{"id":39679,"date":"2024-01-07T18:18:46","date_gmt":"2024-01-07T23:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.greenmoney.com\/2025\/?p=39679"},"modified":"2024-01-22T01:41:29","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T06:41:29","slug":"the-year-ahead-in-esg-assurance-transition-finance-and-natural-capital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.greenmoney.com\/2025\/the-year-ahead-in-esg-assurance-transition-finance-and-natural-capital\/","title":{"rendered":"The year ahead in ESG: assurance, transition finance and natural capital"},"content":{"rendered":"
>> Back to January 2024 Issue<\/a><\/div>\n
Above: Image via Shutterstock\/Deemerwha studio<\/h5>\n

3 hot topics for 2024: regulations for ESG assurance; international agreements for transition finance; and new ways to measure investment in nature and biodiversity.<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n

Is it officially too late to wish you a Happy New Year? As we return to work, here are three sustainable finance trends that are top of mind for me, along with three themes that sustainable finance and ESG community members say they would like prioritized in 2024.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My hot topics for 2024 build on progress made in 2023: regulations for ESG assurance; international agreements for transition finance; and the development of standards and instruments to monitor investment in nature and biodiversity. Here\u2019s where I see things headed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Corporations are prepping for ESG assurance mandates\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What was once a voluntary exercise for disclosing climate and social goals has evolved into a full-fledged industry of ESG reporting. Up next: the introduction of third-party assurance requirements for certain ESG disclosures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

California and the European Union are leading the way with the Golden State\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act<\/span><\/a>, which requires large companies doing business in the state to get third-party assurance for Scope 1 and 2 emissions starting in 2026. (Companies will need to collect 2025 metrics, and file them in 2026).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That means 2024 will be a big prep year: Companies will need systems to collect and manage data to meet those assurance requirements, and that means businesses must establish and test their ESG controllership strategy this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How? Some companies are building internal teams to oversee ESG data collection and management for regulatory reporting. That includes hiring for the newly created position of\u00a0<\/span>ESG controller<\/span><\/a>. Many large banks have added this role. Expect to see more companies\u00a0<\/span>hiring an ESG controller<\/span><\/a>\u00a0this year to manage regulatory demands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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