In Brief: EU parliament votes to delay sector-specific ESRS; UN special rapporteur slams UK handling of climate protestors

The latest ESG policy and regulatory news

Members of the European parliament’s committee on legal affairs have voted in favour of delaying by two years the development of sector-specific European Sustainability Reporting Standards. The adoption deadline is now June 2026. The committee also backed European Commission proposals to delay the adoption of the general sustainability reporting standards for non-EU companies until 2026. Law firm Frank Bold said that even with the delay, the parliament has “sent a strong signal” and called for the technical work for the development of sector-specific standards to be “prioritised and delivered as soon as possible, focusing on key sectors with high sustainability risks and impacts”. Earlier in the week, business and finance leaders issued a statement of support for sector-specific targets. Meanwhile, Bruce Cartwright, chief executive at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, said “greater clarity” is needed on which elements would be delayed for non-EU countries.