Management of SEC Climate Disclosure Com

This course takes a dual-pronged approach to the importance of sustainability reporting: examining both the corporate perspective on preparing sustainability disclosures and the investor perspective on how these disclosures are used to inform capital allocation, risk assessment, and stewardship decisions. At a time when the sustainability reporting landscape—both voluntary and mandatory—is rapidly evolving, focusing on the investor perspective provides clarity. This approach helps students anchor their learning in what matters most for capital markets, enabling them to organize and lead sustainability reporting processes within their own organizations. The goal of this two-sided lens is to equip students with the skills to deliver decision-useful, transparent, and consistent sustainability information that aligns with the demands of today’s regulatory and investment environments.

In the first half of the course, students will explore the evolving landscape of sustainability frameworks and regulations. Key regulatory regimes—such as California’s SB 253 and SB 261, the EU’s CSRD, and the CSDDD and GRI, Sustainability Reports, ISSB —will serve as anchors for case discussions. These discussions will play a crucial role in helping students understand how to administer sustainability reporting as a strategic organizational function, and in emphasizing the organizational capacity and management practices needed to comply with these frameworks. By the end of the course, students will be able to design, manage, and implement the internal processes required to respond to mandatory and evolving ESG disclosure expectations.

The second half of the course will adopt the lens of the investor, exploring how ESG disclosures are integrated into decision-making across three asset classes: public equity, private equity/alternatives, and fixed income. Students will engage in structured modules for each asset class, assuming the role of institutional investors tasked with interpreting disclosures, engaging with companies, and making recommendations. Each module will feature live engagements with real-world investors, offering students direct insight into market practices and expectations.