ESG

Mandatory sustainability reporting surged in 2025 as the first wave of companies published disclosures under the EU’s CSRD and other jurisdictions began implementing the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) framework. PwC’s inaugural Global Sustainability Reporting Survey 2025, based on responses from 496 companies, shows that while some organizations have slowed or paused reporting due to regulatory recalibration, many continue pushing ahead, driven by both regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations.

A new survey of European business leaders shows overwhelming support for robust corporate sustainability and due diligence rules, countering efforts in Brussels to pare back environmental and reporting requirements under the EU’s Omnibus simplification package.

The European Union said recently it will push back by another year the entry into force of its sweeping anti-deforestation law, citing capacity problems with the IT system designed to support the rules. The law, hailed by green groups as a breakthrough but fiercely opposed by several trading partners, had already been delayed once before.

The legal fight over the SEC’s climate disclosure rule remains in limbo after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued an order on September 12 continuing its hold on petitions for review. The court made clear that it is now up to the Securities and Exchange Commission to determine the fate of the rules, either through notice-and-comment rulemaking or by renewing its defense in ongoing litigation (Iowa v. SEC).

Singapore has hit pause, just slightly, on its march toward stricter climate reporting. The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) announced they will extend timelines for companies to meet new reporting and assurance rules, a move designed to give businesses breathing room to build the systems and expertise needed for high-quality disclosures.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has urged lawmakers not to dilute the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), warning that watering down requirements would undermine the bloc’s ability to manage financial risks tied to climate change.

California’s ambitious climate disclosure laws just dodged a major legal roadblock. On August 13, 2025, a federal judge in Los Angeles refused to press pause on the state’s landmark Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261). Translation: businesses caught by these rules should brace themselves, the countdown to 2026 compliance is officially on.