SEC stay shouldn鈥檛 mean stop
Despite the sense of relief that many companies initially felt with the SEC鈥檚 stay of its climate disclosure rules, the pause is unlikely to temper the forces demanding climate disclosures by other means. Whether the SEC rules are upheld, struck down in whole or part, amended, or abandoned, pressure from investors, stakeholders, and other regulators continues to drive the momentum toward detailed climate disclosure requirements.
Companies face a proliferation of new and complex climate disclosure mandates鈥攊ncluding the SEC rules, state laws (with California leading the way), international laws and standards, or some combination of these. As a result, companies will have to comply with multiple inconsistent laws and will need to determine how best to structure their compliance and disclosure programs.
Given these near-term demands and growing consensus around common, comparable reporting standards鈥攍ike the European Sustainability Reporting Standards or the sustainability reporting standards of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), which incorporate the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures鈥� (TCFD鈥檚) standards and Greenhouse Gas Protocol鈥攚e highlight key areas of focus for boards and audit committees as the SEC stay and broader regulatory landscape unfolds.
Oversight of Climate Disclosures
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