EPA announces details of its reorganization. On May 2, the EPA announced a major reorganization that will eliminate several key offices, including the Office of Atmospheric Protection (OAP), Office of Air Quality Planning and...more
6/2/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Oil & Gas ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trump Administration
Maryland and Washington have joined the growing cohort of US jurisdictions that require producers of packaging and paper products to finance – and ultimately improve – the systems for disposing of these “covered materials” in...more
5/22/2025
/ Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) ,
Manufacturers ,
Maryland ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Product Packaging ,
Recycling ,
State and Local Government ,
Sustainability ,
Washington ,
Waste Management
Trump Administration actions - Trump orders DOJ to stop states from enforcing unconstitutional or preempted climate laws. In a sweeping Executive Order (EO) issued on April 8, President Donald Trump has ordered Attorney...more
4/29/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Energy Sector ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Executive Orders ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Renewable Energy ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Trump Administration
Trading in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reductions has long been touted as a way of leveraging market forces to tackle climate change in the most cost-effective manner, and 2025 may put that theory to the test amid...more
California recycling claims restrictions - On April 4, 2025, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) published its Final Findings of the SB 343 Material Characterization Study. The report...more
Circular Action Alliance to accept reports through April 30, 2025 - Circular Action Alliance (CAA) recently announced a grace period through April 30, 2025 for producers to report data by weight and material category for all...more
SEC withdraws defense of US climate disclosure rules; Uyeda speaks on ESG and materiality. On March 27, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) notified the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit that the SEC...more
3/31/2025
/ Child Labor ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Energy Policy ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Minerals ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Supply Chain ,
Trump Administration
Two significant developments have recently emerged concerning California’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, SB 54, which aims to phase out single-use plastics. The landmark law for packaging and plastic food...more
3/17/2025
/ California ,
Compliance ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Plastics ,
Pollution Control ,
Product Packaging ,
Recycling ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sustainability
US formally submits notification of withdrawal from Paris Agreement. On January 27, 2025, Dorothy Camille Shea, the US acting ambassador to the United Nations, submitted a notification of withdrawal from the Paris Agreement...more
2/28/2025
/ Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Executive Orders ,
Green Finance ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Net Zero ,
Paris Agreement ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Trump Administration
US exits Paris Agreement after submitting Nationally Determined Contributions. In mid-December, the Biden Administration announced it submitted the US target under the Paris Agreement: cutting net carbon emissions by 61 to 66...more
1/29/2025
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Deregulation ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Reform ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Executive Orders ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Infrastructure ,
Oil & Gas ,
Paris Agreement ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain ,
Trump Administration
Four years after the nation’s first extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws set out approaches to making producers financially responsible for managing the disposal of plastics and packaging, 2025 will see...more
1/23/2025
/ California ,
Environmental Policies ,
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) ,
New Legislation ,
Plastics ,
Product Packaging ,
Recycling ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Statutory Deadlines ,
Sustainability ,
Waste Disposal
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has issued its Revised Preliminary Findings Report on the recyclability of various materials under the state’s “Truth in Recycling” law, also known as...more
California’s AB 3234, which requires California employers to publicly disclose child labor findings and certain other information regarding voluntary labor compliance audits, will go into effect on January 1, 2025....more
12/23/2024
/ Audits ,
California ,
Child Labor ,
Cooperative Compliance Regime ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Code ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Welcome to Horizon, DLA Piper’s monthly bulletin reporting on late-breaking legislative and policy developments in ESG. Our aim is to scan the litigation, enforcement, and regulatory horizon to help inform business decisions....more
12/18/2024
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Popular ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Supply Chain ,
The Hague
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently unveiled its National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (Plastic Pollution Strategy), a comprehensive document that outlines voluntary measures and regulatory...more
The fifth and intended final meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on plastic pollution concluded on December 1, 2024, in Busan, South Korea, with negotiators unable to reach a deal on a new global...more
Welcome to Horizon, DLA Piper’s monthly bulletin reporting on late-breaking legislative and policy developments in ESG. Our aim is to scan the litigation, enforcement, and regulatory horizon to help inform business decisions....more
12/2/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Investment ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Voluntary Disclosure
Los Angeles County Counsel Dawyn Harrison sued PepsiCo and Coca-Cola on October 30, 2024, alleging responsibility for the impacts of plastic packaging littered in Los Angeles County. The next day, a New York State judge...more
On September 22, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the Responsible Textile Recovery Act (the Act), also known as SB 707, requiring manufacturers and distributors to participate in an extended producer...more
Welcome to Horizon, DLA Piper’s regular bulletin reporting on late-breaking legislative and policy developments in ESG. Our aim is to scan the litigation, enforcement, and regulatory horizon to help inform business decisions....more
9/26/2024
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Marketing ,
NAIC ,
Popular ,
Product Labels ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Finance
Due diligence requirements under the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR) will apply starting on December 30, 2024, setting in motion a landmark regulation to prevent products linked to deforestation and forest...more
Welcome to Horizon, DLA Piper’s regular bulletin reporting on late-breaking legislative and policy developments in ESG. Our aim is to scan the litigation, enforcement, and regulatory horizon to help inform business decisions....more
8/30/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Green Finance ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Natural Gas ,
Popular ,
Power Plants ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
State and Local Government ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability
A recent opinion from the Northern District of Illinois may dampen the prospects of plaintiffs seeking to challenge the labeling of bottled water and other beverages based on the alleged presence of microplastics....more
The US has pivoted in its stance on the global management of plastic production and pollution, with significant potential impacts for industry. The shift comes amid ongoing negotiations toward a UN treaty aimed at addressing...more