Investors Want Corporate Emissions Reporting, SEC Official Says

The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering requirements for public companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions in response to investor demands for greater transparency, a top official said.

The SEC is thinking about the extent to which companies should report their direct emissions, known as Scope 1 emissions, said John Coates, acting director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance.

“Investors already want it,” said Coates, who would play a leading role in drafting any new SEC requirements. “They already price Scope 1 into stock prices.”

His remarks at an American Bar Association conference Wednesday came as the SEC ...