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Securities and Exchange Commission

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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today adopted final rules for the “Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors” (the Rules). The Rules require registrants to disclose climate-related risks that have had, or are reasonably likely to have, a material impact on business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, together with their associated actual or potential material impacts. The Rules do not require reporting on Scope 3 emissions or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originating in a registrant’s value chains or outside of its direct operations (as was proposed in earlier versions – see our earlier bulletin here). The Rules notably require more disclosure from registrants on capitalized costs, expenditures expensed, and losses related to material use of carbon credits. Disclosure requirements will be phased-in between 2025-2033, with compliance dates dependent on the type of registrant. The SEC also published a fact sheet alongside today’s release. This bulletin briefly summarizes key details of the Rules. Content of the disclosures. The Rules will require a registrant to disclose, among other things: Strategy. The Rules require disclosure of the following strategy-related climate risks and impacts: actual and potential material impacts of any identified climate-related risks on the registrant’s strategy, business model, and outlook; if, as part of its strategy, a registrant has undertaken activities to mitigate or adapt to a material climate-related risk or has adopted a transition plan to manage material risks, a quantitative and qualitative description of material expenditures incurred and material impacts on financial estimates and assumptions that directly result from such mitigation or adaptation activities; and specified disclosures regarding a registrant’s activities, if any, to mitigate or adapt to a material climate-related risk including the use, if any, of transition plans, scenario analysis, or internal carbon prices. Risk management. The Rules require disclosure of a registrant’s climate-related risk management, including: any oversight…