The US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has set out guidelines on corporate disclosures about climate change.

 

The commission voted for an “interpretative guidance” this week on the kinds of issues that might trigger a filing to the SEC.

 

SEC chairman Mary Schapiro said in a statement that the commission was “not opining on whether the world's climate is changing, at what pace it might be changing, or due to what causes.”

 

Companies should consider the impact of laws and regulation, international accords and the indirect consequences of regulations or business trends, the SEC said.

 

“Legal, technological, political and scientific developments regarding climate change may create new opportunities or risks for companies,” it said.

 

A company might face decreased demand for goods that produce significant greenhouse gas emissions, for example. “As such, a company should consider, for disclosure purposes, the actual or potential indirect consequences it may face due to climate change related regulatory or business trends.”

 

Companies should also evaluate the physical impacts of climate change on their business.