China - Hong Kong

On 20 July 2021, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) issued draft guidelines (the Draft Guidelines) on the management of climate-related risks by authorised institutions (AIs). The Draft Guidelines further develop the HKMA’s approach to climate risk, initially outlined in its June 2020 White Paper on Green and Sustainable Banking, and incorporate leading international standards and practices to provide comprehensive climate risk management guidance for banks in the areas of governance, strategy, risk management and disclosure.

In this Blog Post, we highlight key aspects of the Draft Guidelines and takeaways for AIs considering how to approach these new proposals in Hong Kong. For more information about evolving regulatory approaches to climate disclosure and risk management around the world, please see our comprehensive analysis, Climate Disclosure and Risk Management: Global Approaches.

Continue Reading Hong Kong Proposes Climate Risk Management Guidelines for Banks

golden sunset in crude oil refinery with pipeline system

In a recent Blog Post on May 28, 2021, we discussed a landmark court ruling issued by the Hague District Court in May 2021[1], requiring Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) to reduce the CO₂ emissions of the Shell group by net 45% in 2030, compared to 2019 levels. In a statement on July 21, 2021, Shell confirmed that it will appeal against this decision. In the meantime – and pending any final determination – Shell remain bound by the earlier court ruling.

In this Blog Post, we highlight key aspects of the Hague District Court’s decision and Shell’s recent decision to appeal.

Continue Reading ESG Litigation: Shell to Appeal Court Ruling in Netherlands Climate Case

China - Hong Kong

On 15 July 2021, Hong Kong’s Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group (Steering Group), representing a critical mass of Hong Kong’s financial regulatory bodies, announced next steps to advance green and sustainable finance in the Special Administrative Region (the Announcement). According to the Announcement, the regulators will prioritize:

  • climate-related disclosures;
  • carbon market opportunities; and
  • a new cross-sector platform to help the financial industry manage climate change-related risks and opportunities.

In this Blog Post, we highlight key aspects of the Announcement and points for market participants to consider as Hong Kong moves toward a more sustainable future.

Continue Reading Mandatory Climate Disclosures, Carbon Markets Attract Regulatory Attention in Hong Kong

United Kingdom - London

On 8 April 2021, we discussed in our blog post the UK government’s consultation on the draft climate risk regulations under the Pension Schemes Act 2021. The government has recently published a response to the draft regulations, the finalised regulations and the accompanying statutory guidance. The new regulations will apply to trustees of larger occupational pension schemes from 1 October 2021.

In a new podcast, Mayer Brown Counsel Beth Brown sets out the reporting requirements under the new regulations and the accompanying statutory guidance, and identifies the changes made to the consultation regulations. Listen on Mayer Brown’s youtube channel and, for more information, see our earlier Legal Update on the response to the consultation.

Environmental

The EU has presented its proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The mechanism is closely aligned with the EU’s emissions trading scheme and the purpose of the CBAM is to be able to increase the EU’s internal carbon price without pushing production offshore. This risk of “carbon leakage” arises when energy-intensive goods can be produced outside of the EU without being subject to the EU ETS and then be put on the market alongside products produced in the EU.

For more details, see our Legal Update here.

United Kingdom - London

As part of national plans to cut carbon emissions, the UK Cabinet Office released a Procurement Policy Note on 5 June 2021 (“PPN 06/21“, or the “PPN“): this mandates the assessment of Carbon Reduction Plans by UK central government departments as part of the procurement of large public contracts.

Key aspects of the Public Procurement Notice

  • UK Procurement Policy Note 06/21 requires a bidder for large public contracts (exceeding £5 million per annum) to produce a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) setting out how it intends to achieve ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by the year 2050 (compared to 1990 levels).
  • This relates to regulated contracts for goods, services and/or works awarded by UK central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies.
  • This will apply to procurement processes commenced on or after 30 September 2021 – bidders should take steps now to prepare for compliance, which might require new data collection and reporting procedures.

Continue Reading ESG and UK Public Procurement: Carbon Reduction Requirements

China - Beijing

In our blog post on 13 May 2021, we discussed the consultation papers published by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) on proposed ESG-related amendments to the disclosure rules applicable to listed companies. On 28 June 2021, the CSRC published the final set of amendments (“Final Amendments”) to the disclosure rules applicable to annual reports and half-year reports, respectively, together with relevant explanations to the amendments (“Explanations”).

Continue Reading China Publishes Environmental and Social Disclosure Rules for Listed Companies

China - Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued new guidelines on enhanced disclosures required for Hong Kong-authorised funds incorporating environmental, social and governance factors as their key investment focus (ESG funds).

The new guidance, announced on 29 June 2021 via a circular (the Circular), will take effect from 1 January 2022, supplanting existing guidelines last updated in April 2019.

Continue Reading New Hong Kong Guidelines on Enhanced Disclosures for ESG Funds in 2022

United States - Washington DC

On June 24, 2021, US Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) issued a Withhold Release Order (“WRO”) on silica-based products made by Hoshine Silicon Industry Co., Ltd. (“Hoshine”), a company located in Xinjiang, and its subsidiaries. This WRO is based on information that CBP alleges “reasonably indicates” that Hoshine used forced labor to manufacture silica-based products. As a result, CBP personnel at all US ports of entry have been instructed to immediately begin detaining shipments that contain silica-based products made by Hoshine or materials and goods derived from or produced using those silica-based products. China is by far the world’s largest producer of silicon and silica-based products.

Continue Reading US Customs Issues WRO on Silica-based Products Produced by Xinjiang Manufacturer

On June 28, 2021, the Accounting Standards Advisory Forum (ASAF), a consultative and advisory group to the Trustees of the IFRS Foundation (Foundation), will meet to update its members on the status of the Foundation’s sustainability reporting project.

The ASAF update reported on (1) the April 2021 Feedback Statement (Feedback Statement) to the earlier September 2020 Consultation Paper and (2) the Exposure Draft (Exposure Draft) of proposed targeted amendments to the Foundation’s Constitution (Constitution) to accommodate a new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) that would set proposed IFRS Sustainability Standards, comments on which are due by July 29, 2021.

Continue Reading Setting Standards for the Standard-Setters: Recent Developments in the IFRS Foundation’s Sustainability Reporting Project