On 28 November 2023, Baroness Young of Hornsey introduced the Commercial Organisations and Public Authorities Duty (Human Rights and Environment) Bill (the “Bill”) to the House of Lords.  If passed, the Bill would introduce mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence (“HREDD”) into UK law. The description of “reasonable” HREDD set out in the Bill is consistent with the standards…

A selection of this week’s major stories impacting ESG investors, in five easy pieces.  Science was back on the curriculum at COP28, followed by cautious optimism about the response to the Global Stocktake. Siding with science – The week in Dubai started with a row about a row. COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber found it necessary to emphasise his commitment…

Fiona Smith, Investment Proposition Manager at Smart Pension, outlines tactics and tools that can enable substantial strides toward sustainability and resilience. The growing challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss have made confronting deforestation a critical issue. Recent findings from the Forest Declaration Assessment show a concerning trend: global efforts to reduce deforestation are falling significantly short of 2030 targets,…

As we alluded to in our pre-COP video (which you can watch here), the first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement will be concluded at COP28.  Although it is an important milestone in terms of establishing a comprehensive picture of what has been achieved since the Paris Agreement was entered into and what remains to be done, discussions appear to…

Green fuels seen as lifeline, as CEOs call on regulator to accelerate reforms at COP28.  The shipping industry’s green transition will be stuck in the slow lane without incentives and rules to drive more private investment to diverse innovations, COP28 heard yesterday.  Government officials and sector experts said increased investment was necessary in alternative fuels but also ships, ports and…

A new California ”anti-greenwashing” law comes into effect on January 1, 2024.  The law – called the Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act (AB 1305) (VCMDA) – casts a wide net over companies participating in the California voluntary carbon market or that make certain “green” claims within California.  The VCMDA applies regardless of revenue thresholds if companies are deemed to “operate…