In this week’s edition, we look at a Brazilian enforcement action relating to illegal deforestation in the Amazon. We also discuss ESMA’s opinion on the functioning of the Sustainable Finance Framework, as well as proposed...more
This White Paper focuses on ESG developments through the Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) region since the start of 2024. For businesses present in the APAC region, as well as doing business there, it is imperative to be vigilant of...more
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently released the first edition of its Anti-Corruption and Integrity Outlook, and the report provides an interesting glimpse into the anti-corruption and...more
Our national climate goals of net zero emissions, renewable energy transition, electrified vehicle fleets, clean steel, green hydrogen, and the rest of the package focus on the ramp-up of clean energy sources and end uses. As...more
The Australian Federal Minister for the Environment and Water has tabled proposed laws before the Australian Parliament to establish new national environmental agencies, enhance their enforcement powers and establish the...more
In this week’s edition, we discuss the European Parliament’s approval of a certification framework that is set to govern carbon removal activities, including the proper certification of carbon credits. Europe continues to...more
On March 6, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued an adopting release (Release Nos. 33-11275 and 34-99678), entitled The Enhancement and Standardization of ClimateRelated Disclosures for Investors (the...more
After nearly two years of public comments and deliberation, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a Final Rule on Mandatory Climate Disclosures (Final Rule). While less sweeping than initially proposed,...more
On March 6, 2024, the SEC adopted final rules (Final Rules) requiring extensive climate-related disclosures in companies’ annual reports and registration statements. The new rules are set forth in Release No. 33-11275. The...more
On February 20, 2024, the European Union (EU) announced a provisional political agreement to establish an EU-wide framework for voluntary certification of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects. This announcement, which marks...more
Recent legislative, procurement and governmental updates, including BC Hydro’s upcoming Call for Power and updates to the BC Clean Energy Act will create increased opportunities for renewable energy development in the...more
The SEC announced an open meeting for March 6, 2024 to vote and consider adoption of final climate-related disclosure requirements for public companies. This comes after nearly two years since the SEC first proposed its...more
As discussed in our earlier Client Alerts, California recently passed several laws requiring certain climate-related corporate disclosures, including, for example, regarding emissions and climate-related financial risk. As...more
Introduction: Strategic Carbon Management - The corporate world is experiencing significant growth in the need for carbon management services. Within the diverse field of environmental and sustainability services, the top...more
Good morning! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past two weeks and forthcoming climate-related events and...more
A lot, it turns out. The Biden Administration, bending the knee to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, has paused approval of new LNG export facilities. (In terms of influence on the President, this “wing” is...more
As we enter 2024, we once again review the most significant legislation, policy changes and regulatory actions with respect to climate change taken by California in the past year. In contrast to 2022, which brought a revamp...more
As the nation’s largest energy consumer, the U.S. federal government plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions across its expansive portfolio of more than 350,000 federal buildings. In a pioneering move, the Biden administration...more
Over a year ago, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the “City of Yes”, a plan to update the City’s zoning tools to support small businesses, create affordable housing, and promote sustainability. On December 6, 2023,...more
The UAE published its long-awaited hydrogen strategy last week, aiming to outline the key steps needed to position the UAE as a top global producer of low carbon hydrogen by 2031 and to support the UAE’s announced target of...more
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea held a series of public hearings that started September 11, 2023 following a request submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change (COSIS) to clarify...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
On September 5, 2023, the Corporate Leaders Group Europe (CLG Europe) published a position paper urging the European Union to cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 90% by 2040, and asked EU member states to...more
Yesterday, Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer issued a report detailing how “to implement the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis.” The report identifies...more
In Short - The Situation: The California legislature passed landmark climate bills that surpass emissions disclosure requirements of any other existing state law. The bills are branded as the nation's first comprehensive...more