New rules will force U.S. firms to divulge role in warming the planet

Corporations will have to share key details about their role in driving climate change and the threat that warming poses to their operations under a contentious proposal the Securities and Exchange Commission approved 3-2 on Wednesday over intense business opposition.

The rule, which had been delayed for more than a year as industry groups have threatened lawsuits, is less robust than the Wall Street regulator’s original climate disclosure plan, which would have forced public companies to account for not just their own emissions, but also those throughout their supply chains. But it still represents one of the most far-reaching measures by the federal government to push companies toward climate accountability at a time when many are taking neutral stances or facing accusations from activist investors that they are exaggerating their climate achievements.