On March 21, the SEC proposed sweeping new requirements for climate change disclosures (the Proposed Rules). If finalized, the Proposed Rules would require extensive disclosures on climate risk in SEC filings and the inclusion of climate risks in audited financials for all public companies, irrespective of industry focus. This article provides an overview of key considerations related to the Proposed Rules for public companies in the real estate industry.

Governance

In addition to corporate governance standards imposed on publicly traded companies pursuant to SEC rules and stock exchange listing standards, many of the world’s leading institutional investors and asset managers are intensely focused on the governance practices of the companies in which they invest. Accordingly, a critical component of the process of going public for any real estate company is to assemble a management team and board with expertise in the specific subsector of the industry in which the company operates.