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If you’re interested in a deep dive into the comments on climate change disclosure received in response to Commissioner Lee’s invitation, be sure to check out this Davis Polk memo, which provides an overview of the type of commenters who weighed-in, summarizes the most salient topics raised in comments, and discusses the SEC’s potential next steps. This excerpt lists the topics covered by commenters that the memo summarizes:

– Does the SEC have authority to mandate climate disclosures, and would doing so survive the cost-benefit analysis required for rulemaking?
– Given a perceived desire for both meaningful and comparable climate disclosures, which types of disclosure standards (e.g., general or industry-specific standards, a single global standard or multiple standards around the world and a standard drawing on existing third-party frameworks or a novel framework) should the SEC use for any mandatory climate disclosure regime?
– If the SEC mandates climate disclosures, what information should the SEC require to be disclosed?
– Should the SEC provide protection from liability, whether through a safe harbor, having climate disclosures be furnished rather than filed or by requiring disclosures on a specialized form outside of 10‑Ks and 10-Qs?
– Should climate disclosures be subject to the same level of rigor as other types of SEC disclosures, such as financial disclosures, by imposing requirements for audit or assurance or internal controls?
– If the SEC creates a new disclosure mandate, should its scope include not only public companies but also private companies and not only climate disclosures but also ESG disclosures more broadly?

The memo also includes an appendix summarizing 30 letters submitted by high-profile academics, business and government representatives, standard setters and sustainability advocates.

– John Jenkins