Once an issue confined to environmental impacts, climate
change is now understood as a systemic risk to the global economy.
Decarbonisation is both an environmental and economic imperative,
with implications extending far beyond high-emitting sectors and
into every facet of commercial activity.
In response, Australia, like many jurisdictions, has
introduced a mandatory climate-related financial disclosure regime.
This represents a new frontier for general counsel and in-house
legal teams, who will have a critical role to play in supporting
directors and company officers to discharge their duties and
obligations and, ultimately, protect the company from legal
risk.
Australia's climate-related financial disclosure regime
(CRFD regime), will commence on 1 January 2025 by
extending the existing financial reporting requirements of the
Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) to require the preparation of
a sustainability report. The CRFD regime is designed to provide
investors
