Panel 1: Transnational and Comparative Corporate Climate Duties

The New Climate Fiduciaries Colloquium was held on February 21, 2025, at Columbia Law School, hosted by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and the Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership, in partnership with the European Corporate Governance Institute.

The first panel, moderated by Katharina Pistor, featured Sarah Barker, Thom Wetzer, Cynthia Williams, and Andrew Winden. Zooming out to the global level, legal experts from Australia, Canada, the US, the UK, and the EU explored how fiduciary duties are adapting—or failing to adapt—to climate realities. The divergence is stark: Europe is codifying climate-related duties, Australia is enforcing them through private law, and the US, despite mounting investor pressure, remains mired in regulatory ambiguity and business judgment deference. Yet a common thread emerged—fiduciary standards are becoming climate-relevant, even if legal doctrine has not yet caught up.