Dear John,
There is new leadership in town and the Biden-Harris administration is already taking steps to tackle the many challenges facing the U.S.
In addition to the pandemic and associated economic fallout, the new administration aims to tackle racial injustice and the climate crisis as top priorities. And with Democrats taking control of the Senate, we can anticipate plenty of climate action in the coming weeks and months.
So, what should companies expect?
It is a safe bet that U.S. financial regulators will increasingly affirm that climate change is a systemic risk to financial markets and start to integrate it into their supervision of key industries. Increased scrutiny of climate risk will go hand in hand with the push for greater transparency throughout financial markets. This would help the United States catch up to a growing number of global peers that are creating climate change disclosure rules.
Given these likely regulatory, policy, and market shifts under the new administration, how can corporate boards prepare?
One thing that all current and aspiring corporate directors can do is build their competency around environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. To help build board competency, Ceres has teamed up with the UC Berkeley School of Law to design a brand new online course for corporate directors—ESG: Navigating the Board’s Role. |
This course, designed specifically for current or aspiring corporate directors, pinpoints how corporate boards—whose legal duties and strategic roles are very different from management—can embed ESG into their oversight role.
The online course is designed to be completed in 6 hours and incorporates practical insights, cutting-edge research and industry-leading reports. Participants who successfully complete the course will earn an Executive Education Certificate from the Berkeley School of Law.
Registration is now open through February 15. The self-paced course runs from February 22 through April 30. |
With climate impacts compounding around the world and the Biden-Harris administration poised to take a more aggressive stance on climate action, companies have the opportunity to prepare by increasing their climate resilience, managing climate risk, and disclosing their efforts.
Read more about what corporate boards need to know about climate change under the new administration in my recent NACD blog. |
I hope to see you ‘in class’ soon!
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|
Veena Ramani,
Senior Program Director,
Capital Market Systems
Ceres
@veenaramani15 | |
