webinar_sustainable finance regulatory outlook_how to prepare for 2025

Join Our Webinar

Sustainable Finance Regulatory Outlook: How to Prepare for 2025

Wednesday, February 19 | 2:30PM GMT / 9:30AM EST

Staying up to date with sustainable finance regulations in 2025 is more challenging than ever. Evolving requirements, limited resources, and increased scrutiny mean financial institutions can’t afford to take a reactive approach.

Register now to ensure you’re prepared to navigate 2025 with confidence.

Tune in to learn:

  • What key sustainable finance regulatory changes are coming in 2025 and how they impact financial institutions.
  • How to focus your efforts on the areas that matter most to streamline compliance.
  • Practical steps to adapt to new requirements and future-proof your regulatory approach.

Meet the Experts

Featured Speakers

David Carlin

David is a sustainability expert and the founder of D. A. Carlin and Company, an advisor to governments, corporates, and financial institutions on climate and sustainability. He has authored numerous reports that provide practical tools and guidance to firms looking to thrive in a changing world.

Claudia Marin

Claudia is a Regulatory Associate at Clarity AI, working on regulatory monitoring, analysis and institutional engagement. Prior to joining Clarity AI, she worked as public affairs consultant for financial sector, advising mainly on the digital and green transitions.

Tom Willman

Tom is Regulatory Lead at Clarity AI. He leads on Clarity AI's regulatory engagement and focuses on ensuring Clarity AI's regulatory products are up to date with the latest developments. Prior to joining Clarity AI Tom was a regulator at the UK FCA and IOSCO.

You Asked, We Answered

Frequently Asked Questions

Here's what you may have missed:
Does Sustainability Still Matter in 2025, or Is It Just Political Noise?

Whether driven by regulation or market forces, ESG and sustainable finance are here to stay. While political headwinds in the U.S. may create uncertainty, investor demand, global regulations, and economic realities continue to push ESG forward. “Even with shifting regulations, the market will continue to demand sustainability-related data,” said Thomas Willman. Companies and financial institutions must focus on materiality, transparency, and compliance adaptability to navigate evolving ESG regulations. With heightened scrutiny on transition finance, greenwashing risks, and financial disclosure requirements, businesses that proactively strengthen their sustainability strategies will be best positioned for long-term success.

How will political uncertainty in the U.S. impact ESG regulations in 2025?

Political headwinds are creating a fragmented regulatory environment, with federal ESG rules facing potential rollbacks while states like California, New York, and Colorado introduce their own reporting mandates. This patchwork of regulations increases compliance complexity, forcing businesses to adapt to multiple standards. As David Carlin noted, “All of these states stepping up means that it's going to be very hard to be a major business and actually do anything of real impact in the U.S. without being ensnared in these laws.” Companies should focus on staying flexible and aligning with global ESG reporting standards to ensure long-term compliance.

How should financial institutions approach transition finance?

Financial institutions must demonstrate clear accountability in their transition finance strategies, ensuring that investments in high-emission industries contribute to genuine decarbonization. Regulators are increasing scrutiny, requiring firms to align with science-based targets and transparent disclosure frameworks. “There’s more of a focus on what these commitments actually mean,” David Carlin explained. Companies should proactively refine their transition finance strategies, ensuring that financing supports credible, measurable sustainability goals.

Why is ESG data transparency becoming more critical?

As greenwashing litigation rises, regulators and investors are demanding clear, verifiable ESG data to ensure sustainability claims are credible. “Another key trend is the need to hedge against political risk and the policy uncertainty that comes with it,” said Claudia Marin. “This is closely tied to the rise in greenwashing litigation, which we saw escalate in 2024 and expect to continue in 2025. To mitigate these risks, companies must rely on more robust and reliable ESG data.” Regulations like the SEC’s Names Rule and EU fund classification rules now require firms to substantiate ESG claims with standardized, explainable metrics to avoid legal, financial, and reputational risks.

What is this "materiality" buzzword I keep hearing?

Financial materiality refers to ESG factors that directly impact a company’s risk and return, rather than broad ethical considerations. This shift is shaping sustainable finance regulations like the EU’s SFDR, the UK’s SDR, and evolving U.S. policies, which now emphasize financially relevant ESG risks over voluntary commitments. “We've had a lot of discussion about the importance of financial materiality, and that's becoming a real buzzword in the investment community,” said Tom Willman. Investors and regulators are increasingly demanding data-backed, materiality-focused ESG reporting, meaning companies must prove how sustainability risks—like climate transition, supply chain resilience, and regulatory costs—affect financial performance.