COMPLIANCE

SEC Climate
Disclosure Rule

Although the ruling is facing legal challenges, the SEC's climate disclosure ruling remains and requires publicly traded companies to disclose climate-related risks and their impact on business operations and financial performance.

Socialsuite Sustainability
Last updated: 2 October 2024
COMPLIANCE

The SEC Climate Rule

In March 2024 the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a set of new requirements for certain public companies to report on material climate-related risks and to disclose greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Enhance transparency of how climate-related risks impact a company's financial performance and operations.
Standardize reporting to make it easier for investors to compare climate-related risks and strategies across different companies and industries.
Improve risk management by integrating climate risk into the organization's broader risk management processes and strategic planning
Since March, the SEC's disclosure draft has attracted multiple lawsuits and the ESG Enforcement Task Force has been quietly disbanded. The commission is unlikely to finish major ESG regulations that are still pending in the five months before a new president takes office in January.

Who is 'in scope' to report?

Large Accelerated Filers (LAFs) and Accelerated Filers (AFs) must disclose Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions on a staggered timeline, with assurance.

LAF = public float +$700M
AF = public float between $70M and $700M

What reporting is required?

Scope 1 and 2 emissions (if considered material), with phased-in limited assurance and eventual reasonable assurance for LAFs. Climate-related risks likely to have a material impact on business strategy, operations or financial condition, and activities to mitigate impacts and costs of severe weather events.

When are climate disclosures material?

The key qualifier for the new requirements is "material." Several of the required areas are hinging on this term as companies determine their obligation to report. The SEC defines issues as "material" if there is a "substantial likelihood that a reasonable shareholder would consider it important."

How to Prepare for the SEC Ruling

If you haven't started sustainability reporting, now is the time to start preparing for upcoming compliance requirements.
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Stay Informed

Review whether you will have to comply with the SEC Climate Disclosure Ruling and/or other sustainability regulations in the near future (CCDAA, CSRD, etc.).
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Start with Materiality

The SEC requires companies to disclose climate-related risks and GHG emissions if they are material. Conduct a materiality assessment now to identify the relevant sustainability issues your organization should report on.
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Build a Sustainability Roadmap

Start developing your sustainability roadmap with an approach that is the right-size for your company to ensure you meet compliance requirements.

Read our Blog for more information

Our team of experts summarized the SEC Climate Disclosure Rules (866 pages) in this blog post. Read now to understand the key components.

Read Now

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