ESG

EU Institutions Advance Policy on “Low-Carbon Benchmarks”

March 05, 2019

The European Parliament and representatives of EU member states have reached a political agreement on the creation of “low-carbon benchmarks” to help identify “climate-conscious” businesses and projects for investors as part of the EU’s broad strategy to meet its pledges under the UN’s Paris climate accord.
Activists Seek Judicial Validation of Global Climate Movement

March 05, 2019

Umair Irfan of Vox has published an article surveying the global climate litigation movement, which seeks to persuade courts that fossil fuel companies must pay for the future harms caused by their alleged contributions to global warming, and whose critics argue that these lawsuits “hinge on radical, unprecedented expansions of existing laws.”
Australian Company Responds to Pressure on Coal Output

March 04, 2019

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that, in response to pressure from activist shareholders, Australia’s largest coal mining company Glencore has announced a cap in its global output of coal to help meet global pledges under the UN’s Paris climate accord.
UN Body Requires Climate Reporting from Investors

March 01, 2019

The UN Principles for Responsible Investment, a body that pushes investors to abide by a set of ethical principles, has announced it will require investors who are signatories to report beginning in 2020 on how they are considering the risks of climate change in their portfolios.
NGOs Push for Gender Reporting in Extractives Industry

February 22, 2019

The nongovernmental coalition Publish What You Pay has called on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a transparency standard for governments and the oil, gas, and mining industry, to require more information on gender disparities in extractives reporting.
UK Lawmakers Seek Tax Incentives for “Sustainable” Fashion

February 22, 2019

The UK House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee has published a report calling on the British government to introduce tax penalties on fashion companies that fail to address the environmental impacts of their products, among several other social and environmental priorities.
Oxfam Assesses Rights Impacts in Finnish Food Supply Chain

February 22, 2019

Finnish procurement company SOK Corporation recently commissioned nongovernmental organization Oxfam to perform a pilot “human rights impact assessment” of its Italian tomato supply chain as part of a broader response to NGO pressure in which businesses show they are performing “due diligence” in complying with the business and human rights agenda.
Report Seeks Investor Pressure for Australian Labor Reporting

February 22, 2019

The pension-fund adviser Australian Council for Superannuation Investors has called on investors to put pressure on Australian companies from a broad range of sectors to fully comply with a new law requiring them to report on their efforts to end forced labor in their global supply chains.
Securities Commission Group Promotes ESG Reporting

February 21, 2019

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has applauded the International Organization of Securities Commissions for issuing a report promoting the disclosure by securities issuers of the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts of financial assets to investors.
Review Shows Growing Activist Pressure on Corporate Governance

February 20, 2019

Lawyer Samantha Sarkozi cites a global study from shareholder services firm Kingsdale Advisors to argue that investors and shareholders are responding to pressure from activists and multilateral organizations pushing them to consider environmental and social issues in their investment decisions.