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Latest edition
October 2025
As Sonali mentioned last month, I have taken the baton from her as head our global ESG practice and so, by extension, responsibility for the ESG View. I've always seen this newsletter as a flagbearer of our ESG expertise and the feedback we get has been excellent, so I'm pleased to be writing my first introduction before an issue of the usual high quality.
Previous editions
September 2025
I have always had a soft spot for spring but this year, I am embracing the spirit of autumn which comes adorned in change with windswept leaves dancing in the rain. For this, dear readers, will be my last edition of ESG View as I am leaving Simmons shortly for new adventures. It has been a tremendous joy to compile this monthly missive on the wins and warts of sustainability over these past years spurred on by the spontaneous feedback we often receive from the fans of this newsletter.
August 2025
The summer lull has not dampened the hive of activity over the past month, so this edition is curated to spare you any FOMO.
June 2025
Just when you thought we had run out of Ocean puns, the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and the Blue Economic & Finance Forum (BEFF) held in France and Monaco last week created such a swell of energy that now we only talk in tidal terms. So we hope you find your sea legs and enjoy this edition, where we capture the highlights of UNOC3 and BEFF, to help you surf the wave of knowledge.
May 2025
Greetings from the Middle East where the red carpet was rolled out for my visit. Or so I thought until it became clear there was a certain other VIP guest visiting the region at the same time. Magic carpet aside, speaking with clients across both Dubai and Riyadh, there was no escaping the desire to prioritise growth but not at the cost of resilience. Resilience not just against market volatility, but also to climate change with increasing periods of 40C-plus temperatures bringing to sharp relief critical issues such as water and food security.
April 2025
Our April edition greets you in the wake of World Earth Day on 22 April, a useful reminder of one simple unifying fact: we share one planet that we all call home. So caring for it is in our collective interest.
On the theme of our Blue planet (yes, you may well have guessed by now that we are decidedly in the blue camp although we remain staunch friends with the green planet brigade), the OECD's latest report, "The Ocean Economy to 2050," provides a timely reminder of the criticality of a sustainable ocean economy. It also underscores the need for cleaner energy sources and digital technologies to mitigate environmental impacts and enhance productivity of ocean industries. On which note, the International Maritime Organisation achieved a significant win this month in agreeing a decarbonisation pathway for the shipping sector (as covered more fully under Global updates in this edition).
March 2025
I write this from Tokyo where I am visiting to speak at the Economist Impact's World Ocean Summit. The warm and kind welcome of the locals made up for the chilly spring weather which kept the cherry blossoms still nestled shyly in their buds. The investment case for the ocean remains stronger now than ever before, as ocean acidification is the latest planetary boundary to reach critical thresholds. Why should this matter? Well, simply put - acidification significantly impairs the ocean's ability to serve as the 'lungs of the planet' as the ocean is the world's largest carbon sink. The finance-focused discussions focused on blue bonds and ocean-focused investment funds. It was also heartening to see a strong representation of small-island states at the Summit including the attendance by the heads of state for Palau and the Marshall Islands. The Summit coincided with the welcome news of Portugal becoming the first country in the world to enshrine a ban of deep-sea mining into national legislation.
February 2025
As we enter the Year of the Snake, a symbol of transformation and renewal, the global landscape is poised for significant changes in environmental governance and policy. This year, the European Union's proposed Omnibus package stands out as a pivotal development, aiming to streamline sustainability-related reporting obligations under key EU regulations such as the EU Taxonomy, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The European Commission's goal is to foster economic growth by reducing administrative burdens, potentially altering company scope, reporting deadlines, and data requirements. However, this initiative has sparked concerns among major companies, including L'Occitane, Nestlé, and Unilever. These companies have expressed their apprehensions in a letter to the European Commission, urging it not to compromise on current sustainability reporting standards.
January 2025
This year is unlikely to be smooth sailing for the sustainability agenda. In fact, we best buckle up and ready ourselves for some stormy waters as for better or for worse, the 2024 “year of elections” has delivered a decidedly anti-woke and anti-ESG political rhetoric.
December 2024
This month we bring you a festive edition – comprising twelve updates mirroring the theme of the Twelve Days of Christmas. This includes round-ups from COP29 and global carbon market developments. You’ll also find key regulatory news from Europe and Asia, as well as a sprinkling of key global disputes.
In the spirit of a “new year, new me”, we are exploring an ESG View revamp in 2025, with the aim of making it more engaging, useful and accessible. We invite you to share your feedback in this quick survey so we can make sure we continue to be the ESG newsletter of choice for all our dear readers.
November 2024
As we publish this edition, UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku is well underway with no shortage of ambitious announcements.
With the deadline for updated national climate action plans fast approaching (February 2025), countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK) have been first movers in announcing targets to reduce emissions by 47% by 2035 and 81% by 2035 respectively. Timely progress, with the Global Carbon Project reporting that carbon dioxide emissions had risen in 2024 by 0.8% from last year and scientists finding that it is "virtually certain" that 2024 will be the warmest year on record, breaching the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris Agreement. Tune in next month for a deeper dive on COP29 developments, including a look at impacts on global carbon markets.
October 2024
As we publish this edition, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16) is in full swing in Cali, Colombia. It comes two years after COP15 in Montreal (where nations agreed to mobilise $200bn a year by 2030 to protect 30 per cent of the world's land and oceans, a pledge referred to as the '30x30' target), the current meeting in Cali is being called the "implementation COP" as participants seek to bring life to their commitments to nature. The urgency of the discussion was underlined further with the publication of WWF's bi-annual Living Planet Report earlier this month, which highlights a dramatic decline in global biodiversity, with the average size of monitored wildlife populations shrinking by 73%. On a more positive note, a Morningstar recently reported that global assets held in biodiversity open-end funds and ETFs more than doubled over the past three years to $3.7 billion - whilst this is admittedly a fraction of the $530 billion climate fund market, it illustrates investments relating to biodiversity have room to grow.
September 2024
We are back to school with renewed energy as this quarter boasts a packed sustainability calendar. We kick off the season with New York Climate Week this month, followed by not one but three COPs*: the 16th Conference of Parties on Biological Diversity (COP16) in October in Cali, Colombia, the 29th UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29) and the 16th Conference of Parties to Combat Desertification in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (COP 16). We’ll be following developments closely as this series of pivotal meetings hopefully create historic change on these pivotal topics.
July 2024
As anticipated, election fever reached peak levels earlier this month in both the UK and France with varying results: one decisive and the other less so. While the clouds of a hung parliament loom large over Paris as the city prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics later this week, across the water in the UK, the electoral sentiment was more definitive. In fact, buoyed by their overwhelming victory at the polls, the new UK Labour government has hit the ground running, announcing a suite of Bills with relevance to the ESG agenda.
June 2024
In this month's ESG View, in addition to the usual round-up of ESG regulations, disputes and consultations, we have multiple updates from around the world on voluntary carbon markets, which invite some cautious optimism around the revival of the market.
May 2024
This spring has seen an abundance of ESG policy news, with regulators globally delivering long-anticipated updates, from the final UK FCA Greenwashing Guidance, to ESMA's guidelines on sustainability-related fund names to Hong Kong's new sustainable finance taxonomy and finalised climate-disclosure rules.
April 2024
This edition of ESG View is packed with updates from around the globe with developments on nature and biodiversity, voluntary carbon markets and news for the healthcare and life sciences sector. We also have your regular regional round-up from MENA, APAC, Americas and Europe, as well as key consultations open for your views not least in Kenya, Japan and New Zealand. As always, the disputes round-up packs a punch, including the historic KlimaSeniorinnen v Switzerland climate case!
March 2024
Earlier this month, the Simmons team set sail to the World Ocean Summit in Lisbon. It was wonderful to be among fellow ocean warriors from different sectors all aligned to the cause of raising awareness of why a healthy ocean is critical to the health of our climate and our communities. It was not all about singing Portuguese sea shanties though (...in fact, far from it!) as we explored radical collaboration amongst various stakeholders including financiers, NGOs and policy makers on scaling ocean finance at pace.
February 2024
In this edition of ESG View, we have a fulsome selection of global and regional developments. A special shout-out to the rich content from the APAC region this month including a second generation ASEAN Taxonomy, the world's first transition bond in Japan, China's policy interventions on carbon and biodiversity, and Singapore's industry efforts.
January 2024
This year’s global sustainability agenda got off to a roaring start with the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos last week. The annual meeting was accompanied by the release of the Global Risk Report 2024, which provided a stark warning that extreme weather events will be high on the risk radar both in the short and long term. It comes as little surprise given recent news that 2023 was the hottest year since records began.
December 2023
"All I want for Christmas... is ESG Viewwwww". We hear you loud and clear! Good tidings we bring, in the form of a short, sweet and seasonal December edition of ESG View. In true festive spirit, we feature twelve highlights from December to wrap up the year.
November 2023
Welcome to our November edition of ESG View! As we fast approach the finish line for 2023, COP28 which begins in less than 10 days in Dubai, provides a perfect chance to end the year with a climat(e)ic win. Like any race worth running, the stakes are high.
October 2023
In this edition of ESG View, we have Climate Week updates from NYC and MENA and regulatory reveries from the UK, Europe and Asia. Perhaps the healthy haul of stories making our Disputes roundup will charge you up just enough for you to start drafting a colourful response to the many consultations on offer this month.
September 2023
Welcome to the September edition of ESG View! The new school term got off to a flying start with the New York Climate Week kicking off this week with thousands of people marching in NYC calling for an end to fossil fuel use.
July 2023
Welcome to the July edition of ESG View! We leave you with a bumper edition of ESG updates from policy, regulation, litigation and consultations. Plus as an extra treat: this edition includes an ESG summer reading list. Enjoy responsibly!
June 2023
This edition of ESG View has a wealth of updates impacting businesses globally, for example we cover developments in the carbon market space, changes to global guidelines released by OECD and PRI and a breadth of ESG consultations from multiple jurisdictions. We also have your regular menu of jam-packed regulatory updates from the EU and policy news from APAC and MENA regions.
May 2023
Welcome to the May edition of ESG View! We have a tapestry of ESG developments for you this month from around the world. From the ebb and flow of the ESG debate in the US to a swell of regulatory developments from the EU and some noteworthy litigation outcomes in the UK. Meanwhile momentum continues to build on the 'E' of ESG across the MENA and APAC regions.
April 2023
Welcome to the April edition of ESG View! This month we see a flurry of activity from policy makers taking 'renewal' to new heights and exploring ways to (a) refine their approach - whether that be on existing governmental strategy (the UK's Green Finance Strategy and the revised ASEAN Taxonomy) and regulation (SFDR) or (b) introduce new concepts ('ecocide' in Europe, 'green deposits' in India and a 'nature repair market' in Australia).
March 2023
Welcome to the March edition of ESG View! To anyone who believes in the old adage 'blue and green should never be seen' should look away now as this edition highlights how the blue and green worlds of ESG converge. This month we deep-dive into the oceans and the blue economy and explore all the global green developments from "green bonds" to "green claims", and "greenwashing". As well as this, you can find the regular monthly round-up of ESG developments across the EU, the Middle East, and Asia.
February 2023
In this edition, we summarise the key outcomes of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos last month. We also have an update on the complexity of carbon markets, regulatory updates from the EU, and ESG developments from the Middle East and Asia.
January 2023
In this edition, we’ll be focusing on the heightened global policy focus on biodiversity, the UK’s seminal net zero review and a significant tax-related change influencing the ESG agenda.
December 2022
In this edition, we’ll be focusing on the ESG trends that defined this past year and we’ll also deep-dive into a selection of key developments across our five core ESG legal touchpoints: governance, transactional, regulatory, reputational and risk management.
November 2022
In this edition, we discuss some key global developments announced at COP 27. We also cover the latest EU, UK, US and Asia developments and give an ESG consultation round-up on TNFD, greenwashing and UK Climate Transition Plan Consultation.
October 2022
This month we will deep-dive into the fractured landscape of ESG in the US. We will also cover recent GTAG and FCA publications, some surprising EU developments and a round-up of news from Asia and the Middle East.
September 2022
In this edition, we discuss the new UK Government’s sustainability agenda, some (much needed!) clarifications coming on SFDR, key ESG dispute cases, the impact and response to the energy crisis, and an update on human rights and responsible supply chains.
August 2022
In our August edition, we include updates from the UK (the crucial net zero strategy ruling against the Government, the plastic packaging tax, and the FCA’s latest warning shots on ESG), the pivotal US inflation and reduction act, and developments in Luxembourg, the Middle East and Asia.
July 2022
Welcome to the first edition of ESG View. This update includes an introduction from our Global Head of ESG, Sonali Siriwardena, updates on the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (the gift that keeps on giving!), Supply Chain Due Diligence and ESG-related consultations.
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