Inflation Reduction Act
Off Pitch – What the Super League Fiasco Can Teach Us About ESG
When twelve of the highest profile football teams in Europe announced that they were forming a European Super League, they sent shockwaves through the world of European football and beyond. The fallout was swift and expansive, and within 48 hours...
Will Generic ESG Statements Lead to a Wave of Securities Litigation?
These days, it is commonplace for companies to commit to general concepts like “sustainability” or a “diverse workforce” in public statements and SEC disclosures. But when stock prices drop as a result of specific environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) issues...
Winds of Change: Big Oil's Move into UK Offshore Wind
The rise of offshore wind Offshore wind technology is becoming increasingly mainstream. In 2009, offshore wind represented only 1% of global wind generation capacity, a figure which had grown to 10% by 2019. 1 In recent times, the rise of...
Biden's Selection of Doug Parker as OSHA Head Signals Aggressive Safety and Health Enforcement and Close Collaboration with Organized Labor
On this past Friday, April 9, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Doug Parker, the current chief occupational safety and health regulator in California, to serve as the United States Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and...
What Will the SEC's ESG Enforcement Look Like? Cyber Cases Offer Clues
As the SEC has become more vocal in its expectations for environmental, social, and government (ESG) disclosure, serious questions remain about how ESG matters will be investigated and what enforcement measures might look like . Indicators suggest that the SEC...
Prepare For More Financial Scrutiny Ahead
Article originally published on StrategicCFO360 CFOs already grappling with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty about its impact on labor, real estate and other long-term costs will have several new challenges to consider in the coming year. SEC...
ESG/SEC Disclosure and Implications
If you follow the trade press, it seems that every other article of late is focused on this topic. There have been so many developments (and different takes on those developments) that it has become hard to keep track of...
The Bipartisan SCALE Act: Increasing Investments in CCUS
Today, March 17, 2021, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced groundbreaking legislation aimed at advancing investments in large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects. The Storing CO 2 and Lowering Emissions (SCALE) Act is cosponsored in the Senate by...
SEC Underscores ESG Disclosure and Compliance Priorities
Since announcing the creation of its Climate and ESG Task Force on March 4, 2021 , the Securities and Exchange Commission has continued to emphasize that environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues will take center stage disclosure and enforcement priorities...
Environmental Enforcement: Adjusting to the New Administration's Approach
Transition to the new Administration brings significant change to the policy and regulatory landscape for environmental attorneys. Bracewell’s Environmental Strategies Group is here to keep you informed. Throughout the month of March, we will host a weekly series of 30-minute...
DOL Signals Plan to Embrace ESG Investing
On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, the Department of Labor announced that, pending further guidance, it will not enforce two recent regulations that many viewed as deterring retirement fund managers from socially conscious investing. 1 Wednesday’s statement likely foreshadows guidance or...
Climate Change: A Policy Driver in Agency Decision Making
Transition to the new Administration brings significant change to the policy and regulatory landscape for environmental attorneys. Bracewell’s Environmental Strategies Group is here to keep you informed. Throughout the month of March, we will host a weekly series of 30-minute...
New SEC Task Force Confirms Commitment to ESG Focus
A series of recent announcements by the SEC underscores the agency’s commitment—and allocation of resources—to its heightened focus on environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) issues. Significantly, on March 4, 2021, the SEC announced the creation of a Climate and ESG...
COVID, Climate Change and ESG – The Future of Disclosures, SEC Enforcement, and Securities Litigation
There can be no doubt 2021 is already shaping up to be a watershed year, including on the SEC enforcement and securities litigation fronts. Pressure from all directions has been coalescing to drive change in the way companies report information...
ESG Diligence in Loan Markets
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are continuing to come under increased scrutiny in the loan markets. Topics such as climate change, composition of corporate boards and treatment of employees by corporations are at the forefront of individual and corporate...