An ELI Breaking News Member Webinar
On March 21, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rules requiring companies to disclose information regarding climate-related risks. The rules come amidst increased interest and investments in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment profiles. Global ESG investment increased from $285 billion in 2019 to nearly $700 billion in 2021.
While the SEC proposal is limited to climate disclosure and is heavily based on the existing Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, there are some other voluntary guidelines in the sustainability and ESG disclosure space, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and CDP, among others. These reporting methods lack uniformity in content, metrics, and scope, posing difficulties for both companies and investors to utilize sustainability and ESG reports.
Join the Environmental Law Institute and expert panelists to explore the proposed SEC rules on climate disclosure and the broader dynamic relating to ESG reporting, including the TCFD framework and the draft ISSB standards. Panelists will highlight the current climate and ESG disclosure options and explore whether the proposed SEC rules can effectively resolve the existing challenges.
Panelists:
Ira Feldman, Founder & Managing Director, Adaptation Leader; President & Senior Counsel, Greentrack, Moderator
Tiffani G. Lee, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
Tim Mohin, Chief Sustainability Officer, Persefoni AI
Supplemental Readings:
SEC Proposed Rule: The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors (March 21, 2022)
https://www.sec.gov/rules/proposed/2022/33-11042.pdf
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures website
https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/
International Sustainability Standards Board Exposure Draft IFRS S1
https://www.ifrs.org/projects/work-plan/general-sustainability-related-disclosures/exposure-draft-and-comment-letters/
P. Soyka, "Why the ESG Bandwagon Must Embrace Adaptation," GreenBiz (March 2, 2021)
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/why-esg-bandwagon-must-embrace-adaptation
K. Schultz, "Is TCFD a Catalyst for Transformational Climate Adaptation?” GreenBiz (March 24, 2021)
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/tcfd-catalyst-transformational-climate-adaptation
A. Winston, "What’s Lost When We Talk ‘ESG’ and Not ‘Sustainability,’” MIT Sloan Management Review (May 5, 2022)
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/whats-lost-when-we-talk-esg-and-not-sustainability/
J. Hale, "Sustainability or ESG? Do the Words We Use Make a Difference?” Morningstar (May 13, 2022)
https://www.morningstar.com/articles/1094268/sustainability-or-esg-do-the-words-we-use-make-a-difference
Materials:
ELI members will have subsequent access to any materials/a recording of this session (usually posted w/in 48 hours). If you are not an ELI member but would like to have access to archived sessions like this one, go HERE to see the many benefits of membership and how to join.