This month, Amazon published its 2022 Sustainability Report. This report touches on renewable energy, electric fleets, waste, total emissions including supply chain emissions, sustainable design, supplier diversity, human rights, and sustainable products, clearly highlighting how the company is building a more sustainable future. One of the most notable highlights is Amazon’s decision to update its supply chain standards to require regular reporting and emissions goal setting. The decision to require reporting within their supply chain is one that is likely to create change across the board. Let’s dive in!

In a recent blog post, The Evolving Role of Chief Sustainability Officers published in the Harvard Business Review, the authors explore how the responsibilities and influence of Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) have changed. Notably, this role has become increasingly critical as organizations worldwide grapple with the challenges of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. Today, we will summarize that article for you, highlighting the key takeaways you need to know!

This week, Singapore has proposed mandatory climate reporting for both private and public companies. This new regulation represents a significant move towards Sustainability and ESG in the Asia Pacific Region and aims to drive greater transparency, accountability, and responsible corporate behavior. Aligned with the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) this new regulation is lining Singapore up to rapidly become a sustainability leader in the region.

Today, in an effort to further enhance sustainability practices the European Commission has proposed a new regulation that seeks to foster greater transparency and regulatory scrutiny in the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings industry. This development marks a crucial step in ensuring accurate and reliable ESG information for investors, companies, and stakeholders. The proposed regulation aims to address concerns surrounding the quality and reliability of ESG ratings, which play a pivotal role in guiding investment decisions and corporate sustainability strategies. By subjecting ESG ratings providers to greater regulatory scrutiny, the European Commission hopes to establish a robust framework that instills credibility, accountability, and transparency in the industry.

This week, the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), which includes the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), have proposed amendments to extend and simplify sustainability disclosures for financial market participants under the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). These proposed amendments come from the ESA requesting a review of the SFDR's indicators for principal adverse impact (PAI) and financial product disclosures.

According to Canada’s new “Standard on the Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Setting of Reduction Targets,” federal procurements greater than $25 million will induce suppliers to measure and disclose their and adopt a science-based target to reduce GHG emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

Yesterday, The European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA) published their final report on the European Union Carbon Market. Key findings from the ESMA website note that while there weren’t any major deficiencies found, there are a few policy recommendations that to no surprise, end up centralized around transparency and monitoring.

Yesterday, The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched their proposal of a new set of rules to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures for investors.