SEC Set to Confront Roadblocks on Climate Front: ESG Regulation

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is facing increasing pushback over its plan for requiring companies to disclose specific information about carbon emissions in registration statements, annual reports and other documents.

An SEC official said Oct. 20 that the agency won’t be voting this year because it’s still reviewing thousands of letters related to the proposal. Many of the responses almost certainly oppose the enactment of additional climate disclosures because they would result in higher costs for companies and likely lead to lawsuits against those that fall short of adhering to any new rule.

For its part, the SEC hasn’t ...