2004 Leadership Forum

Climate Change Risks and the SEC

 Washington, D.C. | October 18, 2004

Climate risk has become a critical issue with respect to the operations and bottom line of many corporations--and the nation. The Forum was designed to address the SEC’s role with respect to climate risk disclosure, particularly regarding Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD and A). Ceres and the Wirth Chair hope that the Forum can generate consensus concerning SEC climate risk regulations.

Selected background materials for the forum:

Environmental Disclosure: SEC Should Explore Ways to Improve Tracking and Transparency of Information (July 2004) United States Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Ceres Response to GAO Report on Environmental Disclosure (October 7, 2004)

Protecting Investors and the Environment through Financial Disclosure (July 3, 2003) Robert Repetto

Third Survey of Climate Change Disclosure in SEC Filings of Automobile, Insurance, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, and Utilities Companies (July 2004) Michelle Chan-Fishel

Investor Guide to Climate Risk: Action Plan and Resource for Plan Sponsors, Fund Managers and Corporations (July 2004) Commissioned by Ceres; Authored by Douglas G. Cogan

Memo to the SEC from Ceres: Corporate Disclosure of Risks Related to Climate Change (May 11, 2004)

Letters to SEC Chairman William Donaldson from investors in the Investor Network on Climate Risk