In 2022, Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) disclosure, claims, and reporting has been a popular topic in the United States. ESG has several definitions, but at its’ core ESG ideals focus on sustainability, diversity, climate and carbon emissions, waste, labor conditions, and ethical governance, among other matters.
OFW Law has written about ESG before in the context of the March 21, 2022, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rule on “Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors,” which would require domestic or foreign SEC registrants to include certain climate-related information in registration statements and periodic reports. To date, there has been no movement on the proposed rule.
Here we want to provide several examples of recent ESG updates that may be of interest to those in the food, agriculture, and/or medical device industries:
- September 8, 2022: The Good Food Institute (GFI) and the FAIRR Initiative released two new reporting frameworks for the alternative protein industry.
- September 10, 2022: Kroger updated its ESG action plan to support the grocers’ new ESG strategy.
- September 12, 2022: NPR published an article entitled, “How ESG investing got tangled up in America’s culture wars,” which provides examples of states that preclude or are considering precluding ESG as a consideration in their investment pools.
OFW Law is happy to assist with any questions you may have and/or with any ESG mandatory and voluntary reporting requirements in which you or your company may have an interest.
Please contact us if you have questions or comments.