A range of ESG policy, social, and technological developments are poised to impact companies and investors in the coming year.

By Paul A. Davies, Nicola Higgs, Sophie Lamb QC, Ryan J. Maierson, Colleen C. Smith, Michael D. Green, and Edward R. Kempson

Despite concerns early in 2020 that the pandemic would impact the growth of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, the opposite proved to be the case with political and investor momentum aligning and ESG initiatives surging in the climate of “building back better”. This growth will likely accelerate in 2021, particularly as leading economies and financial centres in the US, China, the EU, and the UK make political and legislative commitments focused on ESG and investors double down on their ESG demands.

This second instalment of Latham’s annual 10 Things to Look Out For blog post highlights ESG-related developments and trends to anticipate in 2021.