From Environmental Sustainability to Privacy, Our Industry Is Making an Impact in Washington

Mobility industry speaks with a unified voice in Washington

As part of our ongoing work to ensure the global mobility industry is part of the solution in the global fight against climate change, Worldwide ERC® last week submitted comments in response to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rule, “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors.”

We made the regulators aware of our recent survey – The Road to Sustainability: What Companies Are Doing and Why – and explained how its findings demonstrate that our members are making concerted efforts to employ sustainable business practices while recognizing the impact on small and medium-sized businesses. With that recognition and to acknowledge the global nature of so many industries like ours, we asked the SEC to make the following changes before finalizing the rule:

1. Global Standardization: The United States should engage with foreign governments on the sustainability reporting requirements to ensure as much as possible a consistent international framework.
2. Small Business Threshold: Corporations should not be required to report the sustainability impact involving small businesses within their supplier network or, at a minimum, less onerous reporting requirements for small and medium-sized businesses should be included.
3. Reasonable Implementation Timeline: Sufficient time must be allowed between a final rule and initial reporting periods to allow industry associations to educate members and bring consistency and best practices to bear.

Sustainability is a never-ending journey. Learn more about our Forging the Future on Sustainability initiative here.

In other news from Washington, a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is considering this week the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (H.R. 8152), which includes a provision to protect transferees’ personally identifiable information in cross-border moves – something we’ve long asked lawmakers to do. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration, where you can be sure we will continue to urge its passage.

We will be talking about all our public policy advocacy work and sustainability issues at GWS 2022, October 25-28, in Las Vegas. Registration is now open! Don’t miss this once-a-year chance to join your colleagues in support of our industry.