SEC Climate Rule Pause Creates Path for Faster Court Decision

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision to unilaterally pause the implementation of its climate reporting rules places the agency on a faster track for a decision on the rules’ legality.

The SEC on April 4 told the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit it would stay the requirements for public companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions and disclose climate-related risks to their business, pending the court’s review.

The climate rules have been a lightening rod, drawing legal challenges from business and conservative interests, as well as 25 Republican attorneys general. Environmental groups have filed their own suits ...