The New SEC Climate Disclosures: Key Action Items Now

Agenda

Part 1 – Preparing Your Climate Disclosure: Practical Steps to Take Right Now

The SEC climate disclosure is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. This is the first time the SEC is requiring air emissions, climate impact and associated business risk data to be gathered and disclosed. While this information may be available today for internal managerial or non-regulatory disclosure purposes, it will need more validation – and consideration of whether it’s completely fit for the purpose of public disclosure. There are actions that you can and should be taking right now, even as we anticipate the SEC’s adoption of final rules.

Our expert panelists, from a range of industry sectors and backgrounds, will share step-by-step pointers to prepare for this groundbreaking new disclosure regime.  Hear about specific action items from these experienced practitioners:

• Stephanie Bignon – Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary, WestRock Company
• Meredith Cross – Partner, WilmerHale
• Karen J. Garnett –   Managing Director, Head of ESG Policy and Reporting, Charles Schwab & Company
• Denis Jacob – Chief Audit Executive, GE
• Dave Lynn – Partner, Morrison Foerster

This session will cover:

1. How to convey to your bosses & colleagues the major differences between this proposal and traditional SEC reporting, and existing ESG disclosures;
2. Tips for overcoming the new challenges that this disclosure will create;
3. Key steps for companies to take right now to prepare for compliance;
4. Former regulators’ perspectives; and
5. Lessons learned from preparing our sample disclosures.

Part 2 – Who’s Reading Your Climate Disclosure: Action Items to Meet Their Needs

Although the SEC used existing voluntary frameworks and practices as the basis for its proposal, developing voluntary climate disclosures for non-regulatory purposes is much different than preparing disclosure for SEC filings. Companies will need to make significant changes to their processes, even if they’ve already been providing some level of climate disclosure. Hear from former regulators and key users of climate information about their priorities and concerns – and use that context to avoid landmines in your disclosures.  Also, we showcase our sample climate disclosure based on the SEC’s rule proposal! This session features:

• Amy Borrus – Executive Director, Council of Institutional Investors
• Devika Kaul – VP, Asset Stewardship, State Street Global Advisors
• Satyam Khanna – SIEPR Policy Fellow, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
• Dave Lynn – Partner, Morrison Foerster
• Kosmas Papadopoulos – Executive Director, Head of Sustainability Advisory Services – Americas, ISS Corporate Solutions

This session will cover:

1. ESG data that investors and others want, compared to what’s currently available;
2. Types of questions and disclosure reviews companies can expect from regulators;
3. How companies can prepare disclosure with an eye towards minimizing questions & risks;
4. How asset managers, institutional investors and other external audiences use climate disclosure; and
5. A look at our sample disclosure and how it anticipates these issues.

Course Materials

• Checklist: Preparing for the SEC’s New Climate Disclosure Proposal