An evolving landscape of reforms in the ESG ratings sector continues to pose challenges to providers of ratings and scores.
International momentum to regulate ESG ratings continues as the European Commission released a...more
6/16/2023
/ Consultation ,
Corporate Governance ,
Data Collection ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ,
Global Market ,
HM Treasury ,
India ,
IOSCO ,
Japan ,
Ratings ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Regulatory Agenda
A recent letter from 21 state Attorneys General to various asset managers demonstrates a focus on using antitrust and unfair competition laws to oppose ESG efforts.
Key Points:
..ESG investing initiatives are not...more
The government published a new document outlining its existing and proposed objectives to develop the UK’s sustainable economy.
On 30 March 2023, the UK government published an updated version of its Green Finance...more
4/28/2023
/ Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Institutions ,
Green Finance ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
Net Zero ,
Public Policy ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Taxonomy ,
UK
The government has announced the launch of ESG standards to help companies transition to renewable energy.
On 11 April 2023, the Malaysian government announced that it will introduce a framework on environmental, social,...more
Sustainable finance is the practice of redirecting public and private capital towards investments that support ESG goals and outcomes. The market dynamics of sustainable finance are driven by the need for enormous investments...more
The Supply Chain Act poses new challenges to suppliers when conducting business with new or existing German-based customers.
Key Points:
..The Supply Chain Act obliges in-scope companies to identify, address, and...more
The rapid growth of ESG and sustainable finance in the GCC region offers substantial opportunities, but also entails significant associated risks.
Introduction -
The Gulf Cooperation Council1 region (GCC Region) is...more
The EU’s latest initiative to enhance ESG disclosures will expand the requirements of earlier initiatives and bring considerably more companies within its scope.
On 5 January 2023, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting...more
On January 4, 2023, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released the Fall 2022 Regulatory Flexibility Agenda. The agenda includes several updates to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s plans for...more
Navigating a global patchwork of ESG regulation and enforcement while preparing for greenwashing claims and other ESG litigation will likely be among the main concerns for companies in 2023.
Both anticipated and less...more
1/6/2023
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C-Suite Executives ,
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EU ,
Global Economy ,
Global Market ,
Greenwashing ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Supply Chain ,
UK ,
Wage and Hour
Latham lawyers highlight key takeaways and developments in the sustainability space from the second half of the year.
...more
12/22/2022
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Climate Change ,
Consultation ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ,
Forced Labor ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Investment Funds ,
Sustainability
The Council’s position includes a number of differences from the European Commission’s original proposal, including in relation to the requirement to diligence the broader value chain.
On 30 November 2022, the European...more
From 2024 at the earliest, more European and global companies will need to disclose their ESG activities in greater detail.
On 10 November 2022, the European Parliament adopted a final version of the Corporate...more
11/18/2022
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Commission ,
European Parliament ,
Financial Reporting ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
Hong Kong’s Core Climate aims to facilitate trading of carbon credits, while the Hub plans to expedite Singapore’s ESG ecosystem growth.
On 28 October 2022, the Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited (HKEX) launched Core...more
11/8/2022
/ Carbon Off-Set Credits ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
FinTech ,
Hong Kong ,
Hong Kong Stock Exchange ,
Singapore ,
Stock Exchange ,
Trading Platforms
The FCA hopes the proposals will protect consumer trust in ESG-related financial products and help consumers navigate the increasingly complex ESG-related financial market.
On 25 October 2022, the UK’s Financial Conduct...more
This Client Alert probes the ESG “materiality assessment” process, why it is a misnomer, when and how the assessment can be conducted, and legal and practical tips for conducting the assessment.
Companies have been...more
The call highlights the challenges in developing alignment between global ESG reporting standards.
The European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), two of the world’s leading public financial...more
8/22/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Central Bank ,
IFRS ,
IMF ,
International Regulatory Standards ,
Net Zero ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
EU Parliament and Council reach agreement on CSRD -
European Parliament and European Council | 21 June 2022 -
The European Parliament and European Council reached a provisional political agreement on the terms of the...more
8/18/2022
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Blocked Mergers ,
Corporate Governance ,
Due Diligence ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Commission ,
European Parliament ,
Exemptions ,
Natural Gas ,
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Reporting Requirements ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The second version includes guidance on metrics and how companies can conduct dependency and impact evaluation.
On 28 June 2022, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) released version 0.2 of its...more
Companies should be prepared for increasing demand to factor ESG into their value chains as well as new mandates from government authorities.
Latham & Watkins is pleased to introduce a series of Clients Alerts on ESG and...more
6/28/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Human Rights ,
International Trade ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
UK
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
6/16/2022
/ Accounting Standards ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Guidance ,
SASB ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
The law suffers the same fate as the California board diversity law requiring directors from “underrepresented communities.”
On May 13, 2022, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis issued a ruling in Crest...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
A series of early-stage working papers provide insight into how a proposed EU legislation might expand companies’ ESG reporting obligations.
On 21 April 2021, the European Commission adopted the Corporate Sustainability...more
The Call for Evidence is one of a number of measures the EU is taking as it aims to strengthen the reliability of ESG ratings.
On 4 April 2022, the European Commission (Commission) published a call for evidence (Call for...more