Science-based targets (SBTs) rely on scientific facts to achieve specific conditions or outcomes. SBTs reflect the best available science and set goals intended to prevent human activities from harming the environment....more
Trump Paves Way for Coal Renaissance and Targets State Climate Change Efforts - In early April, President Trump issued several presidential actions to revive the coal industry, including rolling back environmental...more
On April 7, 2025, a coalition of climate-impacted individuals and leading environmental NGOs—including Greenpeace and Notre Affaire à Tous—addressed a formal notice to the French government, challenging France's adaptation...more
As discussed in a previous article, the European Union is seeking to "bring competitiveness and climate goals together," and therefore launched a reform package—the Omnibus package—regarding sustainability reporting and...more
On 17 October 2024, the UK government published “Invest 2035: the UK’s modern industrial strategy” (the strategy) for public consultation. The strategy sets out a 10-year roadmap based on goals including driving economic...more
On 19 July 2024, the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Serbia (“Serbia”) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) creating a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery value chains and electric...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
On 14 May 2024, the European Securities and Markets Authority ("ESMA") published its final report on "Guidelines on funds’ names using ESG or sustainability-related terms" (the "Guidelines"). The Guidelines aim to provide...more
In this week’s edition, the European Commission contacted 20 airlines requiring them to address potentially misleading or inaccurate green claims. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) launched its digital...more
In this edition we discuss several updates aimed at the financial sector, including transition planning reports published by the Network for Greening the Financial System, prudential guidance from the Bank of England on how...more
On April 24, 2024, the European Parliament approved the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D). The directive, which must be formally endorsed by the Council of the European Union (EU) before officially...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
In this week’s edition, we discuss the ever-increasing focus on greenwashing by way of enforcement action taken by regulatory authorities and incoming legislation aimed at enhancing consumer protection. The EU confirmed the...more
Following weeks of uncertainty, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive ("CS3D") was finally adopted by the Council of the European Union ("Council") on March 15, 2024. ...more
Greenwashing Beef Production - On February 28, New York State Attorney General (NYAG) Letitia James filed a lawsuit with the New York Supreme Court against meat processing company JBS USA for misleading the public about its...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
Are regulations across the lifecycle of a low-carbon infrastructure project helping or hindering the transition? What structures helping the route to Net Zero have been introduced so far? In which fields is work still to be...more
Introduction - With the adoption by 196 parties of the Paris Agreement in December 2015, legally binding international climate change arrived. The Paris Agreement requires increasingly aggressive five-year cycles climate...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
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
The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has commenced this week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and will run through December 12, 2023. The UAE is...more
On September 20, 2023, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced that it was developing a methodology to assess its clients’ exposure to nature-related impacts and risks. The EIB reinforced its commitment to address...more
At a September legal conference convened by the European Central Bank (ECB), Frank Elderson, a member of the ECB’s executive board and vice-chair of its supervisory board, observed the increasing risk of climate lawsuits and...more
On September 27, 2023, six “Portuguese young people” were heard by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in a lawsuit against 32 European governments, including all EU member states, alleging that their failure to act...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