Regulation
NEWS: Shareholders, 16 November, 2021
Investor pressure ‘should be primary tool’ in changing firms’ ESG behaviour
Study concludes investors are better placed to correct the behaviour and decision-making of boards than rafts of new ESG regulation.
NEWS: Regulation, 4 November, 2021
COP26: plans revealed for new international sustainability standards
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) will incorporate other similar bodies to accelerate work on a single set of standards.
NEWS: Regulation, 2 November, 2021
Cutting quarterly reporting may undermine the value of companies
Research suggests a decrease in quarterly reporting is linked to decreased company value—and impacts smaller firms more than larger firms.
NEWS: Reporting, 27 October, 2021
FRC warns over climate disclosures ahead of COP26 summit
Regulator’s annual review of corporate reporting says it will be “closely revising how companies report against the new TCFD requirements”.
NEWS: Sustainability, 20 October, 2021
UK green finance report puts focus on transition plans
Chancellor Rishi Sunak says requiring firms to disclose transition plans would help the UK to “set new global standards for sustainability”.
NEWS: Regulation, 19 October, 2021
FRC chief’s comments spark debate over audit market cap
Discussions about the merits of an audit market share cap have intensified after remarks made by Sir Jon Thompson last week.
NEWS: Legislation, 6 October, 2021
New Zealand parliament to debate reform to directors’ duties
MPs in Wellington will examine a bill that would allow New Zealand’s directors to consider ESG issues as part of their company obligations.
NEWS: Regulation, 5 October, 2021
Campaigners urge FRC to name and shame failing audits
Transparency groups including Greenpeace UK say failing to disclose the audits involved “risks creating a general lack of confidence in all audit opinions”.
NEWS: Sustainability, 2 October, 2021
Climate disclosures ‘unlikely to drive a green transition’
Academics say climate reporting is likely to be less effective than direct regulatory interventions such as taxation or emissions trading.
NEWS: Reporting, 21 September, 2021
In-house lawyers concerned about legal implications of ESG disclosures
Survey reveals that while US companies are happy to invest in ESG, their lawyers fear legal risks involved in increasing disclosures.