UN-ESG

National Law Review: SEC Announces 2022 Examination Priorities, Includes ESG

April 08, 2022

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced its 2022 examination priorities including Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) investing, with an aim to ensure that registered investment advisors (“RIA”) who claim ESG strategies or criteria do not have misleading statements or omissions.
California Corporate Diversity Law Ruled Unconstitutional

April 06, 2022

A Los Angeles judge ruled that California’s landmark law mandating that corporations diversify their boards with members from certain racial, ethnic or LGBT groups is unconstitutional following a lawsuit that argued that the mandate violated the state’s constitutional equal protection clause.
Reuters: New Company Sustainability Standards Body Drafts First Guidelines

April 01, 2022

In a move that is backed by world leaders, top investors and regulators, The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) published two draft standards for public consultation until July 29 ahead of formal adoption by the end of the year, paving the way for a new global standard for company sustainability reporting.
Forbes: ESG leading to One Global Disclosure Standard?

March 29, 2022

In a major step towards a global sustainability reporting standard, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the IFRS Foundation have announced plans to co-ordinate and align their capital market and multi-stakeholder standards for sustainability disclosures.
Reuters: U.S. ESG shareholder resolutions up 22% to record level for 2022, study finds

March 24, 2022

According to a study released by activist group As You Sow and researchers including the Sustainable Investments Institute, shareholders have filed a 529 resolutions related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues for the annual meetings of publicly traded U.S. companies so far this year, giving a 22% increase from this point in 2021.
Bloomberg: ESG investors at crossroads after investing in Putin's Russia

March 09, 2022

Sustainable funds labeled ESG (Environment, Social, Governance interests), a movement that promotes itself as changing the world for the good, are finding themselves at crossroads holding Russia Bonds, as well as shares of companies like state-run Gazprom, ultimately helping invest in Putin’s government.
Bloomberg Law: Who Regulates the ESG Ratings Industry?

February 23, 2022

Emanuel’s Kurt Wolfe examines the fact that questions are increasingly arising as to who rates the products and services as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) expands.
Villegas: What One Private Equity Investor Calls ‘Greenwashing,’? Another Calls ESG

February 23, 2022

Institutionalinvestor.com reviews PitchBook analyst Anikka Villegas note discussing the idea of « greenwashing » in business since the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and three sustainable investing philosophies held by investors, explaining how each philosophy can result in a drastically different-looking portfolio.
Biden Administration Looks to Pressure Investors Towards ESG Standards Through Climate Disclosures

February 21, 2022

As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards take more place in both the private sector and the government The Biden administration is prioritizing proposed rule-making that would require companies to produce climate-related disclosures, most notably through the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Will the U.S. work with the New International Sustainability Standards Board on Sustainability Reporting Rules?

February 16, 2022

Writing for CFO.com, Robert C. Pozen, trustee of the IFRS which oversees the Foundation International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) explores the question of whether or not the U.S. with adopt their international financial reporting standards created by a new International Sustainability Board whose goals are to create uniform financial reporting standards on climate change and sustainability.