The Indirect Footprint: What California’s Climate Disclosure Laws (SB 253 and SB 261) Mean for Latin American Companies

Tuesday 15 September, 09:00 Pacific | 10:00 Mexico City | 12:00 Panama | 13:00 São Paulo | 17:00 London

Format: Online
Duration: 1 hour
Language: English and Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation in both languages

Description

California’s climate disclosure laws, Senate Bill (SB) 253 and SB 261, may have implications well beyond the companies they directly regulate — including for businesses across Latin America.

This session will explore California’s new climate disclosure requirements and how they could impact Latin American companies through U.S. subsidiaries, consolidated group reporting, and Scope 3 supply-chain emissions reporting. These indirect effects may be particularly relevant for companies in sectors such as agribusiness and mining, as well as businesses supplying companies with reporting obligations in California.

Bringing together regulatory and Latin American advisory perspectives, the discussion will examine what the new requirements mean in practice, which companies may be affected, and how they interact with other emerging climate disclosure frameworks, including the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) IFRS S2 standard and the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

The session will help participants understand how climate disclosure requirements originating in California could influence reporting expectations, data requests and business relationships across the region.

Agenda

Welcome and introduction — Linda Barrera, GAIL

Understanding SB 253 and SB 261: the regulatory framework and CARB’s role — David Hults, Assistant Chief Counsel, California Air Resources Board (CARB)

What California’s climate disclosure laws mean for Latin American companies — Maia Jorgensen, Senior Associate, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader

Q&A and discussion — Linda Barrera, GAIL

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La huella indirecta: que significan las leyes de divulgación climática de California (SB 253 y SB 261) para las empresas latinoamericanas

Martes 15 de septiembre, 09:00 Pacífico | 10:00 Ciudad de México | 12:00 Panamá | 13:00 São Paulo | 17:00 Londres

Formato: En línea
Duración: 1 hora
Idioma: Inglés y español, con interpretación simultánea en ambos idiomas

Descripción

Las leyes de divulgación climática de California, Senate Bill (SB) 253 y SB 261, pueden tener implicaciones que van mucho más allá de las empresas que regulan directamente, incluso para empresas de toda América Latina.

Esta sesión explorará los nuevos requisitos de divulgación climática de California y cómo podrían alcanzar a las empresas latinoamericanas a través de filiales estadounidenses, la presentación de información consolidada a nivel de grupo y el reporte de emisiones de Alcance 3 en la cadena de suministro. Estos efectos indirectos pueden ser especialmente relevantes para empresas de sectores como la agroindustria y la minería, así como para aquellas que suministran bienes o servicios a empresas sujetas a obligaciones de reporte en California.

Reuniendo perspectivas regulatorias y de asesoramiento desde América Latina, la sesión analizará qué significan los nuevos requisitos en la práctica, qué empresas podrían verse afectadas y cómo interactúan con otros marcos emergentes de divulgación climática, incluida la norma IFRS S2 del Consejo de Normas Internacionales de Sostenibilidad (ISSB, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Directiva de Información Corporativa en materia de Sostenibilidad de la Unión Europea (CSRD, por sus siglas en inglés). 

La sesión ofrecerá una visión práctica de cómo los requisitos de divulgación climática originados en California podrían influir en las expectativas de reporte, las solicitudes de información y las relaciones comerciales en toda la región.

Agenda

Bienvenida e introducción — Linda Barrera, GAIL

Entendiendo la SB 253 y la SB 261: el marco regulatorio y el papel de CARB — David Hults, Assistant Chief Counsel, California Air Resources Board (CARB)

Qué significan las leyes de divulgación climática de California para las empresas latinoamericanas — Maia Jorgensen, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader

Preguntas y discusión — Linda Barrera, GAIL

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Speakers

Maia Jorgensen

​​​​​ Senior Associate, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader

Maia is an environmental lawyer at Hogan Lovells Cadwalader.  Originally from Canada, Maia is dual licensed in California (where she is based) and Ontario.  Maia helps clients solve complex environmental problems across a range of areas including climate and emissions reporting, cleanup and waste management, and other federal U.S. environmental laws.

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David Hults
David Hults

Assistant Chief Counsel at the California Air Resources Board (CARB)

David is Assistant Chief Counsel at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), where he leads a team of attorneys advising on a range of California’s clean air and climate programs. His work includes California’s Cap-and-Invest Program, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as regulations implementing the state’s recently enacted climate disclosure laws.

David joined CARB in 2014. Previously, he practiced at Covington & Burling LLP in San Francisco and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in Washington, D.C., and served as a fellow with Stanford University’s Program on Energy and Sustainable Development. He also clerked for Judge John T. Noonan, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Before attending law school, David spent three and a half years with the U.S. Department of State.

David holds a BA in International Studies from the University of Florida, an MA in International Relations from Yale University, and a JD from Stanford Law School.

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Linda Cristal Barrera
Member of the GAIL Latin America Board 

Linda is an environmental and energy lawyer and founder of Guayacán Global Advisors, a consulting firm based in Panama City. A dual Panamanian-American citizen, she previously served as Chief Counsel at the California Energy Commission. Linda now advises clients across Latin America and the U.S. on clean energy infrastructure, climate regulation, and carbon markets.

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