ESG/Sustainability

Last Wednesday, March 6th, the US Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) released its final climate disclosure rules, formally known as The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors (the Final Rules). 886 pages long (!), they require publicly listed U.S. companies and certain foreign companies to disclose climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports.

A few days ago, baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani signed the richest contract in the history of professional sports by agreeing to play ten years for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team will pay him $700 million for his services. Ohtani’s value far exceeded that of any other baseball professional because of his ability to serve as a “two way player.”…

On Tuesday, February 28th, the European Parliament voted, by a narrow margin, to adopt the Nature Restoration Law. Enacted against a backdrop of concern that natural places have been degraded, the core concept of the law is that protecting remaining natural places will not be sufficient; also needed is large-scale restoration. The goal of the law is to rehabilitate at…

Recently, the Norwegian government legalized large-scale commercial sea mining. Many expected environmentalists to applaud the sea floor production of natural elements like lithium and cobalt, elements that are used to create large batteries for the storage of renewable energy. After all, one major complaint about solar and wind power is that energy production dwindles on cloudy days and evenings when…

ESG started off as a choice. Grounded in the sentiments of Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical Investing, ESG meant that you chose to act in accordance with your values and not merely for the sake of financial profits. Those days are long over.  Today many investors and customers expect or even require companies to “do ESG”. What had been “voluntary”…

Last month, the United Nations Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) produced a study entitled “Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control.” It’s known colloquially as the IPBES Invasive Alien Species Report.

For at least a decade or so, hearing that they need to be better stewards of our planetary environment, many companies have responded with public and investor relations campaigns showcasing their environmental virtues. Unfortunately, many of the alleged virtues are exaggerated, misleading or outright falsehoods. Critics call it “greenwashing”.

A mere four months ago, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S1 and S2 were issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). For the first time, a major global entity with the authority to mandate corporate disclosures issued a wide array of sustainability reporting standards.

By Michael Kraten, PhD, CPA Data analysts who develop flood risk models for property insurers, land developers, and government zoning officers have a new variable to plug into their data sets. Climate Tipping Points (CTPs) are now becoming important factors in risk forecasts. The two most famous CTPs, of course, were introduced to the general public during the 2015 United…