The October issue of Horizon covers late-breaking developments in sustainability law, among them CARB’s postponement of rulemaking – but not reporting deadlines – for SBs 253 and 261; the historic TotalEnergies greenwashing decision; proposed changes to the EUDR that would preserve current reporting dates; federal banking regulators’ withdrawal of climate

Continue Reading Recent ESG legal developments

On September 12, 2025, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that the proceedings in Iowa v. SEC – the case challenging the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) landmark climate disclosure rules – remain paused until the SEC either reconsiders the rules through the notice-and-comment rulemaking process or decides to

Continue Reading Eighth Circuit pauses SEC climate rules litigation pending SEC action

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to lift its stay and issue a ruling in Iowa v. SEC, the case challenging the validity of its landmark Climate Disclosure Rules (Rules). At the direction of the court, the SEC filed a status

Continue Reading SEC asks Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to rule on Climate Rules litigation

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s March 27, 2025 decision (the Decision) to withdraw the defense of its landmark climate-related disclosure rules adopted in March of 2024 (the Rules) did not formally pause or terminate the ongoing litigation.

On April 4, 2025, a group of 18 intervening states and the

Continue Reading SEC’s climate rule litigation update: Is it actually over?

Yesterday, March 27, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) notified the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit that the SEC wishes to withdraw its defense of its landmark Climate Disclosure Rules (Climate Rules) in Iowa v. SEC, the case challenging the validity of the Climate Rules. SEC

Continue Reading SEC withdraws defense of US Climate Disclosure Rules

On February 11, 2025, Acting US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman and Commissioner Mark Uyeda announced that he has directed the SEC staff to notify the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit of the changed circumstances surrounding the SEC’s position on the climate disclosure rules. He has

Continue Reading Acting SEC Chair Uyeda will seek pause in climate rules litigation

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted landmark final rules (Climate Disclosure Rules, or Rules) in March 2024 intended to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures for publicly listed companies.

The Climate Disclosure Rules required all domestic and foreign publicly traded companies to disclose climate-related risks and mandated certain filers

Continue Reading SEC Climate Disclosure Rules under the Trump Administration