Articles by Ross Kerber

U.S. Securities Regulator Lists April for Climate Rule Action

The top U.S. securities regulator has cited April as the release date for a long-anticipated rule on companies’ climate-related disclosures, according to a recent federal notice. In a draft proposal last March the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it …

Texas Republicans, Financial Executives Spar Over Climate Actions

Financial executives and Texas state senators clashed over company concerns for climate change at a hearing on Thursday, a rare in-person confrontation as Republicans ramp up attacks on the use of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investing. Texas …

Corporate America Looks for Leeway on U.S. Climate Disclosures

Business associations for top U.S.-listed companies have pushed back against a landmark proposal by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to make corporate America disclose a range of greenhouse gas emission figures. Groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the …

Gunmaker Shareholders Back Human Rights Impact Reporting Resolution

A majority of shareholders of gunmaker Sturm Ruger & Co. voted in favor of a shareholder resolution calling for a human rights impact report, executives said on Wednesday. The company also said all director nominees were elected and that investors …

SEC to Unveil Rule to Crackdown on Funds ESG ‘Greenwashing’

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday will propose rule changes aimed at stamping out unfounded claims by funds on their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) credentials, and enforcing more standardization of such disclosures. The proposal will …

Tesla Cut From S&P 500 ESG Index, and Elon Musk Tweets His Fury

An S&P Dow Jones Indices executive told Reuters on Wednesday it has removed electric carmaker Tesla Inc. from the widely followed S&P 500 ESG Index because of issues including claims of racial discrimination and crashes linked to its autopilot vehicles, …

Goldman Sachs Vows to Push Directors for More Climate Disclosure

Goldman Sachs’ big asset-management arm will take a harder line in voting on directors at companies that do not disclose enough about their greenhouse gas emissions, an executive said on Thursday, adding to the pressure on business leaders to provide …

Investors Say U.S. SEC Climate Disclosure Rule to Clarify ‘Mixed Bag’ of Data

Investors, including several who run environmentally focused funds, welcomed the U.S. government’s proposed new rule on corporate disclosure of climate-related risks and emissions, saying it would standardize reports that now are voluntary and vary widely in quality and breadth. The …

Insurers to Hike Private Market Investments; Environmental Focus Grows: BlackRock

GLASGOW / NEW YORK – Insurers plan to increase their allocations to private markets to 14% from 11% over the next two years in the hunt for yield, as they add more money to environmentally focused investment funds, BlackRock Inc …

Business Execs Optimistic COP26 Will Bring Changes Needed to Tackle Climate Change

A week into the United Nations’ high-profile climate conference in Glasgow, executives and financial analysts said they are optimistic the talks will lead to changes needed for business to play a bigger role in tackling climate change. The business observers …