Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, has introduced the Prevent Regulatory Overreach from Turning Essential Companies into Targets (PROTECT USA) Act of 2025. The bill is intended to protect U.S. businesses from the extraterritorial reach of European Union regulations, specifically the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which was adopted in May 2024.
The Sustainability Standards Board of Japan (SSBJ) has recently unveiled its sustainability disclosure standards. This marks a milestone not just for Japan, but for the global conversation around transparency in corporate sustainability. The SSBJ, which was established in July 2022 with a mission to develop standards that would align with the global push for clearer, more comparable sustainability disclosures, has now taken a major step forward.
The European Commission has officially rolled out two comprehensive legislative packages - Omnibus I and Omnibus II - aimed at reducing the regulatory burden on businesses while advancing sustainability efforts and unlocking new investment opportunities. These changes represent a significant shift for businesses across the EU, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), by simplifying compliance with sustainability reporting, due diligence, and carbon emissions rules.
In a spirited effort to demystify the world of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks, the European Banking Authority (EBA) has unveiled a report that reads like both a celebration and a call to action. Amid the complexities of modern finance, the report reveals tangible progress in making ESG data more available and accessible, yet it reminds us that the puzzle is far from complete.
The battle over the SEC’s climate disclosure rule has entered a new phase, and the winds are shifting—this time, away from the aggressive push for federal mandates. On February 11, Acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda signaled a significant change by requesting that a federal appeals court delay oral arguments in the ongoing lawsuit against the rule. This request is just the latest in a series of developments that point to a deepening uncertainty about the future of the rule, which mandates that companies disclose climate-related risks to investors.
Hong Kong’s financial ecosystem is getting a major sustainability makeover. The Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group (let’s call it the Steering Group for short) has set its sights on ambitious goals for 2025, and today, we’re getting a peek into the game plan.
28 ESG evaluation and data providers have now formally endorsed the "Code of Conduct for ESG Evaluation and Data Providers" as of December 31, 2024. This voluntary code, introduced by the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) on December 15, 2022, is part of a broader effort to standardize and improve the transparency of ESG data and evaluation practices across the industry.