Latest Posts
Search for:
Category

ESG

Category
In ESG

U.S. House of Representatives Passes ESG and Climate Disclosures Bill

by and 4 Mins Read

Yesterday the House of Representatives passed by a narrow margin the Governance Improvement and Investor Protection Act (H.R. 1187), which is a package of bills broadly requiring disclosure of ESG metrics in business (including supply chain impacts) and setting specific reporting expectations on climate risks, political spending, executive pay, and taxation rates. The legislation comes amidst indications by the SEC that mandatory disclosures related to ESG and climate impacts are a priority. Our analysis of…

In Compliance

Biden Administration Supply Chain Reports Deeper Dive #1: The Expansion of Regulation over Responsible Sourcing of Minerals and Corruption in Supply Chains on the Horizon

by and 4 Mins Read

Last week’s post summarized the key findings from the reports and accompanying fact sheet published by the White House on Supply Chain resilience pursuant to Executive Order 14017 “America’s Supply Chains” (“the Reports”).  In this post, we dive deeper into the supply chain transparency and governance recommendations made with respect to regulations governing sourcing of critical minerals. This portion of the Reports outlined findings and recommendations pertinent to companies managing critical minerals supply chains, including…

In ESG

The SEC Defends the Necessity for Imminent New ESG Disclosure Requirements

by and 3 Mins Read

As reported previously, developing new ESG and climate disclosure requirements (including those relating to supply chains impacts) is one of the SEC’s key priorities, and there have been indications that proposed rule-making on the issue may be imminent. The topic was once again raised by SEC Commissioner Allison Herren Lee this week at the 2021 ESG Disclosure Priorities Event. In her remarks, Commissioner Lee indicated that the SEC is working on a proposed rule on ESG disclosures…

In ESG

SEC Takes Significant Step Towards Exercising ESG and Climate Disclosure Powers

by and 3 Mins Read

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has taken a major step towards exercising its significant power to require companies to disclose greater information relating to ESG and climate impacts. On March 4, 2021, the SEC announced that it has formed a Task Force focusing on climate and ESG disclosure issues. The Task Force is a part of SEC’s Division of Enforcement and will be led by Kelly L. Gibson, the Acting Deputy Director of Enforcement.…

In Compliance

UK, US and Canadian Governments Announce New Measures Over Alleged Xinjiang, China Human Rights Concerns

by , , , , , , , and 10 Mins Read

Introduction The UK, US, and Canadian governments have recently announced a range of new measures in relation to human rights violations alleged to be taking place in Xinjiang, China. The new measures include enhanced due diligence requirements for companies with links to the region in order to identify and remove the use of forced labor from their supply chains. The move further underlines the importance of effective supply-chain risk management for companies with complex global…

In ESG

European Commission to launch consultation on the EU Strategy for Textiles

by , and 3 Mins Read

On 5 January 2021 the European Commission (“Commission”) published the roadmap for the upcoming consultation on the EU’s “strategy for sustainable textiles”. The textile sector was previously identified as a priority sector in the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Industrial Strategy where the EU seeks to develop a carbon neutral, circular economy (see our previous article Strictly Sustainable Products Only for further analysis) and, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,…

In ESG

Switzerland to Introduce Mandatory ESG Reporting and Due Diligence Requirements

by , and 2 Mins Read

On November 29, 2020, Swiss voters opted for the introduction of EU-style ESG reporting and due diligence requirements and against the so-called Responsible Business Initiative. While the initiative would have added teeth to the civil liability regime for the violation of international human rights and environmental standards across the supply chain, the substantive requirements regarding ESG reporting and due diligence across the extended enterprise are not any lighter under the chosen approach. We expect that…

In ESG

Supply Chain Trends in Latin America: Impacts of COVID-19 on Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Matters

by and 5 Mins Read

Although good practices related to Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) have caught the attention of consumers and public opinion over the past few years, the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has certainly pushed that trend forward. Throughout the course of the public health crisis, we have seen consumers demanding that companies implement sustainable practices in their business operations, including those related to environmental sustainability, labor and workplace safety, and human rights. In Latin America specifically, this…

In Customs

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Issues First Forced Labor Finding since 1996

by and 2 Mins Read

Yesterday U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued its first finding of forced labor in 24 years (Finding) against importation into the United States of certain goods from a Chinese company.  The Finding was made pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1307, which prohibits the importation of merchandise mined, manufactured, or produced, wholly or in part, by forced labor, including convict labor, forced child labor, and indentured labor.  Building upon the withhold release order issued in May…

Load More