ESG

The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), consisting of the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), have taken a significant step towards combatting greenwashing in the financial sector. Their recent Progress Reports on Greenwashing have introduced a shared high-level understanding of the phenomenon, applicable to participants in various financial sectors including banking, insurance, pensions, and financial markets.

A recent global CEO survey conducted by IBM has highlighted a significant increase in the practice of tying executive compensation to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals. The survey, titled “CEO decision-making in the age of AI,” was conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) in collaboration with Oxford Economics. It involved interviews with 3,000 CEOs across more than 30 countries and 24 industries, shedding light on shifting perspectives, priorities, and challenges faced by top executives.

State District Judge Kathy Seeley ruled on Monday that Montana must take stronger actions to safeguard its environment and residents against the impacts of climate change. The landmark ruling, prompted by a group of determined youth plaintiffs, invoked the state's constitutional right to a clean environment as a driving force behind the decision.

A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit against Starbucks executives and directors that accused them of violating their fiduciary duty to shareholders by supporting corporate diversity policies. The decision, handed down in Spokane, Washington on Friday, marks a significant victory for Starbucks in a legal challenge aimed at unraveling the company's efforts to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within its workforce and contracting practices.

S&P Global, a prominent name in credit ratings and financial analysis, has announced its decision to discontinue the use of an alphanumeric scale introduced in 2021 to assess environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in credit evaluations. The move reflects a shift in the company's approach to integrating ESG considerations into its credit rating reports.

Legal disputes surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have cast a spotlight on the intersection of corporate values, legal compliance, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations. The ongoing challenges to DEI programs have prompted discussions about the potential implications for the broader ESG landscape and its role in shaping corporate practices.

The integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations into the dealmaking process has gained significant traction, with a new survey conducted by global professional services firm KPMG shedding light on the extent to which ESG is shaping mergers and acquisitions (M&A) decisions. The survey's findings indicate that over half of respondents have cancelled deals due to substantive ESG due diligence findings, underlining the growing influence of ESG factors in deal negotiations.