On June 13, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (“BCBS”) published its framework for the disclosure of climate-related financial risks. The framework is entirely voluntary and has several notable changes from the 2023 proposal. In this brief Legal Update, we highlight those changes and discuss why the climate disclosure framework will have at best a
Market Trends 2024/25: Disclosure on Political Contributions
This practice note explores the evolving trends and practices surrounding the disclosure of political contributions by public companies, particularly in the context of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. It highlights the increasing calls from legal academics, investors, and activist shareholders for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to mandate disclosures on corporate political spending.
House Financial Services Committee Urges SEC Withdrawal of 14 Proposed and Final Rules
On March 31, 2025, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee (Committee) penned a letter to acting Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Mark Uyeda identifying 14 proposed and final rules that, according to the Committee, should be withdrawn in their entirety. All of the cited rules were proposed or implemented under prior SEC Chair Gary…
SEC Drops Climate Disclosure Defense
On March 27, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted to end its defense of the climate-related disclosure rules, which, even as scaled back when finally adopted, still would have required fairly substantial disclosures regarding climate-related risks as well as, for certain companies, disclosures relating to greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, agency attorneys…
European Commission presents “Omnibus” Simplification Package with amendments to CSRD, CSDDD, CBAM and Taxonomy
On 26 February 2025, the European Commission (“Commission”) published its “Omnibus I” or “Sustainability Omnibus” package as part of its mission to improve the competitiveness of the European Union. The Omnibus Package foresees changes to several EU instruments pertaining to sustainability reporting under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) and Taxonomy Regulation, sustainability…
Sustainable Commercial Paper: Short-Term Paper, Long-Term Impact
Over the past few years, we have seen growing interest in Commercial Paper (CP) programmes with a sustainable focus.
Traditionally used by corporations, financial institutions, sovereigns, and other issuers for short-term liquidity needs, CP is now being adapted to align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives.
The International Capital Market Association (ICMA) has recognised…
REVERSEinquiries Workshop: Proprietary Indices, US Considerations, and European Considerations
- Rule-based indices,
- The various definitions of indices,
- Index governance and index rules,
- Discretion, the Advisers Act, and tax considerations,
- Index descriptions and rulebooks,
- Conflicts of interest
“Season’s Green-things” – The EU Green Bond Standard applies from 21 December
Christmas is coming early to the ESG bond market as the new EU Green Bond Standard applies from 21 December 2024.
The new standard is conceptually similar to existing ICMA use of proceeds standards but quite different in the detail.
Under the standard, net proceeds, subject to certain exceptions, must be allocated to EU taxonomy-aligned…
Preparing for the 2025 US Proxy & Annual Reporting Season
Webinar | Wednesday, December 11, 2024
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST
Register here.
Join experts from Mayer Brown and Georgeson as they discuss key issues companies should consider while preparing for the 2025 proxy and annual report season during this time of regulatory uncertainty. Topics will include new and evolving disclosure requirements, as…
Navigating the Updated SEC Rules for 10b5-1 Plans
On November 13, 2024, during the Practicing Law Institute’s 56th Annual Institute on Securities Regulation, a panel of experts discussed recent disclosure developments for public companies. The main topics of discussion included Insider Trading Policies and 10b5-1 Plans, Non-GAAP Measures, Cybersecurity, and ESG.
Navigating the Updated SEC Rules for 10b5-1 Plans
The SEC’s recent…