UK: EAC report - 'Greening Finance: embedding sustainability in financial decision making'

The Environmental Audit Committee has today published its report Greening Finance: embedding sustainability in financial decision making: see here or here (pdf). The conclusions and recommendations are available here. The report calls on the Government to set a deadline for all listed companies and large asset owners to report on climate-related risks and opportunities (in line with the TCFD recommendations) on a comply or explain basis by 2022 (with appropriate changes to the UK Corporate Governance Code and UK Stewardship Code).

Japan: a new edition of the corporate governance code and new guidelines on investor and company engagement

A new edition of Japan's Corporate Governance Code was published today: see here (pdf). A copy of the new Code, with the changes highlighted, is available here (pdf). Also published today are Guidelines from the Financial Services Agency on investor and company engagement, designed to complement the new Code and the existing Stewardship Code: see here (pdf).

Europe: EFAMA publishes updated Stewardship Code

The European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) has published an updated edition of its Stewardship Code (as it is now known: it was first published as the 'Code for External Governance' in 2011): see here (pdf). The Code operates on the basis of 'comply or explain' and it has been updated to bring its language in line with the changes recently made to the Shareholders Rights Directive.