TheCorporateCounsel.net

May 16, 2022

Climate Change Proposal: The Individual Comments

Notwithstanding the SEC’s extension of the comment period for its climate change disclosure rule proposal, comment letters continue to stream in, but most at this point are coming from individuals. I am really not sure what happened to the SEC comment process, but some individuals appear to be confusing commenting on an SEC rule proposal with commenting on a Facebook post about the latest conspiracy theory. For example, one commenter wrote:

As an Alaskan resident I want you to know that I OPPOSE your “Woke Climate Disclosure Scheme”! Alaska’s bit to bring to the table to build back this disastrous Biden induced economy is energy. And Alaskans want energy independence, not more shaming of our oil and gas companies!

Another commenter was more to the point, simply stating:

Please stop this madness

I tend to feel that way about a lot of things these days, not just SEC rule proposals. Finally, many commenters understood the assignment, but just ran into trouble with the execution, giving insight into the instructions these commenters must have received from somewhere:

Please use this section to write your comment to the SEC telling them Americans want energy independence, not more shaming of our oil and gas companies! We have oil and gas here!!!!!

I do feel bad for the SEC staffer who has to painstakingly go through each and every one of these comments from individuals and try to categorize them based on the “form” that the individuals purportedly used. My guess is that these letters won’t do much to convince the SEC to change course on the climate change disclosure rulemaking, but they can certainly be entertaining!

– Dave Lynn