Tag: Securities and Exchange Commission
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SEC chairman suggests no-action pause could continue
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins said the agency may continue suspending most no-action letters for shareholder proposal disputes beyond the current proxy season. Speaking on July 9 at the Society for Corporate Governance National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, Atkins said the policy change caused fewer disruptions than many observers had predicted. Rule…
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No ESG-related shareholder proposals pass in 2026 proxy season
What’s the story? As of May 31, shareholders did not approve any proposals either in favor of or opposition to ESG-related topics during the 2026 proxy season. That’s according to a report summarizing the 2026 shareholder season published by the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance which identified 135 ESG-related proposals that shareholders voted…
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SEC moves to rescind 2024 climate disclosure rule
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) submitted a proposal to rescind its 2024 climate-risk disclosure rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on May 4, 2026. The rule never took effect because litigation paused its implementation shortly after adoption. SEC staff is also preparing recommendations to the commission to rescind the rule at…
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Proxy advisors sue Indiana and Kansas over disclosure laws
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis filed lawsuits in April 2026 challenging state laws in Indiana and Kansas that require the proxy advisory firms to disclose when their voting recommendations differ from management’s recommendations on shareholder votes. ISS sued Kansas on April 29 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. Glass…
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Investor group urges SEC to oppose forced arbitration
On Nov. 6, 2025, the Council of Institutional Investors (CII) sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul S. Atkins opposing recent SEC actions related to mandatory arbitration clauses in public company registration statements. Mandatory arbitration provisions can limit investors’ ability to bring claims in court, pursue class actions, or rely on…
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EPA proposes ending emissions reporting
On Sept. 13, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule that would eliminate the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), which requires fossil fuel producers to disclose carbon emissions. Administrator Lee Zeldin said the reporting program goes beyond what the Clean Air Act requires. Why does it matter? Administrator Zeldin says the change could…