Regulations
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SEC proposal poses ‘direct threat’ to investors: Dem state finance officials
The state officials, all Democrats, are calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission to extend the comment period for the proposal and to keep the rule governing shareholder resolutions.
By Lamar Johnson • Oct. 5, 2026 -
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Cities, states sue EPA over power plant emissions rollback
Chicago, Denver and New York City join multistate lawsuits challenging the agency’s move to end greenhouse gas emissions standards and failure to enforce requirements on existing gas-fired plants.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Oct. 5, 2026 -
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TrendlineTop 5 stories from ESG Dive
The ESG landscape in the U.S. continues to shift, as federal agencies' efforts to recalibrate their approach to sustainability are juxtaposed with states forging ahead with their own climate disclosure laws.
By ESG Dive staff -
Courtesy of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
States sue Trump administration, developers over offshore wind lease buyouts
Attorneys general from California and a coalition of Northeastern states accused the federal government of violating several laws and the developers of colluding with the administration.
By Diana DiGangi , Meris Lutz • Sept. 28, 2026 -
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EPA unlawfully canceled $7B Solar for All program, judge rules
The ruling could revive grants awarded to states, cities and nonprofits for low-income solar projects.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 22, 2026 -
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SEC’s plan to scrap shareholder proposal rule sparks criticism
Industry and legal experts told ESG Dive that the rescission proposal is likely to have ripple effects and spur more shareholder pressure elsewhere.
By Lamar Johnson • Sept. 18, 2026 -
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
SEC moves to officially roll back Rule 14a-8
The details of the plan to rescind the shareholder proxy proposal rule come on the heels of the SEC’s push to make quarterly reporting by public companies optional.
By Maura Webber Sadovi • Sept. 18, 2026 -
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EPA scraps Biden-era power plant carbon rules, moves to eliminate all power-sector GHG standards
“While mayors continue to advance local initiatives to protect residents, the EPA is moving backwards,” Climate Mayors Executive Director Kate Wright says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Sept. 15, 2026 -
Screenshot: Chemours/YouTube
Chemours, DuPont, Corteva reach $455M PFAS settlement with North Carolina
The agreement resolves contaminant claims that Chemours’ Fayetteville Works facility released into the water and air. The three chemical giants also established a $135 million reserve fund.
By Sara Samora • Sept. 14, 2026 -
The image by AsNuke is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
NextEra secures $1.9B DOE loan for Duane Arnold nuclear restart
The U.S. Department of Energy under the Trump administration has financed three plant restarts and made other conditional commitments to bring nuclear power online.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 9, 2026 -
"U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters in Washington, D.C., near Union Station" by AgnosticPreachersKid is licensed under CC BY 3.0
SEC prods ISS on client vote, recommendation disclosures
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s request “raises serious First Amendment concerns,” an Institutional Shareholder Services spokesperson told ESG Dive.
By Lamar Johnson • Sept. 8, 2026 -
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OpinionThree legal challenges to building a global carbon market for companies
As the global carbon market enters a critical stage, companies should prepare for a changing environment, a Morgan Lewis partner says.
By Levi McAllister • Sept. 3, 2026 -
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California sues Trump administration over offshore wind ‘extortion racket’
The state alleges the Trump administration “abuses its authority” by diminishing the value of offshore wind energy leases before it makes an “unrefusable offer” to developers.
By Diana DiGangi • Sept. 2, 2026 -
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
SEC to propose recission of rule governing shareholder proposals: OMB
The Securities and Exchange Commission has submitted a proposal to rescind Rule 14a-8 to the White House Office of Management and Budget. The proposal is pending regulatory review.
By Lamar Johnson • Sept. 1, 2026 -
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Republican AGs press Big 4 firms over climate-related financial reporting
Sixteen GOP state attorneys general are probing KPMG, EY, PwC and Deloitte over their membership to organizations that pushed to advance climate-related financial reporting.
By Lamar Johnson • Sept. 1, 2026 -
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Dem AGs dispute GOP’s probe into credit ratings agencies over ESG
In their letter to the SEC, the state attorneys general said their Republican counterparts’ criticism of credit rating agencies drew conclusions “based on factual inaccuracies and distortions.”
By Lamar Johnson • Aug. 28, 2026 -
Jack Taylor via Getty Images
Deloitte to pay $21.5M to settle claims its DEI programs violated federal civil rights law
“Government contractors cannot reward or penalize employees based on race or sex,” the attorney general said.
By Ginger Christ • Aug. 28, 2026 -
James Sullivan via Getty Images
Meta settles landmark child privacy case for up to $18B
The proposed settlement with multiple states, districts and territories would also create new rules for users under 18. Meta is calling on fellow platforms YouTube and TikTok to implement similar rules.
By Lamar Johnson • Aug. 26, 2026 -
Courtesy of B&G Foods
B&G Foods’ Green Giant sale runs into antitrust concerns in Canada
The sale of two vegetable brands to Nortera Foods could lead to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers, the country’s Competition Bureau claimed.
By Christopher Doering • Aug. 21, 2026 -
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Governance proposals rise as environmental and social filings plummet: report
Though governance proposals remain the most popular category among companies, support also fell for such proposals, The Conference Board found.
By Lamar Johnson • Aug. 20, 2026 -
Carl Court via Getty Images
US calls for EU to ‘deliver’ on trade concessions on sustainability laws
The United States’ ambassador to the European Union said that the government will take “any actions necessary to address unreasonable burdens on U.S. commerce.”
By Lamar Johnson • Aug. 18, 2026 -
Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
SEC says it will stop responding to no-action requests ‘entirely’
After sitting out the bulk of the no-action process in the 2025-26 proxy season, the SEC is now considering broader changes to the rule governing shareholder proposals.
By Lamar Johnson • Aug. 17, 2026 -
Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
$20B in federal climate grants unblocked by appeals court
A divided court rejected the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to reclaim Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants “based solely on a policy disagreement” with the Inflation Reduction Act.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 6, 2026 -
Courtesy of Thermo Fisher Scientific
Worker alleges lack of fossil fuel-free 401(k) option violated his religious rights
A lawsuit tying a worker’s climate objections to his Christian beliefs could set a precedent in the post-Groff landscape, his attorneys argued.
By Emilie Shumway • Aug. 5, 2026 -
Retrieved from Domtar on July 28, 2026
Paper producer Domtar agrees to pay $1.5M to settle clean air violations
The company will also undertake approximately $2.6 million worth of projects at its pulp and paper mill in Ashdown, Arkansas, to address emissions and to correct inadequate inspection and monitoring practices.
By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 3, 2026 -
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez via Getty Images
Tracking New York’s climate ambition and corporate disclosure laws
The Empire State has had to dial back its climate ambition and revise targets in the wake of COVID-19, the Trump administration’s opposition to renewable energy and the ongoing affordability crisis.
By Zoya Mirza • July 23, 2026
