SEC Proposes Rescission of Climate-Related Disclosure Rules Ready to Announce with Confidence?

Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - May 29, 2026) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today proposed the rescission of overly burdensome and costly rules that require companies to provide certain climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports. The Commission’s proposal focuses on returning the agency to its core mandate – in line with its legal authority – and restoring a materiality-focused approach to securities regulation.

“SEC disclosure obligations should comply with the Commission’s statutory authority, be guided by materiality as the North Star, avoid the practical effect of dictating corporate behavior, and be imposed only when the expected benefits justify the likely costs and burdens,” said SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins in a statement.

The Commission in March 2024 approved amendments to its rules under the Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to mandate highly specific and granular disclosure from virtually all public companies about climate-related matters such as greenhouse gas emissions, management of climate-related risks, and the financial statement effects of severe weather events.

On April 4, 2024, the Commission stayed the climate disclosure rules pending completion of consolidated litigation in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. On March 27, 2025, the Commission voted to end its defense of the final rules. On Sept. 12, 2025, the Eighth Circuit issued an order holding the consolidated petitions for review in abeyance until such time as the Commission reconsiders the challenged rules by notice-and-comment rulemaking or renews its defense of the climate disclosure rules.

The Commission is now proposing to rescind the climate disclosure rules in their entirety because they exceed the scope of the agency's statutory authority. Even if it had authority to adopt such final rules, the Commission believes there are independent, compelling policy reasons to rescind them entirely:

The public comment period will remain open for 60 days following the publication of the proposing release in the Federal Register.

Source: Newsfile SEC Press Digest

Analyst, journalist, or company stakeholder? Sign up to receive news releases by email for Newsfile SEC Press Digest or all companies in the Banking / Financial Services industry.

SEC Proposes Rescission of Climate-Related Disclosure Rules

2026-05-29 11:50 AM EDT

SEC Investor Advisory Committee to Host June 4 Meeting

2026-05-27 12:23 PM EDT

SEC and NFA Announce Memorandum of Understanding to Further Harmonize Regulatory Coordination

2026-05-21 2:15 PM EDT

Oct 30, 2025

According to TMX Newsfile data, OpenAI and Microsoft now account for more than 50% of all AI activity detected reading TMX Newsfile press releases, showing how deeply these systems engage with corporate news.

Economy, Business and Finance

Banking / Financial Services