AI Around the Globe: What to Know in 2024
Impact of environmental, social and governance agenda on tax
Suzanne Folsom & Christopher Burnham on Private Sector Lessons
The U.S. regulatory landscape is quickly evolving and in flux, with the Executive Branch further increasing the use of executive authority to unilaterally and rapidly transform longstanding federal practices and policies. The...more
In this article, we reflect on key trends in ESG over the second half of 2024 and look ahead at trends that may emerge in 2025. We analyze developments in the latter half of 2024, which were similar to those highlighted in...more
Even for the unpredictable world of business and human rights, 2024 was particularly volatile, including for sustainability more generally. The European Union’s (EU) Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)...more
On 15 October 2024, the Luxembourg Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (the “CSSF”) imposed a fine of EUR 56,500 against a fund manager, Aviva Investors Luxembourg S.A. (the “Manager”), with regards to the...more
We are pleased to share the November 2024 issue of Wilson Sonsini's Sustainability and ESG Advisory Practice Update. Each issue combines news, key legal developments, and resources related to sustainability and environmental,...more
In this article, we provide an overview of country-led and private sector-driven key developments surrounding the recent United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16). The world is progressively recognizing that biodiversity...more
As socially responsible investing has gone mainstream, regulators in Europe and the United States have stepped in and are now formalizing rules around disclosures pertaining to Environment, Social and Governance (“ESG”)...more
On September 8, 2023, the United Nations published its first Global Stocktake report on the progress made by nations in addressing climate change. The report, which represents the first comprehensive assessment of nearly 200...more
By now, followers of the debate over use of ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria in investing and business operations are well used to the “E” taking center stage. As we discussed two months ago in this space,...more
On July 5, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released a statement on the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance’s (NZIA) progress towards net-zero targets. The NZIA is convened by the UN Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) and...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
Hoy hace 50 años, la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas estableció el 5 de junio como el Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente para destacar la importancia de la protección del medio ambiente. ...more
ESG is understood to be an acronym for “environmental, social and governance,” but the term can be challenging because it’s used to describe similar but distinct communities of practice, including corporate social...more
The United Nations General Assembly, the UN’s primary policy-making body, has adopted a resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the obligations of its 193 member states...more
The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (“NZBA”), the UN-led coalition of global banks “committed to aligning their lending investment portfolios with net-zero emissions by 2050,” is facing backlash from certain sustainability-focused...more
At the recent G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Bengaluru, India, attendees called for the creation of a common global framework to facilitate financing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development...more
The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a UN-supported network of investors, has announced the publication of its 2023 Reporting Framework along with an update on accountability. This development, according to the...more
Companies should be thoughtful and strategic about how they structure their voluntary and mandatory climate disclosures. There are many climate disclosure standards – as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG)...more
Building on Akin Gump’s previous coverage on Singapore’s efforts to advance its green transition initiative1 and following on from our insights into the Asia Climate Summit 2022, this post provides updates on some of the key...more
The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) ended in Montreal, Canada, on December 19, 2022 with a landmark agreement to protect at least 30% the planet’s lands, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans by 2030 (known...more
The explosion of global business and human rights continued to resonate across the globe in 2022. Some of the business and human rights trends have been evident and growing for several years; others are relatively new. Many...more
Talks during the fourth day of COP 27 focused on science and youth engagement. Here’s what business leaders need to know to keep up-to-date on event proceedings...more
On Friday, April 22, the United States and the rest of the world will recognize Earth Day 2022. With “Invest in Our Planet” as its theme, Earth Day 2022 focuses additional attention on Environmental, Social, and Governance...more
In our previous post, we highlighted a number of global goals and campaigns aimed at addressing climate change. In this post, we examine climate change-oriented policies and initiatives that are being adopted by many...more
Accelerate ESG debuts with Akin Gump partners Stacey Mitchell, Ken Markowitz and Naboth van den Broek reviewing the recent UN Climate Change Conference, which Ken and Naboth attended, to offer listeners insights into the...more