environmental social and governance (ESG) criteria News

EU Markets Watchdog Signals a Hard Line on New ESG Disclosures

Europe’s financial markets watchdog said companies shouldn’t anticipate that the complexity of new ESG reporting requirements will excuse sloppy disclosures. The European Securities and Markets Authority acknowledged that complying with the new European Sustainability Reporting Standards creates “challenges” for companies, …

Right-Wing Political Tilt in Countries Across Globe Will Not Derail Climate Action

A political tilt to the right in Europe and a potential Trump presidency in the U.S. will not derail climate efforts as businesses are increasingly locked into green strategies, delegates at London Climate Action Week heard. A big election year, …

EU Regulators Call for Changes to Landmark ESG Rulebook

Europe’s ESG rulebook, which is seen as the benchmark for setting sustainability-disclosure requirements worldwide, keeps getting pushback from the regulators charged with enforcing it. In an opinion to the European Commission, regulators for the markets, banking and insurance industries called …

Banks, Asset Managers Warned of ‘Huge’ Fallout From UK’s New Greenwashing Law

Banks and asset managers in the UK woke up to a new reality on Friday, as the country enforces some of the most far-reaching anti-greenwashing rules ever seen. Due to its broad scope, the new requirement from the Financial Conduct …

EU Finalizes Investment Fund Labels to Combat Greenwashing

The European Union’s securities watchdog confirmed on Tuesday final guidelines on when investment funds can label themselves as being “sustainable” without being accused of greenwashing. Trillions of dollars globally have flowed into investments that promote their green attractions, but regulators …

Global Insurers’ Climate Alliance Relaunches After Member Exodus

A global insurance coalition intended to help curb the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions has relaunched with a new name and weaker membership requirements in response to companies fleeing over allegations of collusion by Republican politicians in the United States. The …

UK Firms Told to ‘Urgently Review’ Green Claims Amid Crackdown

Firms operating in the UK are being advised to go through any products and services around which some sort of sustainability claim has been made, to ensure they’re not in the crosshairs of a regulatory crackdown that’s due to take …

Panel of EU Lawmakers Backs Watered Down Supply Chain Audit Law

A panel of lawmakers in the European Parliament on Tuesday backed a draft law requiring large companies in the bloc to check if their supply chains use forced labor or cause environmental damage. The rules, known as the Corporate Sustainability …

Companies Walk ESG Tightrope, Under Fire From All Sides Over Disclosures

Since joining Asahi Group in 2020 as sustainability chief, Preeti Srivastav has helped the Japanese brewer make several environmental and social pledges but has not got it to disclose all its progress. Asahi said on Feb. 9 it had brought …

EU Lawmakers ‘Outraged’ After States Block Landmark ESG Law

A European Union law designed to clean up corporate supply chains has been derailed by the bloc’s biggest member states, forcing negotiators back to the drawing board on one of the most consequential pieces of ESG legislation ever attempted. The …