April 2025 saw regulatory developments on vehicle emissions standards in both the European Union ("EU") and the United Kingdom ("UK"). These changes will be of significant interest to vehicle manufacturers, as well as users...more
6/17/2025
/ Automotive Industry ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Motor Vehicles ,
New Regulations ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
UK
The UK's Climate Change Act 2008 requires the UK government to set five-year carbon budgets that cap total greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions. The UK is currently operating within its Fourth Carbon Budget, which covers the...more
6/16/2025
/ Aviation Industry ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
Net Zero ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Renewable Energy ,
Shipping ,
UK
On December 18, 2024, the Advertising Standards Authority ("ASA"), the UK's regulator of advertising, issued a ruling against Lloyds Bank plc ("Lloyds") following a complaint by Adfree Cities, a network challenging corporate...more
3/24/2025
/ Advertising ,
Advertising Standards Authority ,
Banks ,
Climate Change ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
False Advertising ,
Financial Institutions ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Lloyds Banking Group ,
Penalties ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sustainability ,
UK
In December 2022, planning permission was granted by the secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities ("SoS") to extract coal from a coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England. The project would have been the...more
On July 4, 2024, the UK general election took place, and the Labour Party won with a significant majority. After 14 years of Conservative Party rule, a number of changes are now expected in respect of the UK's position on...more
9/18/2024
/ Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Reform ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Green Energy ,
Green Finance ,
Net Zero ,
Oil & Gas ,
Popular ,
UK ,
Wind Power
The Situation: On June 20, 2024, the UK Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in R (on the application of Finch on behalf of the Weald Action Group) (Appellant) v Surrey County Council and others (Respondents) [2024]...more
7/19/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Oil & Gas ,
Popular ,
UK ,
UK Supreme Court ,
Urban Planning & Development
The UK government's decision to rollback and delay policy commitments designed to help achieve net zero by 2050 will be challenged in the High Court later this year....more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted much anticipated climate-related disclosure rules....more
3/18/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Emissions Trading System ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Federal Highway Administration ,
Financial Institutions ,
Green Buildings ,
Green Energy ,
Green Infrastructure ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Proposed Rules ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
UK
In December 2023, the United Kingdom's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero ("DESNZ") launched two consultations to garner views on the efficient operation of the UK's Emissions Trading Scheme ("ETS")....more
The Situation: On January 17, 2024, mandatory biodiversity net gain ("BNG") regulations took effect, impacting most new developments in England.
...more
2/20/2024
/ Biodiversity ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Construction Project ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Green Infrastructure ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
UK ,
Urban Planning & Development
REGULATORY ISSUES & UPDATES -
Mandatory Climate Change Reporting Requirements Under the New European ESRS E1 -
The implementation of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards poses risks for reporting companies,...more
12/5/2023
/ Clean Water Act ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Data Protection ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Federal Agency Taskforce ,
Green Initiatives ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
NEPA ,
Net Zero ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
SFDR ,
State and Local Government ,
Sustainability ,
Taxonomy ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK
REGULATORY ISSUES & UPDATES -
New CFTC Enforcement on Carbon Markets Misconduct -
The U.S. CFTC publishes a rare alert soliciting tips about potential manipulation in the carbon markets and announces the formation of...more
8/18/2023
/ Airlines ,
CARB ,
CFTC ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
EU ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
HFC Emissions ,
Shareholder Litigation ,
UK
Businesses are increasingly making environmental assertions as they seek to demonstrate their sustainability credentials to consumers. This trend, however, is leading to tougher measures from national regulators as they...more
"Green Day" in the UK -
As part of its "Powering Up Britain" strategy, the UK government has published a series of documents setting out its vision for the UK's transition to net zero and the strengthening of UK energy...more
March 30, 2023, was dubbed "Green Day" in the United Kingdom ("UK"), as the government published numerous policy statements, consultation responses, new consultations, and guidance, which all form part of its wider strategy...more
The deadline for organisations to complete and submit their UK Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme ("ESOS") reports for Phase 3 of the scheme is 5 December 2023....more
The UK's former Energy Minister, Chris Skidmore MP, has conducted an independent review of the UK government's Net Zero Strategy. The strategy seeks to ensure that the UK reduces its greenhouse gas emissions by 100% from 1990...more
Net-Zero Review -
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ("BEIS") has commissioned an independent review of the UK government's approach to delivering its net- zero target, in a way that is...more
The Companies (Strategic Report) (Climate-related Financial Disclosure) Regulations 2022 ("the Regulations") came into force on April 6, 2022. The Regulations amend the Companies Act 2006 and largely implement the...more
The British Energy Security Strategy ("the Strategy"), published on April 7, 2022, aims to ensure that the United Kingdom has "a flow of energy that is affordable, clean and above all secure." Published against the background...more
5/24/2022
/ Clean Energy ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Reform ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Nuclear Power ,
Offshore Wind ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Infrastructure ,
Solar Energy ,
UK
Three months after hosting the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, and as required by the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK government published its third five-year risk assessment of climate change on the United Kingdom. This...more
2/28/2022
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Infrastructure ,
Investment ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Assessment ,
Scientific Research ,
UK
Three months after hosting the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, and as required by the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK government published its third five-year risk assessment of climate change on the United Kingdom....more
The Climate Change Act 2008 requires the UK government to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions by 2050. Progress toward this commitment is to be driven via a series of five-year carbon budgets. The sixth budget,...more
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement ("TCA"), which was finalized on December 24, 2020, resets the European Union/United Kingdom relationship following the UK's departure from the EU. In place of the UK's participation in the...more
As reported in Jones Day’s Second Quarter 2020 edition of The Climate Report, the English Court of Appeal declared in February 2020 that the United Kingdom Government’s Airports National Policy Statement ("ANPS") for a new...more