ESG Around the World: The Evolving Regulatory Landscape for Financial Services Firms – Freshfields Global Webinar
On Monday, June 17, 2024, Freshfields hosted a global webinar titled “ESG Around the World: The Evolving Regulatory Landscape for Financial Services Firms.”
The session marked the fifth installment in the firm’s ongoing series examining global trends in financial services and regulation, featuring an international panel of senior Freshfields lawyers from the U.S., UK, EU, and Hong Kong, including Alison Hashmall (New York), Doug Bryden (London), Elisabeth Øverland (London), Emily Smith (London), Janina Heinz (Frankfurt), and Matt O’Callaghan (Hong Kong).
The webinar addressed how financial services regulators worldwide increasingly recognize the implications of sustainability for financial stability and the critical role financial institutions play in the transition to a net-zero economy.
Panelists discussed the varied ways authorities are intervening across jurisdictions, including setting rigorous criteria to help institutions assess and label sustainable activities, mandating the integration of sustainability considerations into governance and risk management practices, and introducing new regulatory frameworks to mitigate greenwashing.
The session also examined the differing paces and approaches of corporate and financial sector disclosure regimes, providing practical strategies for institutions navigating cross-border compliance.
