Consortium provides prototype climate-related financial disclosure standards, following earlier pledge to collaborate. By Paul A. Davies and Michael D. Green A group of leading sustainability and integrated reporting organisations has published a paper addressing standards for reporting on enterprise value and presenting prototypes of climate-related financial disclosure standards (the Paper). The co-authors include the Carbon … Continue Reading
The proposed initiative would embed sustainability in companies’ corporate governance frameworks and their business strategies. By Paul A. Davies and Michael D. Green On 26 October 2020, the European Commission (the Commission) launched a public consultation on a proposed sustainable corporate governance framework. The Commission is seeking views from a broad range of stakeholders, including, … Continue Reading
The paper articulates common reporting metrics for sustainable value creation for companies reporting on ESG performance. By Paul A. Davies, Paul M. Dudek, Ryan J. Maierson, and Kristina S. Wyatt On September 22, 2020, the International Business Council (IBC) of the World Economic Forum (WEF), in collaboration with Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC, published a … Continue Reading
Leading sustainability and integrated reporting organisations plan to provide joint market guidance, in an effort to achieve comprehensive harmonisation. By Paul A. Davies and Michael D. Green A group of leading sustainability and integrated reporting organisations — including the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the Climate Disclosure Standard Board (CDSB), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the … Continue Reading
Do European Commission ambitions signal a new, more sustainable direction of travel for the EU and globally? By Paul Davies and Michael Green On 27 May 2020, the European Commission (the Commission) announced a €750 billion stimulus fund aimed at helping the economies of the EU member states recover from the shock sustained as a … Continue Reading
Asset owners from Japan, the UK, and California have issued a statement describing their vision of sustainable capital markets. By Paul A. Davies and Michael D. Green In January 2020, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink circulated his annual letter to CEOs in which he noted, “I believe we are on the edge of a fundamental reshaping … Continue Reading
Launched ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, the PRB provides a global framework for a sustainable banking system. By Paul A. Davies and Michael D. Green On 22 September 2019, the United Nations and a group of 130 banks from 49 countries launched the UN Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) to … Continue Reading
Risk and opportunities come with ESG commitments, which include advancing the SDGs. By Sara K. Orr, Kristina S. Wyatt, and Bobbi-Jo B. Dobush In a recent article, Latham lawyers highlighted the increasing importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues in corporate decision-making and how companies are linking ESG issues to the United Nations’ 2030 … Continue Reading
By Paul Davies and Michael Green The High Level Expert Group on sustainable finance (the Group), which the European Commission (the EC) established, published its interim report on 13 July 2017. The report sets out the key steps required to create a financial system that supports sustainable investment, as well as identifying areas for financial … Continue Reading
By Paul Davies and Michael Green The European Commission has recently published plans to integrate sustainability considerations into decisions made by investors within the EU. More specifically, the EU is looking to spell out in legislation, that the consideration of ESG issues should be incorporated into the fiduciary duties of EU asset managers. The main … Continue Reading
By Paul Davies and Michael Green The public trust doctrine is the principle that certain natural and cultural assets are preserved for public use and that it is the government’s obligation to protect and regulate these, both now and for future generations. Although the doctrine is established in English common law, it is not regularly … Continue Reading
By Paul Davies and Aaron Franklin Royal Philips, a health technology company, has recently agreed to an innovative revolving credit facility agreement with a margin linked to the company’s year-on-year sustainability performance improvement. The agreement was entered into by a consortium of 16 international banks (led by ING, as Sustainability Coordinator) and provides for a … Continue Reading
By Paul Davies and Michael Green France adopted an ambitious energy transition package in August 2015 that sets out various targets designed to achieve the gradual de-carbonisation and increased sustainability of its economy. The package includes consumption reduction targets, energy production cuts and provisions for a long-term programming scheme for public authorities to manage the … Continue Reading