Company: VRE
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000924901-25-000011
Chunk: 124

Company: Veris Residential, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 124
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 governmental penalties, property damage, personal injuries and related expenses. Payment of such costs and expenses could adversely affect our ability to make distributions or payments to our investors.

Environmental, Social and Governance factors may impose additional costs and/or expose us to new risks: We have communicated certain initiatives and goals regarding ESG matters in our 2023 ESG Update on our website, and we may communicate revised or additional initiatives or goals in the future. Our publication of ESG-related policies and report covering our ESG initiatives may result in increased investor, media, employee and other stakeholder attention to such initiatives. 

Certain investors, customers, regulators and other stakeholders have focused more on ESG including without limitation climate change, human capital, diversity, equity and inclusion, human and civil rights, sustainability and risk oversight. It is possible that some stakeholders may not be satisfied with our ESG practices or initiatives or the speed with which we are implementing our initiatives. Conversely, it is possible that some stakeholders may be opposed to the implementation of such initiatives at all. Anti-ESG sentiment has gained some momentum across the United States, with the federal government and several states having enacted or proposed "anti-ESG" executive orders, policies or legislation, or issued related legal opinions. The fact that different stakeholder groups may have divergent views on ESG matters increases the risk that any action or lack thereof with respect to such matters may be perceived negatively by at least some stakeholders and adversely impact our reputation and business. 

Additionally, there is increased attention on matters of ESG by various regulatory authorities, including the SEC, and the expense and activities necessary to comply with certain regulations or standards, or to decommission prior initiatives in order to comply with new regulations or standards, may be significant. The regulations and criteria for assessing ESG practices are evolving, which could result in our undertaking costly initiatives and activities to meet any new regulations or criteria. 

Third-party providers of ESG ratings and reports on companies have also increased in number, resulting in varied, and in some cases, inconsistent standards. Some investors use these factors to guide their investment strategies and, in some cases, may choose not to invest in us if they believe our policies relating to ESG are inadequate or objectionable. 

12

If we are unsuccessful or perceived to be unsuccessful in the achievement of our ESG initiatives or goals, if we are criticized for the scope of our initiatives or goals, if we fail to meet the expectations of investors, customers, regulators, and other stakeholders, if our initiatives are not executed