Glencore’s corporate reporting regarding coal: potential legal risks

ClientEarth has alerted Glencore and its investors to potential legal risks arising from the company's 2016 corporate reporting. The organization contends that Glencore's assertions—specifically that its coal assets will not become stranded and that demand will continue to grow—ignore critical market trends and independent analyses. ClientEarth highlights that the omission of disruptive factors, such as the rise of renewables and peaking demand in China, could be viewed as reckless or fraudulent under the UK's Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, potentially granting shareholders the right to claim compensation for losses.

• ClientEarth asserts that Glencore's 2016 Annual Report provides a misleading impression of the low carbon transition's impact by relying on challenged assumptions and omitting significant market trends that could depress coal demand.
• Glencore's public claims that its coal business will remain viable and that absolute demand for coal will grow are contradicted by independent research from the IEA, Royal Dutch Shell, and Anglo American.
• The document identifies several disruptive trends omitted from Glencore's analysis, including competition from cheaper renewables and gas, the peaking of seaborne coal demand in China, and India's efforts to reduce dependence on imported coal.
• Under Section 90A of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, Glencore could be liable for compensation if it is found that managerial responsibilities were discharged recklessly or fraudulently regarding misleading published information.

APA

ClientEarth (2017). Glencore’s corporate reporting regarding coal: potential legal risks. https://www.clientearth.org/media/snaiwmqu/glencore-corporate-reporting-regarding-coal-potential-legal-risks-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Glencore’s corporate reporting regarding coal: potential legal risks. 2017. https://www.clientearth.org/media/snaiwmqu/glencore-corporate-reporting-regarding-coal-potential-legal-risks-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Glencore’s corporate reporting regarding coal: potential legal risks |date=22 May 2017 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/snaiwmqu/glencore-corporate-reporting-regarding-coal-potential-legal-risks-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2017glencores, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Glencore’s corporate reporting regarding coal: potential legal risks}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/snaiwmqu/glencore-corporate-reporting-regarding-coal-potential-legal-risks-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }