IMAP Fall 2023 Workshop: Promises and Perils of Evolving ESG Disclosures

Promises and Perils of Evolving ESG Disclosures

More ESG reporting requirements are coming – what will be required? What should be required – and what shouldn’t? And why is this especially important right now?

New reporting requirements are not novel. Prior to the 1920s, you could buy stock in a public company that did not report its financial statements, and prior to the 1990s, you didn’t necessarily know the fair-value of assets on their books. We take those disclosures for granted now, but they were controversial when first introduced. Today, there is increasing pressure for companies to report more of their previously unmeasured actions with respect to social, environmental, and governance issues (ESG). While benefits of such disclosures to investors is clear, the burden of measuring and reporting falls on businesses. As always, new requirements are being met with resistance as they are crafted.

Our workshop will bring together diverse stakeholders in the emergence of ESG disclosure requirements. Expert panelists will explore the evolution of financial reporting requirements, the role of large asset managers, benefits of disclosure standardization, and what’s currently happening in ESG disclosures around the world. Following the panel presentation, we’ll host breakout discussions on what’s a realistic and desirable path forward for near-term and long-term ESG reporting goals.