Eco-friendly corporate policies are gaining steam these days among investors and lawmakers alike. U.S. businesses are starting to feel the heat.

Just recently, a coalition of investors, state officials, and environmental groups filed a petition with the Securities and Exchange Commission to force public companies to disclose the risks they face from climate change-related regulations. In total, the petitioners control more than $1.5 trillion in assets.

Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal,...