Speaking Sustainability

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas entered a preliminary injunction against Texas Senate Bill 2337 (SB 2337) one day before the bill’s effective date. The bill would have regulated proxy advisory firms on their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)- and ESG-related investment recommendations and disclosures.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) took a significant step forward recently in implementing the state’s climate disclosure laws: SB 253 (the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act) and SB 261 (the Climate-Related Financial Risk Disclosure law), in each case as amended by SB 219.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently released a Draft Checklist to assist companies in preparing climate-related financial risk reports under Senate Bill 261, codified at California Health and Safety Code (HSC) § 38533. While the Checklist offers limited new guidance, it provides a useful roadmap for entities subject to reporting obligations, particularly entities that may not have prepared previously and/or published disclosures consistent with recommendations issued by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

In the ongoing legal challenge to California’s climate-disclosure statutes (SB 253 and SB 261, discussed here by Akin), the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California recently issued an Order on August 13 that denied plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction. That motion was filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business and farming groups arguing the statutes violated their First Amendment rights. The Court found that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on the merits of their claims.

Key Topics in Akin’s July 2025 Speaking Sustainability - Legal & Regulatory Update

The European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement (i.e., a post-consultation, non-binding political deal in relation to the final text of a legislative proposal) to streamline the European Union’s (EU) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on June 18, 2025. This is a key instrument to prevent carbon leakage and align trade policy with the EU’s climate goals. The changes are part of the EU’s broader sustainability legislative simplification package announced earlier this year. This proposal is intended to ease compliance burdens while maintaining the environmental integrity of the CBAM framework.

Key Topics in Akin’s June 2025 Speaking Sustainability - Legal & Regulatory Update

Key topics in Akin’s February 2025 Speaking Sustainability - Legal & Regulatory Update include:

In the final days of his term, President Joe Biden has taken significant steps to solidify his administration’s climate legacy. The administration finalized rules for various clean energy tax credits established under the Inflation Reduction Act. However, these rules, intended to stimulate clean energy advancements through 2032, face opposition from Congressional Republicans, who are considering scaling back or repealing the credits through budget reconciliation.