U.S.: SEC Seeks to Bring Clarity to Reporting "Known Uncertainties"
by Stephen K. Rhyne (Charlotte)
Uncertainty seems to pervade almost any discussion of climate change and its consequences. This is especially true when discussing climate change legislation and regulation.
Notwithstanding, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in January sought to bring some clarity to the question of whether climate change and its consequences, including pending legislative and regulatory proposals, are appropriate matters of disclosure for public companies. In its detailed interpretive release, the SEC sets forth the analytical framework and process for a public company to follow in determining whether climate change and its consequences are to be disclosed in the company’s public filings.