Overview
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations have a broad reach, implicating various financial products, investments, and institutions, and is the focus of financial regulators in the United States and globally. Written for legal and compliance professionals, Climate Change, Sustainable Investments, and Social Governance provides a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory landscape affecting financial products and institutions with ESG considerations, as well as coverage of these ESG-themed financial products and investments. Clifford E. Kirsch, a noted practitioner in the areas of securities regulation and compliance, has edited this treatise, which compiles and organizes valuable contributions from distinguished authorities in these practice areas.
The discussion in Climate Change, Sustainable Investments, and Social Governance begins with a discussion of the key role ESG has assumed in financial institutions as a market opportunity, institutional investor expectation, compliance requirement, component of prudent risk management, and as part of corporate values. The discussion is then organized into sections that examine the following:
- climate change risk and related issues affecting financial institutions, banks, and the insurance industry;
- ESG investing;
- ESG financial products;
- ESG and shareholders; and
- SEC enforcement and exams, and developing effective compliance programs for corporate issuers and advisers.
The final section focuses on special topics, and currently reviews the legal landscape as it concerns human rights in the business context and considers what business can do proactively to comply with their duties and position themselves as leaders in responsible business practices.