Jim Coburn JD

Jim Coburn directs Ceres’ efforts to improve mandatory climate and sustainability risk disclosure by corporations. Drawing from his legal background, Jim helps to develop rules and guidance on reporting that strengthen corporate risk management practices and improve investor decisions. He most recently played an integral role in leading the initiative that resulted in the SEC’s issuance of groundbreaking climate disclosure guidance for corporations in 2010.

In addition to leading regular engagements with members of Ceres’ Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR) and the SEC on disclosure issues, Jim also manages Ceres’ involvement in the Climate Disclosure Standards Board. The Board is a global collaboration of accounting firms, NGOs and corporations developing standards for reporting in financial filings.

Jim has managed three Ceres research reports on disclosure, most recently co-authoring Disclosing Climate Risks: A Guide for Corporate Executives, Attorneys & Directors, which outlines generally weak climate disclosure to date by businesses and steps for improving reporting.

Jim has organized Ceres webinars to educate investors and companies on best practices for disclosure. He often speaks to the media on disclosure-related issues, and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and New York Times. In addition, he has served as a panelist at numerous events, including the ALI-ABA/Environmental Law Institute’s climate change and the law conference, and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) conference.

Presently, Jim is collaborating with Canadian attorneys and investors on engagements with Canadian Securities Administrators. He has worked with investor groups in the United Kingdom and Australia to develop industry-specific disclosure guidance.

Before joining Ceres, Jim worked for Morgan Stanley in equity research, the American Civil Liberties Union and Green America. He holds a BA in Government from Cornell University and a JD from Boston College Law School. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar, the American Bar Association’s Environmental Disclosure Committee and the ASTM International’s Committee on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action.