ESG, Cyber Risk and Compliance
Regulators across the globe continue to focus on disclosures and marketing relating to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Consistent with this trend, on September 20, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange...more
2023 MID-YEAR REVIEW - In the first half of 2023, several rule changes have been proposed by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including changes to...more
On June 2, 2023, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) issued a draft letter requesting comments on the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) proposal to improve the international...more
ESG? SDGs? SASB? GRI? TCFD? The world of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is littered with acronyms and can seem like an alphabet soup to companies just getting started. This article introduces you to some of the...more
A recent academic study covering the period 2010-2021 has found that many companies in the S&P500 currently are providing disclosure on ESG issues, and in the absence of mandated disclosure rules, do so on a voluntary basis....more
ESG, cyber risk and privacy are all hot topics in compliance, but that doesn’t mean people typically identify the data issues as ESG topics. Lisa Beth Lentini-Walker, CEO & Founder of Lumen Worldwide Endeavors and Assistant...more
Blackrock’s recently released 2023 Investment Stewardship Global Principles, identifies several key themes to guide stakeholders and promote sound corporate governance regarding sustainability-related issues. At a high level,...more
From Amazon to Walmart, companies across the globe are striving to implement ESG initiatives that can stand up to increased scrutiny. The energy industry, like all industries, is facing the possibility of new standards...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
The standards are part of a global initiative to consolidate sustainability disclosures to help investors assess the value of companies. On 31 March 2022, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) released...more
On March 21, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a comprehensive set of proposed rules mandating climate-related risk disclosures for public companies (Proposed Rule). For some the release marks...more
The genesis of the term ESG, which combines environmental, social, and governance metrics into a popular acronym, is frequently linked to a report published in 2004 titled “Who Cares Wins." The report, endorsed by a group of...more
Discover how to set and accomplish your ESG goals - Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) is no longer an isolated function within a company, nor is it an issue only for publicly traded companies. It’s front and...more
Climate change has long been an area of focus for investors. Over the past several months, companies have come under greater scrutiny and have begun to face increased pressure from investors, regulators, activists, and the...more
We next consider ESG reporting. This may, at first blush appear to be something outside the orbit of the compliance profession, however, upon closer examination, it is precisely what compliance professionals engage in. This...more
The number of frameworks and standards in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) space can be overwhelming. While various organizations have set up different standards and frameworks, last year five of them — the...more
The past several years has seen growing attention on climate change disclosures and other environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) issues. In 2016, a variety of universities faced pressure as student bodies demanded...more
With the world of ESG expanding on a daily basis, I frequently receive questions on how companies should structure their board’s governance over the environmental and social matters included in their company’s definition of...more
Institutional investors and other stakeholders are seeking better information from public companies on workforce diversity. Company executives and boards are discussing how and what to disclose, and many observers believe the...more
The SEC recently issued a public statement asking investors, companies and other market participants to share their views on climate change disclosure. Comments are due by June 13, 2021 and can be submitted via the SEC...more
As society reckons with the enormous danger of climate change, there is no question that corporations must take responsibility for their contributions to rampant global warming, while working to reduce their emissions. For...more
Companies that count State Street Global Advisors as an investor should review its CEO Cyrus Taraporevala’s just-released annual letter on its proxy voting agenda, which has significant updates on voting policies with regard...more
Public companies will be required to disclose climate risks and greenhouse gas emissions under President-elect Biden’s administration. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will institute rulemaking and guidance on the...more
This paper attempts to provide a definition and context for the term, Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”), explain how and why it is used, demonstrate how investors are driving the proliferation of ESG reporting,...more