Electricity Supply Issues Teed-Up for Lame-Duck

A bipartisan measure to address the growing stress on the nation’s electricity grid could see a window for opportunity in Congress’s lame-duck session after the November 5 elections. The Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (S. 4753), co-sponsored by Senate Energy Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY), would streamline approvals for major energy development projects amid increasing demands for power.

Why it Matters

  • Permitting reform has been a bipartisan priority reflected by more than two dozen bills introduced by both parties in the 118th Congress.
  • S. 4753 aims to streamline reviews and permitting processing for energy infrastructure. Expediting approvals for pending and new projects are long-standing goals for renewable energy companies, as well as the oil and gas sector.
  • With Senator Manchin retiring at the end of his current term, the bill could be a capstone to his legislative legacy. He has urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to bring it to the floor before year-end. (E&E News, Sep. 23)
  • Leader Schumer (D-NY) told reporters in July, “I’d like to get permitting reform done.”  (The Hill, July, 26)
  • The bipartisan bill has its controversies. While climate advocates argue that the bill’s fossil fuel provisions could lock in emissions for decades, others point to the need for large-scale clean energy supplies and grid reliability. Third-party analyses indicate that even with these fossil fuel provisions, the bill would ultimately lead to net emissions reductions.
  • The Roundtable believes permitting reform is essential for advancing our economy’s energy transition. The current fragmented system of environmental reviews and approvals hinders progress on launching new projects and delivering cleaner, reliable electricity to our nation’s buildings.

The High Stakes for U.S. Grid

  • America’s power grid is under increasing strain as the digital economy accelerates.
  • Data centers, AI, and electric vehicles are all demanding more power. Current infrastructure is not equipped to handle it.
  • As The Roundtable’s recent Policy Guide on building performance standards states, the transition to a digital economy raises serious concerns about electricity availability. “AI could soon need as much electricity as an entire country”  as “[v]ast swaths of the US are at risk of running short of power.” (Roundtable Weekly, Oct. 11)
  • A Wood Mackenzie report predicts that parts of the U.S. could see a 15% jump in power demand by 2030—posing major challenges for an already-stressed grid. (Politico, Oct. 18).
  • According to the latest CBRE North America Data Center Trends study, the rapid growth of AI, coupled with soaring demand for cloud services, has driven a 70% surge in data center construction across the US over the past six months—along with an unrelenting need for the electricity to power them. (Cybernews, Aug. 20)
  • Without permitting reform, meeting this growing demand will become more difficult and expensive. (Forbes, Sep. 2)

Congress returns to Washington in a matter of weeks and has the opportunity to pass the Energy Permitting Reform Act and address these grid challenges.

Roundtable to House Committee: Balance Housing and Energy Efficiency Priorities

The Real Estate Roundtable asked House lawmakers on Wednesday to direct the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reconsider a recent federal energy codes rule because it does not adequately consider impacts on affordable housing. (Roundtable Statement, May 22 for House Hearing)

HUD’s Energy Codes Rule

  • Last month, HUD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a joint rule that applies the most recent, stringent—and costly—model energy code standards to new residential construction receiving the agencies’ financial support. (Roundtable Weekly, May 3)
  • The rule would apply to both single- and multifamily homes covered by HUD and USDA programs, including homes backed with federal mortgage insurance. HUD itself estimated the rule would add at least $7,229 to the cost of building a new single-family home. (HUD’s rule | House subcommittee memo)
  • The May 22 House hearing considered how HUD’s rule and other green building policies impact homeownership, price buyers out of the market, and burden renters. The National Association of Home Builders testified at the hearing, and the National Multifamily Housing Council and National Apartment Association submitted a joint statement. (Subcommittee hearing YouTube video)

Roundtable Recommendations

  • The Roundtable’s statement explained that policymakers must prioritize both the climate crisis and our nation’s housing crisis, but that HUD’s federal codes rule is not balanced and should be re-considered.
  • The new nationwide rule imposing the highest energy efficiency standards, currently adopted by only a handful of states, must be assessed in light of the Biden-Harris administration’s goals to address the serious U.S. housing shortage and create two million affordable units. (Biden Administration Affordable Housing Policy Fact Sheet, March 7)
  • RER’s letter also explained how the new federal codes rule adds yet another layer to a stacked mix of stringent government rules and other headwinds that have made single- and multifamily housing construction a “hyper-regulated business.”
  • Reducing buildings’ energy use and climate emissions are critical policies, but the Administration should not pass new regulations that “make the housing crisis worse,” The Roundtable explained. A more balanced re-assessment of HUD’s and USDA’s action is warranted.

This week’s hearing follows House testimony recently delivered by Roundtable President and CEO Jeff DeBoer, who reinforced the messages that the health of commercial and residential real estate markets are intertwined—and excessive regulations that make housing prices and rents unaffordable for working-class families must be avoided. (DeBoer’s April 30 oral statement and written testimony | Roundtable Weekly, April 30)

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EPA Seeks Building Owners’ Input on Whole-Building Energy Data

A new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) campaign seeks to assist building owners in obtaining data from utilities on energy used by tenants in leased spaces. Stakeholders are encouraged to complete EPA’s brief Whole-Building Energy Data survey by Friday, June 7.

Access to Whole-Building Data is Critical

  • A challenge shared by owners and managers across the CRE industry is obtaining leased space energy data particularly where tenants operate under “triple-net” (NNN) leases and pay their electricity, gas, and other power bills directly to utilities.
  • Difficulties accessing whole-building energy data are acute in multifamily, offices, retail, logistics, life sciences, and any building type that leases spaces to numerous tenants.
  • Nonetheless, owners are expected to capture data on tenants’ energy use as a simple matter of proper building management, and for myriad policy and regulatory reasons such as:
  • Reports to investors and lenders, including disclosures to the US-SEC and state agencies;
  • Attaining voluntary certifications such as EPA’s ENERGY STAR and NextGen building “labels”; and
  • Qualifying for the 179D tax deduction for building retrofits enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. [Roundtable Weekly, Jan. 20, 2023 and  IRA fact sheet, July 31, 2023]

Roundtable Advocacy

  • The Roundtable supported a Jan. 18 open letter from leaders of the EPA, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Department of Energy (DOE) to utilities and their regulatory commissions about the national importance of obtaining tenant-level consumption data.
  • The Roundtable also submitted comments to EPA on Jan. 20 that emphasized how utilities should be eligible for EPA grants to develop technologies that provide owners of multi-tenant assets with whole-building energy data.

EPA’s Campaign

  • EPA has posted online tools including a “Multitenant Buildings and Federal Incentives” fact sheet. This resource explains the importance of whole-building data to building owners (with a focus on federal funding opportunities requiring this data), as well as solutions available to utilities to provide the data.
  • More than 90% of utilities currently do not provide whole-building energy use data. (See EPA’s data access map.) The EPA campaign aims to:
  • Gather input from building owners and others on where they need this data most and why, via the survey.
  • Create resources that support building owners in engaging utilities nationwide, including a summary of the survey’s input.
  • Organize meetings between utilities and building owners in priority locations to facilitate discussion.
  • EPA will support utilities that are interested in providing the data in line with industry best practices.

EPA’s campaign will be among the topics discussed during The Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) Meeting on June 21 in Washington, D.C., held in conjunction with the RER’s all-member Annual Meeting on June 20.

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Biden Administration Determines Federally-Financed Housing Construction Must Comply with Costly “Model Energy Codes”

The Biden administration recently issued a “final determination” that all new single- and multifamily homes financed with federal mortgages must be built to stringent “model energy codes.” The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates this federal mandate on residential construction will add at least $7,229 to the cost of building a new single-family home, effectively establishing a disincentive to increase the supply of affordable housing—a federal policy strongly opposed by The Roundtable. (Bloomberg, April 25 and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), April 26)

Federal Compliance

  • The Roundtable believes this new federal regulation will reduce the supply of housing, increase home prices and rents, and make it more difficult for buyers to assemble a down payment.

  • The “final determination” from HUD and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is, in effect, a new federal-level building energy code that could impact approximately 150,000 units per year.
  • Although the energy code update technically takes effect May 28, the dates for “compliance” are May 2025 for multifamily, Nov. 2025 for single-family homes, and May 2026 for homes in “persistent poverty rural areas.” (NAHB, April 26)
  • This action stands in stark contrast to a set of policy recommendations submitted this week by The Roundtable and a broad real estate coalition aimed at broadening housing supply and lowering costs. (Coalition letter to House policymakers, April 29 and Affordable Housing story, above)
  • Additionally, Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer testified on April 30 before a House Oversight Subcommittee on the need to “create more effective incentives and programs to stimulate the production of affordable housing.” (see Policy Landscape story, above)

Varying Energy Standards

  • The HUD-USDA notice may also conflict directly with local energy codes in jurisdictions throughout the country.
  • The federal action will require all HUD- and USDA-financed new single-family construction housing to be built to the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). All HUD-financed multifamily housing must be built to 2021 IECC or ASHRAE 90.1-2019.

Zero Emissions Buildings (ZEB)

Apartment building with carbon neutral design
  • As Bloomberg reported, the Biden administration also issued this latest update as part of a larger effort to modernize building codes to reach its climate goals. Earlier this year, the Biden administration issued a draft of a federal definition for a Zero Emissions Buildings (ZEB). (Roundtable Weekly, Jan. 5)
  • RER and Nareit submitted comments on Feb. 2 to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on the draft ZEB definition, which would impose no federal mandates. (Joint comments’ cover letter and addendum | Roundtable ZEB Fact Sheet, Jan. 18 | Roundtable Weekly, Jan. 5)

The Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) will discuss the repercussions of the HUD-USDA rule during its next meeting on June 21 in Washington, DC.

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GOP Resolutions Aim to Overturn SEC’s Climate Rule

Dual Republican House and Senate resolutions introduced this week take aim at the recent climate risk disclosure rule from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As the 2024 election season gets underway, the resolutions delineate the parties’ different views on climate policy and their clashing perspectives on the scope of agencies’ regulatory authority. (Senate and House resolutions | PoliticoPro, April 17)  

Political Differences

  • The partisan effort to overturn the SEC’s rule will not garner significant support from Democrats and the resolution is unlikely to pass the Senate. However, the resolutions have rallied Republicans to advance their message that the Biden administration’s SEC frequently steps outside the bounds of its regulatory authority. (The Hill and Bloomberg Law, April 17)
  • Banking Committee Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-SC) leads the effort in the Senate. “The SEC’s mission is to regulate our capital markets and ensure all Americans can safely share in their economic success — not to force a partisan climate agenda on American businesses,” he said in a statement.
  • Scott’s resolution has the support of 33 Republicans. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is the lone Democrat co-sponsor. (PoliticoPro, April 17).
  • Democratic support for the SEC’s rule includes Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH). “I applaud the SEC for acting to address climate risks to protect workers, investors, and our economy,” Brown said after the SEC rule was released last March. (Senate Banking news release)
  • On the House side, Financial Services Committee Republicans advanced a similar resolution along a party-line vote on April 17. Committee Member Bill Huizenga (R-MI) introduced the House resolution. (Climate Wire, April 18)

Legal Pause in Effect

SEC logo and text
  • Numerous lawsuits challenging the SEC’s rule are now consolidated in federal court. The SEC agreed to stay its climate rule while litigation is pending. (Climate Wire, April 5)
  • House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry (R-SC) said “[t]he SEC’s stay of the rule is not enough” and that congressional action is warranted, crystallizing the political nature of the issue.

If the SEC’s rule eventually takes effect, registered companies would have to include certain climate-related disclosures in annual Form 10-Ks. Notably, the final SEC rule did not include Scope 3 disclosures, which affirmed a position strongly advocated by The Roundtable. (Roundtable Fact Sheet, March 12 and Roundtable Weekly, March 8)

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States May Tap Into Federal Funds to Help CRE Owners Comply With City Climate Laws

DOE LPO webinar on BPS

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new financing program this week for states to access federal funds that could help real estate owners meet state, city, and county building performance standards (BPS).

State Energy Financing Institutions

  • An April 9 webinar hosted by the White House and DOE’s Loan Programs Office provided information on plans to make federal money available to state energy financing institutions (SEFIs).
  • Federal funds deployed under the SEFI program will be channeled through state agencies, which in turn will provide loans and grants to qualified building owners.
  • SEFIs that receive federal DOE “certification” will assist compliance with building emissions and energy efficiency limits set by a growing number of states and localities. 
  • The LPO has released a SEFI Toolkit that describes the contours of the program.
  • The Roundtable supports non-binding federal guidelines that bring national consistency to the conflicting patchwork of local BPS mandates.(DOE “blueprint” to decarbonize buildings; Roundtable Weekly, Sept. 15)

Funding Criteria

LPO for Building Sector
  • States will establish eligibility financing criteria under federal guidelines. They will likely prioritize disbursements to buildings in low-income areas and low-income housing.
  • SEFI funds could be deployed to support commercial-to-residential property conversions in jurisdictions with BPS laws.
  • To scale the program, DOE stated on the webinar that federal funds channeled through the states will be geared to support energy work on a portfolio of buildings rather than single projects.
  • The agency also stated that DOE-sourced funds will aim to support assets that strive to meet the forthcoming national definition for a Zero Emissions Building (“ZEB”). (Roundtable Fact Sheet on ZEB, Jan. 18)

The Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) continues to work closely with the White House and DOE on climate initiatives impacting commercial real estate.

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Biden Administration Outlines Options to Cut Building Emissions

Department of Energy's “Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector”

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings is the focus of a “national strategy document” released this week by the Biden administration. The Department of Energy (DOE) “blueprint” has no regulatory impact on private sector assets, but it articulates aspirational goals to reduce building-related emissions 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2050. (Department of Energy (DOE) news release, April 2 and Politico EnergyWire, April 3)

Four Pathways

Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector” outlines four action categories:

  1. Increase Building Energy Efficiency
    DOE acknowledges the value of federal tools that help building owners and jurisdictions benchmark, track, and improve efficiency (e.g., ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, Portfolio Manager Data Explorer)—all supported by The Real Estate Roundtable. (Roundtable Weekly, March 22)

  2. Reduce On-site Emissions
    DOE notes that building electrification with heat pumps is a primary strategy for reducing on-site, fossil-fuel fired building emissions. DOE’s goal also includes reducing on-site emissions from fluorinated gas (including equipment refrigerant leakage), foam-blowing agents, and fire suppressants. (DOE document pages 26-28)

  3. Transform the “Grid Edge”
    Federal efforts could help buildings better connect with the power grid through storage methods, on-site renewable generation, and EV charging. (DOE document pages 28-30)

  4. Minimize Embodied Life Cycle Emissions
    The document lists strategies to reduce embodied emissions, including repurposing existing buildings, new construction methods, and reducing emissions intensity of construction materials. (DOE document pages 31-32)

Noteworthy Recommendations

Los Angeles
  • The Biden administration framework acknowledges the need for CRE owners to access whole-building utility data. Metrics on building energy usage can be used to complete requirements for benchmarking and building performance disclosures. State regulators and local governments could support emission reduction goals by requiring utility companies to provide customers with access to tenant-meter data. (DOE document page 52)
  • The blueprint recognizes the need for government-sponsored low-interest loans and tax credits to support clean power projects at buildings. (DOE document page 40 and Table 5, page 43)
  • The blueprint also encourages federal-level resources to help city and state governments implement building performance standards (BPS). The Roundtable supports non-binding federal guidelines that bring order and national consistency to the conflicting patchwork of local BPS mandates. (DOE document pages 24-25 and 50-51 | Roundtable Weekly, Sept. 15)

DOE plans to vet these recommendations for federal actions to reduce building emissions in the future with a wide range of stakeholders, track progress on their implementation, and amend the document as needed.

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EPA Releases “NextGen” Criteria for Low-Carbon Buildings

EPA's NextGen Building Label

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released long-awaited final criteria on Tuesday for ENERGY STAR’s voluntary “NextGen” certification to recognize buildings with reduced carbon footprints.

Three Criteria

  • NextGen builds upon ENERGY STAR’s popular “label” for highly efficient buildings. The new label has three criteria that must be independently verified to:

    • Demonstrate Superior Energy Performance
      The building must achieve an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher and meet all criteria associated with ENERGY STAR certification.

    • Use Renewable Energy
      At least 30 percent of a building’s total energy used onsite must derive from renewable sources. Market-based measures like power purchase agreements (PPAs) and renewable energy certificates (RECs) can qualify as long as they meet certain quality control criteria (e.g., Green-e certified).

    • Meet a Direct Emissions Target
      The building must meet a GHG intensity target for its property type, which adjusts to account for days of extra heating required in colder climates.

CRE Recognition

Tony Malkin (Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.), chair of The Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory (SPAC) Committee.
  • “NextGen highlights RER’s constructive engagement with decision makers who translate policy to action,” said Tony Malkin, above, (Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.), chair of The Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory (SPAC) Committee.
  • He added, “The NextGen voluntary standard provides specific metrics-based criteria to recognize the very best performers who increase efficiency, reduce emissions, and help expand the nation’s supply of renewable energy. This new framework allows our members to urge cities and states to look to these researched and logical federal standards rather than create their own unduly complicated and punitive mandates.”
  • “Our work with EPA is not done,” Malkin continued. “Our next project with our EPA partners is to recognize inefficient buildings which will never reach ENERGY STAR levels and still take steps to reduce materially energy use in common areas and tenant spaces.”      

Planning Considerations

  • Companies can apply online to EPA for the NextGen label starting in Sept. 2024.
  • EPA’s response to public comments noted the agency will explore “separate recognition” for inefficient buildings that significantly improve energy performance.
  • In February, RER and Nareit urged that EPA’s NextGen label should be considered a critical intermediate step for an asset to show it is “on a path” to meet the Energy Department’s yet-to-be-released, voluntary Zero Emissions Building (ZEB) definition.
  • Building owners may report to investors about assets certified with the NextGen label. Information on green-labeled buildings could be within the scope of disclosure requirements released earlier this month by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and passed last year in California. (See RER’s facts sheets on the SEC and California requirements).
  • Court challenges are currently underway against both the SEC and California corporate climate reporting rules. The SEC’s rule has been stayed at least temporarily by a federal appeals court. (POLITICOPro, March 20 and Roundtable Weekly, March 15).

EPA staff overseeing the NextGen program will participate on SPAC’s next Zoom meeting on April 11 to field questions on the new building label.

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Lawsuits Mount Against SEC Climate Rules

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) headquarters in Washington, DC.

Almost two dozen Republican-led states have sued the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over its climate corporate disclosure rules released last week. (Bloomberg Law, March 12 – paywall | Roundtable Weekly, March 8)

Litigation Gauntlet

  • GOP attorneys general in 22 states allege the SEC acted beyond its authority by requiring companies to report certain GHG emissions and costs related to extreme weather.
  • The U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined the “legal salvo” against the SEC. (POLITICO, March 15).
  • An SEC spokesperson stated the agency will “vigorously defend” petitions filed in the federal appeals courts for the Fifth, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits. (Bloomberg Law, March 12)
  • These suits will likely rely on the “major questions” doctrine, raised in a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that curtailed EPA’s authority to fight climate change. The doctrine provides that a federal agency must have “clear” authority from Congress to regulate issues of “vast economic and political significance.” (E&E News ClimateWire, March 11)
  • Meanwhile, environmental groups filed their own counter-suit in the D.C. Circuit. They claim that the SEC’s rules are too “water[ed] down” and fail to provide investors with “material” information on a company’s financial exposure to climate risks. (Newsweek, March 14).
  • It will take months for the SEC to run this court gauntlet. The November elections could shape the legal outcome before the suits are resolved, depending on which party controls Congress or the White House.

RER “Fact Sheet”

The Real Estate Roundtable's March 12, 2024 Fact Sheet on  "What CRE Needs to Know" about the SEC's Climate Disclosure Rules.
  • Assuming the SEC’s rules are not delayed, the largest public companies must comply with climate-related disclosures in Form 10-Ks filed during fiscal year 2025. (SEC fact sheet, March 6)
  • The Real Estate Roundtable has issued its own fact sheet summarizing “What CRE Should Know” about the SEC’s final climate disclosure rules. (RER Fact Sheet, updated March 12).

The Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) continues to study the new SEC regulations and plans to hold educational sessions at its June 21 meeting in Washington as part of RER’s annual meeting.

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SEC Releases Climate Disclosure Rules

SEC logo and text

On March 6, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released long-awaited final “Climate Disclosure Rules” that establish federal regulations for registered companies to disclose climate-related financial risks and opportunities. The Real Estate Roundtable has prepared a fact sheet summarizing “What CRE Should Know” about the new SEC rules.

Overview of the SEC Rules

  • The rules require certain registrants to report “material” financial impacts to address storms, wildfires, sea level rise, and other events attributable to climate change (SEC news release, March 6)
  • Certain climate-related expenses and costs must be quantified and disclosed in audited financial statements filed annually as part of Form 10-K.
  • The rules also expand disclosures in narrative “items” included in a 10-K, such as descriptions of “physical” and “transition” risks from extreme weather and related events.
  • The SEC’s final rules impose no requirements to report Scope 3 emissions from sources in a company’s “value chain” – following the position advocated by the Roundtable in 2022 comments. (Roundtable Weekly, June 10, 2022)
  • “The SEC’s decision to drop proposed Scope 3 reporting was the right move,” said Roundtable President and CEO, Jeff DeBoer. “It would have imposed onerous financial and paperwork burdens for commercial real estate owners and failed to produce reliable and useful emission information for investors.”
  • The Climate Disclosure Rules phase-in and ramp-up over time. The largest companies (in terms of the amount of shares held by public investors) must start complying in 2025. (RER Fact Sheet)

Impacts on CRE 

The Roundtable’s Fact Sheet on the SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rules
  • CRE registrants should become familiar with the new rules if they voluntarily set corporate “targets” to reduce emissions in their buildings or portfolios, or own assets located in cities or states with building performance mandates.
  • Companies that purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) or carbon offsets may also be subject to SEC disclosures.
  • CRE owners and financial firms with “lifecycle” cap ex investment plans for building electrification may also be subject to new reporting.
  • The SEC’s rules do not preempt similar state requirements. For example, companies regulated by California’s climate disclosure laws passed in 2022 must satisfy those rules in addition to SEC rules. (Roundtable summary of the California legislation and Roundtable Weekly, Sept. 22)
  • The courts may ultimately decide the legality of the SEC’s actions. Institutional investors might move the market toward the SEC’s rules even if they are stalled or struck in court.

The Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) will continue to assess the implications of the SEC’s rules and convene our members to develop industry standards and practices for compliance.

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