The European Commission published an "Omnibus" package of proposed changes on 26 February, marking the start of a process that could result in significant changes to key EU laws on sustainability reporting, diligence and...more
3/10/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Taxonomy
As global supply chains continue to suffer from ill health, M&A offers a path to recovery -
Supply chains are the lifeblood of global trade and industry, yet recent years have seen them disrupted by a multitude of...more
The new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation1 ("ESPR"), which entered into force on 18 July 2024, is set to significantly reshape the regulatory landscape for companies operating in the European Union ("EU"). As part...more
The European Commission is expected to unveil an "Omnibus package" that would modify certain key EU laws on sustainability reporting, towards the end of February. The reported aim is to simplify sustainability-related...more
The UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights has launched a new inquiry into forced labour in UK supply chains. This review will assess the effectiveness of the UK's legal and voluntary frameworks, including the Modern...more
The EU's new Deforestation Regulation requires companies trading in cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood, as well as products derived from these commodities, to conduct extensive diligence on the value chain...more
In December 2024, representatives from the European Commission, Council of the EU and Parliament agreed a compromise that will delay the application of the Deforestation Regulation by 12 months....more
On 19 November 2024, a new EU regulation prohibiting products made with forced labour from being sold on the Union market (the "Forced Labour Regulation") was formally adopted by the Council of the European Union. This was...more
Following pressure from global partners and stakeholders about the imminent entry into effect of the EU's 2023 regulation requiring that certain products sold in the EU be 'deforestation-free', the European Commission has...more
An accelerating focus on doing business responsibly will force changes to wide-ranging aspects of business operations and strategy -
Societal expectations of businesses have shifted fundamentally over the past five years....more
9/27/2024
/ Business Operations ,
Business Strategies ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
SFDR ,
Sustainable Finance
The mining & metals industry stands at a critical juncture, facing unprecedented societal, regulatory and risk management pressures. As global attention on environmental sustainability and social responsibility intensifies,...more
Due to the increased importance of sustainability, environmental protection and social factors in recent years, the luxury industry has found itself at a crossroads of tradition and transformation. Once characterized...more
9/3/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Compliance ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
False Statements ,
Fashion Industry ,
Greenwashing ,
Human Rights ,
Luxury Goods ,
Misleading Statements ,
Pollution Control ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
SFDR ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability
After a two-and-half-year legislative journey, the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive ("CSDDD"), has been formally adopted, and was published in the EU Official Journal on 5 July 2024.1 It will come into...more
7/5/2024
/ Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Due Diligence ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Human Rights ,
New Rules ,
Penalties ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sustainability
Faced with increased scrutiny by consumers, regulators, shareholders and boards, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations have been at the forefront for multinational companies globally. Multinational...more
3/7/2024
/ Asia Pacific ,
Australia ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Greenwashing ,
North Korea ,
Popular ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Singapore ,
Sustainability ,
UK
On January 22, 2024, the pre-final text of the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act ("EU AI Act") – the world's first comprehensive horizontal legal framework for the regulation of AI systems across the EU – leaked...more
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures ("TNFD") released its final framework (the "TNFD Framework") on September 18. The TNFD Framework encourages organisations to integrate nature into decision-making and...more
11/9/2023
/ Biodiversity ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Financing ,
Framework Agreement ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sustainability
A new batteries regulation will impact the design, production and waste management of all types of batteries manufactured or sold in the European Union. The new rules extend producer responsibility and require due diligence...more
The EU's new Deforestation Regulation requires companies trading in cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood, as well as products derived from these commodities, to conduct extensive diligence on the value chain...more
The European Union has adopted a new regulation to curb the EU market's impact on global deforestation and forest degradation around the world, as well as protecting the rights of indigenous peoples. The EU Deforestation...more
The United States, the European Union, and Germany have recently adopted or proposed new rules requiring enhanced due diligence in supply chains, targeting human rights and environmental issues. This alert examines key...more
2/24/2023
/ Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Due Diligence ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Forced Labor ,
Germany ,
Human Rights ,
Imports ,
Penalties ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Supply Chain ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) ,
Withhold Release Orders (WROs)
The German Act on Due Diligence in Supply Chains (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz, "LkSG") came into force on 1 January 2023 and imposes new obligations for supply chain due diligence. In parallel, the European legal...more
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive ("CSRD") was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 16 December 2022, having been formally adopted by the European Parliament and Council of the European...more
On 10 June, the Law Commission published its long awaited Options Paper, with proposals on reforming corporate criminal liability in England and Wales, following the launch of its discussion paper in June 2021...more
A look at three key regulatory developments in the EU and US - proposed EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and Reporting Directives and US SEC Climate Change Disclosure Rules...more
7/15/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
CSDR ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainability
The global drive towards a low-carbon circular economy and increased focus on ESG are creating many new opportunities for metal recycling projects. But is scrap the answer to the growing demand for green metals?...more