The U.N. Human Rights Committee ruled in a watershed case that Australia has failed adequately to protect indigenous Torres Strait Islanders from the adverse effects of climate change....more
The UK Government has introduced two further packages of sanctions against Russia in quick succession....more
At COP26 last year, the Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warned the financial services industry that it was time to “walk the walk”, and emphasised that greenwashing would not be tolerated in the...more
A fundamental shift is under way to embed sustainability into everyday corporate decision-making. This will require changes to governance regimes – and a new focus on directors’ duties....more
Setting a global price for carbon is critical to delivering Net Zero. But we have a long way to go before the necessary infrastructure is in place to deliver a fully functioning carbon market....more
The EU Emissions Trading System (the EU ETS) is one of the key pillars of the EU’s policy to combat climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from regulated sectors....more
Supply chain risks are drawing attention across the globe. Recent geo-political and economic shocks such as Covid-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S.-China trade war and connected inflation are driving this focus.
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On 6 October 2022, the European Union published its eighth package of sanctions against Russia. This responds to the organisation of ‘referenda’ in the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions, the annexation of...more
On 8 September 2022, the UK Government introduced the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) by way of amendment to the National Security Bill (the Bill)....more
As the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, rebuilding resilience and planning for the future have taken centre stage in 2022. The pandemic brought to the fore many human rights issues, creating new challenges and...more
With the EU FDI Regulation close to celebrating its second year anniversary, the European Commission (EC) has published its second annual report on EU FDI screening covering the operation of the mechanism in 2021. In...more
The UK National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA) has been in force for over six months. We know that within the first three months, the UK government received 221 notifications and “called-in” 17 deals for a more...more
In the past week, the UK has further tightened its sanctions targeting Russia. The new sanctions include the introduction of new trade-related restrictions on a wide variety of goods (including gold, oil, coal and “G7...more
In the past weeks, the UK and EU regulatory authorities have made a series of announcements in relation to the enforcement of sanctions....more
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As the start date looms for the Level 2 requirements under SFDR and the product disclosure regime in the Taxonomy Regulation, firms are progressing their implementation projects. This bulletin provides an...more
In the past week, the UK Government has made a series of announcements in relation to the enforcement of financial sanctions in the UK....more
Over the last three months, the EU has imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russia and Belarus in response to the war in Ukraine (see our dedicated collection here). While adopting further sanctions is getting ever more...more
The trade finance market is undergoing a radical transformation in terms of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). In this Industry Perspective, two lawyers at Allen & Overy – Niels de Ru, partner in Amsterdam,...more
On 10 May 2022, the Queen's Speech 2022 was delivered to the UK's Parliament. The speech included a range of announcements relating to different Bills, three of which will be of particular interest to companies in relation...more
ESMA has published a new "Sustainable Finance Roadmap 2022-2024" setting out its strategic priorities and key planned actions for the next three years.
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In response to events in Ukraine, the EU and the UK have continued to announce further and more extensive sanctions on Russia. In this bulletin, we set out an overview of the three EU sanctions packages announced to date, and...more
In response to the Russian Federation’s formal recognition of two regions in Eastern Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent states, earlier this week the EU and the UK adopted an initial package of new sanctions...more
With significant fanfare, on 8 February 2022, the European Commission (the Commission) published its proposal for an EU Chips Act (the Act). The Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, proclaimed the proposed Act a “game...more
The National Security and Investment Act 2021 came into force on 4 January. We look at the implications for the loan markets.
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In the context of COP26, the UK has taken the opportunity to issue an array of documents and proposals, hoping to establish its credentials (post Brexit) as a leading light on ESG and climate change, and a rival to the EU,...more