the...more
The Situation: A number of shareholder derivative lawsuits in federal court have been filed seeking to hold directors and officers of major companies accountable for alleged failures to uphold their companies' stated...more
7/20/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Derivative Suit ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Forum Selection ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
Shareholders
Intensifying demands from regulators, investors, and the public for attention to environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") considerations presents a key challenge for risk managers, particularly those in the financial...more
After June 30, 2021, large asset managers will no longer have the option to "explain" noncompliance with Article 4 of EU Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 on sustainability‐related disclosures in the financial services sector...more
The Ruling: On May 26, 2021, the Hague District Court ("Court") issued a ruling ordering Royal Dutch Shell Plc ("RDS"), the parent company of the Shell group with its registered office in the Netherlands, to ensure that the...more
The European Central Bank's decision to establish a Climate Change Center and invest in a green bond fund launched by the Bank for International Settlements reflects the growing importance of climate change, and ESG more...more
Following in the footsteps of its international counterparts, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority ("APRA") is ramping up its guidance on the management of climate-related risks.
On 22 April 2021, APRA released...more
The Situation: Given the negative impact that sustainability-related risks can have on investment returns, investors, banks, and borrowers alike are increasingly focusing on environmental, social, and governance ("ESG")...more
On February 24, 2021, Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Acting Chair Allison Herren Lee issued a Statement on the Review of Climate-Related Disclosure in which she directed the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance...more
The Background: Demand for environmental, social, and governance ("ESG")-aligned companies and investment products is transforming the investing landscape. Financial institutions will be at the forefront of this change, as...more
The Situation: In August 2020, the Division of Trading and Markets ("Division") of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") approved proposed rule changes by the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") to permit primary...more
The Situation: The New York State Department of Financial Services ("DFS") and the European Banking Authority ("EBA") have published guidance relating to Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance ("ESG")...more