Greenwashing remains at the top of enforcement agendas in 2024. Marketing products and services as “green” and “sustainable” is a common practice and seen as an important way to attract the attention of environmentally...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
In September 2023, the UK’s Institute of Directors (IoD) announced its broad support for changes to the UK Corporate Governance Code proposed by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC). The FRC’s proposed revisions seek to...more
On September 27, 2023, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines filed a request with the Amsterdam District Court, asking it to dismiss a greenwashing suit brought by environmental activist groups. According to a statement by ClientEarth,...more
On July 5, an industry-led working group convened by the UK’s financial regulator published a draft voluntary code of conduct for ESG data and ratings providers (the Code). The Code would apply to all companies based in the...more
On May 4, 2023, the United Nations announced the formation of a 35-member bank-led working group to promote nature- and biodiversity-related target setting that is aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity...more
On May 3, 2023, the European Council adopted its position and commented on a March 22, 2023 proposal to amend EU consumer rules targeting greenwashing. The proposal was submitted by the European Commission in March 2022 as...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
MSCI has announced significant changes to its ESG investment fund ratings methodology that “aim to raise the requirements for a fund to be assessed as ‘AA’ or ‘AAA’ rated, improve stability in Fund ESG Ratings and add...more
The European Commission has rejected suggestions that it introduce minimum environmental standards for Article 8 or Article 9 funds under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). On April 14, 2023, the...more
5/15/2023
/ Asset Management ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Funds ,
SFDR ,
Sustainability
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
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that its widely-anticipated Policy Statement in response to the Sustainable Disclosure Requirements (SDRs) and investment labels consultation will now be published in Q3...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
Taiwan’s central bank announced it will begin incorporating climate change related risks into its forecasts and modelling for inflation and economic growth. The central bank will also amend its monetary policy to better...more
The UK-based responsible investing non-profit ShareAction announced the publication of a report into the biodiversity and climate strategies of the 25 largest European banks, measured by total assets. The report concludes...more
South Pole, a Swiss carbon finance consultancy, has published a report which suggests that one in four companies around the globe have decided not to publicize details of their climate targets. This development has been...more
Summary -
In an important development, on April 28, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) commenced an action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in which it asserted that...more
5/3/2022
/ Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
False Statements ,
Intent to Defraud ,
Investment Fraud ,
Mining ,
Misleading Statements ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
As investors’ calls for greater climate-related corporate accountability grow louder, the “E” in ESG—environmental, social and governance—looms larger than ever, particularly from the perspective of directors facing oversight...more