ESG Cases Remain Enforcement Priority at SEC, Top Official Says

The SEC remains committed to rooting out wrongdoing by companies and investment funds that mislead investors about environmental, social and governance issues, a senior agency official said Friday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission will continue to file enforcement lawsuits while it works to issue tougher rules to police climate disclosures and other ESG reporting, said Gurbir Grewal, the agency’s Enforcement Division director.

The SEC’s Climate and ESG Task Force has helped with at least three cases involving misleading corporate statements and claims since it was formed in 2021. The matters include enforcement actions against Bank of New York Mellon Corp., ...