What happened in climate-related financial regulation last month, and what’s coming up. Americas The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) for failing to honor policies and procedures linked to three environmental, social, and governance (ESG) products. In an order published November 22, the agency said GSAM will pay a […]
Role: Corporate Sustainability
CDP Reporting Annual Disclosure Updates for 2023
Today’s climate disclosure landscape is quickly evolving. Amid the emergence of regulatory climate disclosure requirements, and in order to remain relevant, well known voluntary disclosure standards are changing. CDP, the sustainability disclosure non-profit, is one example. The organization updates its disclosure framework annually, adjusting its coverage of key climate issues, as well as the contents […]
Climate Risk Regulation Rundown: October 2022
What happened in climate-related financial regulation last month, and what’s coming up. Americas The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reopened the comment period for its proposed climate risk disclosure rule on October 7 and is unlikely to finalize the regulation this year. The agency discovered a technical error, which caused some public comments submitted […]
Closing the ‘Say-Do’ Climate Gap
Companies are touting their climate credentials in increasing numbers, with many disclosing plans that show their commitments to a green, climate-safe world. In its recent status report, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) — the world’s premier climate reporting framework — found that around half of the 1,400 companies it reviewed included information […]
Creating Climate Transition Metrics that Matter
The climate metrics zoo is getting wilder. Increasing numbers of banks and other financial institutions are disclosing climate indicators and quantifying how their activities support net-zero goals. But the rapid spread of financed emissions data, portfolio alignment tools, and other climate gauges has yet to significantly change the financial system’s approach to the low-carbon transition. […]
Climate Action Plans: Setting Goals and Overcoming Obstacles
October 18th, 2022 Companies big and small are considering how to take climate action. However, many do not know where to start, or what climate goals to target. Others may know what actions to take, but are unclear on the practices and processes they should put in place to implement them. This is why setting […]
How Regulation Can Encourage Climate Action
As the low-carbon transition accelerates, more companies are considering climate change in their operations and decision-making. Part of this shift is due to regulation. In many jurisdictions, governments are requiring businesses to disclose climate-related information in their periodic filings. Climate-related disclosures inform companies’ key stakeholders of how they’re approaching the challenges and opportunities related to […]
The Investment Case for Climate Opportunities
While asset managers are in the business of growing their clients’ wealth, they’re also increasingly being asked to support climate goals. On paper these two objectives may appear at odds with one another, but in practice there’s plenty of overlap between them. Investing in climate opportunities can yield healthy financial returns and power the low-carbon […]
How Financial Firms Can Navigate Climate Tipping Points
Climate risks will not obey a steady and predictable pattern as the world heats up. Beyond certain temperature thresholds, abrupt shifts in the climate system could occur with far-reaching consequences for the planet, the global economy, and human civilization itself. These “climate tipping points” (CTPs) complicate the climate risk management calculus. As the relationship between […]
How to Kick-Start a Climate Action Plan
Companies big and small are thinking about producing climate action plans. Some are under pressure to do so from regulators or shareholders, while others are being encouraged by large companies in their value chains. Many more businesses may be driven by their values or by more prosaic concerns, like protecting themselves from climate-related financial risks. […]