The FCA emphasised the increasing prevalence of providers and the potential harm from lack of regulation in this area.
In June 2022, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a Feedback Statement in response to a...more
The SEC proposals track EU requirements in certain respects, but differences in content and scope could leave advisory firms with increasingly complex compliance challenges.
Key Points:
..The proposal on ESG...more
The two new bodies are expected to help harmonise standards in different jurisdictions to meet investor demand for comparable ESG information.
On 27 April 2022, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)...more
Assertive regulators are bringing greater clarity and new challenges as they step up oversight of fintech innovation.
As the fast-growing fintech industry thrives, the sector has begun to attract greater regulatory...more
The new rules provide issuers with flexibility to report on representation of women by reference to either gender identity or sex.
On 20 April 2022, the FCA published its final policy decision on the proposals set out in...more
HM Treasury’s Transition Plan Taskforce aims to influence international standard setting and make the UK the world’s first net zero-aligned financial centre.
On 25 April 2022, HM Treasury (HMT) announced the launch of...more
Special purpose acquisition companies (or SPACs) saw a significant increase in popularity in 2020, which has continued into 2021. This trend, which largely started in the United States, has spread to global capital markets...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
Proposed changes seek to reflect the integration of sustainability considerations into MiFID II.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is consulting on updates to its Guidelines on the MiFID II suitability...more
Corporate reporting (including SEC developments), climate change, energy transition, supply chain management, and the mitigation of ESG-related litigation risk are expected to be the leading ESG themes of this year.
As...more
1/6/2022
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Supply Chain ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
Truly Green? CMA Continues to Evolve Guidance and Metrics for Companies’ Environmental Claims -
The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) Green Claims Code (the Code) and final guidance (the Guidance) on...more
12/22/2021
/ Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
EU ,
Green Marketing ,
Net Zero ,
New Guidance ,
Regulation Technical Standards (RTS) ,
Sustainability ,
Taxonomy ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
FCA makes clear that it expects a cultural shift in how firms focus on consumers.
On 7 December 2021, the FCA published its second Consultation Paper (CP21/36) on introducing a new Consumer Duty....more
12/10/2021
/ Consultation ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Duty of Care ,
Enforcement ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Good Faith ,
Public Comment ,
Retail Investors ,
SMCR ,
UK
UK regulators are considering how they can strengthen the regime to enhance standards and reduce risk.
On 3 December 2021, the FCA published a Consultation Paper (CP21/34) on changes to its rules regarding the Appointed...more
The association noted that regulators could provide market participants with much-needed additional trust in ESG ratings and data.
On 23 November 2021, the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)...more
11/30/2021
/ Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Information Reports ,
IOSCO ,
Jurisdiction ,
Market Participants ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Ratings ,
Securities Regulation ,
UK
The regulator is inviting views on potential criteria for classifying and labelling investment products, and on further entity- and product-level sustainability-related disclosures.
On 3 November 2021, the FCA published...more
11/5/2021
/ Comment Period ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Institutional Investors ,
Investors ,
Product Labels ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Sustainable Finance ,
UK
A wide-ranging report encourages regulators to take a concerted approach to combat climate-related risks to the US financial system.
On October 21, 2021, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) published a...more
The strategy sets out plans to reduce emissions from key sectors of the UK economy to ensure that the UK remains on track for net zero by 2050.
On 19 October 2021, the UK government published its climate change strategy,...more
10/25/2021
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fuel Supply ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Natural Resources ,
Net Zero ,
Paris Agreement ,
Real Estate Development ,
Transportation Industry ,
UK
The roadmap introduces sustainability disclosure requirements for UK companies and reveals further developments in relation to a UK Green Taxonomy.
On 18 October 2021, the UK government released a report titled “Greening...more
10/21/2021
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Green Finance ,
IFRS ,
Investors ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) ,
UK
A new national strategy report aims to combat climate-related risks to the US financial system.
On October 14, 2021, the Biden Administration issued “A Roadmap to Build a Climate-Resilient Economy” (the Roadmap), a...more
10/21/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Environmental Justice ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Budget ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FIO ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Information Reports ,
Insurance Industry ,
OMB ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Risk Alert ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
A new proposal would amend changes made to ERISA less than a year ago that have proved to be detrimental to ESG investing.
In a sweeping reversal of Trump-era policies, the US Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a...more
10/18/2021
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Biden Administration ,
Comment Period ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Executive Orders ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investment Management ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Retirement Plan
This decision shines a spotlight on the activities of unregulated introducers.
In a recent decision, the Court of Appeal upheld the FCA’s findings that unregulated introducers had been carrying on regulated activities...more
10/13/2021
/ Alternative Investment Funds ,
Appeals ,
Criminal Liability ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Statements ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FSMA ,
Pensions ,
Statutory Violations ,
UK ,
UK Regulated Activities Order (RAO Amendments) ,
Unregulated Entities
Green shoots emerge as PE firms consider new ways to incorporate ESG into dealmaking.
Market sentiment and the increasing importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) to firms’ competitiveness across the...more
10/7/2021
/ Climate Change ,
Consultation ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Reporting ,
General Partnerships ,
Limited Partnerships ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
SFDR ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
UK
The global asset management community has long been among the leaders in recognising the investment and risk management benefits of tracking the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance of the assets it invests...more
10/4/2021
/ Asset Management ,
Business Strategies ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Germany ,
Global Standards ,
Hong Kong ,
Investment Management ,
Multinationals ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Singapore ,
Sustainability ,
UK
The latest edition of our Private Bank Briefing provides a roundup of legal and compliance issues impacting private banks and their clients from Q3 2021.
In this edition, we include a summary of the latest sustainable...more
9/28/2021
/ Afghanistan ,
AML/CFT ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banks ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Enforcement ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Crimes ,
Green Finance ,
MiFID II ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Packaged Retail And Insurance-Based Investment Products (PRIIPS) ,
Sustainable Finance ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
Delivering the European Green Deal | Fit for 55 package -
The European Commission has put forward Fit for 55, a package of legislative proposals to make its policies fit for delivering the updated 2030 greenhouse gas...more