The ruling propels UK law enforcement to increase its investigative powers under POCA, and businesses to enhance their supply chain due diligence.
On 27 June 2024, the UK Court of Appeal found that the National Crime...more
7/9/2024
/ China ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Due Diligence ,
Human Rights ,
Imports ,
Law Enforcement ,
National Crime Agency (NCA) ,
Prisoners ,
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) ,
Supply Chain ,
UK ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
The Standards provide a framework for all Chinese companies’ sustainability disclosures and the applicability extends beyond listed companies.
On May 27, 2024, China’s Ministry of Finance published the new Corporate...more
7/5/2024
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
IFRS ,
Ministry of Finance ,
Privately Held Corporations ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Sensitive Business Information ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
The guidelines aim to transform China’s approach to ESG by introducing sustainability disclosure rules for large listed companies.
On February 8, 2024, under the auspices of the China Securities Regulatory Commission...more
3/15/2024
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Compliance ,
Compliance Dates ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Shanghai Stock Exchange ,
Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) ,
Stock Exchange ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
The regulations aim to provide a legal framework for China’s carbon allowance trading market by strengthening requirements and designating responsibilities.
On January 25, 2024, Chinese Premier Li Qiang signed a decree of...more
As ESG regulation in Asia develops at an increasing pace, Latham lawyers give an update on noteworthy developments across the region covering the second half of the year. ...more
12/13/2023
/ Asia ,
Asia Pacific ,
China ,
Cross-Border ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Hong Kong ,
Indonesia ,
Japan ,
Malaysia ,
Philippines ,
Popular ,
Singapore ,
Sustainability
The draft New Measure aims to enhance the environmental integrity of China’s carbon market by introducing new requirements for project registration and credit issuance.
China is preparing to relaunch its carbon credits...more
As ESG regulation in Asia develops at an increasing pace, Latham lawyers give an update on noteworthy developments across the region....more
8/28/2023
/ Asia ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Consultation ,
Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Hong Kong ,
Japan ,
Monetary Authority of Singapore ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Singapore ,
South Korea
A court recently found that UK authorities did not fetter their discretion by not investigating general cotton imports potentially produced by the forced labour of Uyghur people in China.
On 20 January 2023, the High...more
Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force issues required enforcement strategy, including guidance to importers.
On June 21, 2022, the key operative provision of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) entered into...more
6/22/2022
/ China ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Importers ,
Imports ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariff Act of 1930 ,
US Trade Policies ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
The move follows a number of similar standards that regulators and governments across the globe have proposed. With effect from 1 June 2022, the Guidance for Enterprise ESG Disclosure (the Guidance), published by...more
6/16/2022
/ Accounting Standards ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Guidance ,
SASB ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
The bill seeks to extend certain provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
The U.S. Congress continues to take interest in implementing legislation to curb alleged human rights abuses in the supply chain in China...more
Corporate reporting (including SEC developments), climate change, energy transition, supply chain management, and the mitigation of ESG-related litigation risk are expected to be the leading ESG themes of this year.
As...more
1/6/2022
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Supply Chain ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
The UFLPA aims to clamp down on the import of items produced by alleged forced labor in and relating to the XUAR.
On 16 December 2021, the US Senate unanimously passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA),...more
12/21/2021
/ China ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Imports ,
Pending Legislation ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Strategic Enforcement Plan ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariff Act of 1930 ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
The House UFLPA aims to clamp down on the import to the US of items produced by alleged forced labor in the XUAR, while offering less guidance for importers than similar July 2021 Senate bill.
On 8 December 2021, the US...more
The SBTi’s standard aims to clarify the target for net zero emissions, whilst the Common Ground Taxonomy indicates China-EU cooperation on sustainable finance issues.
Last month, the Science Based Targets initiative...more
11/17/2021
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Consultation ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Green Finance ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Net Zero ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Finance ,
Taxonomy ,
Working Groups
Throughout 2019, China has been working to update its chemical regulatory regime, proposing far-reaching changes that would make China’s regime resemble EU-REACH and TSCA in the US.
Originally published in Chemical Watch -...more
In recent years, China has taken significant steps in developing its environmental policy. In 2014, China’s Premier Li Keqiang declared a “war on pollution”, which began in earnest in 2017....more
In recent years, China has taken significant steps in developing its environmental policy. In 2014 China’s Premier Li Keqiang declared a “war on pollution”, which began in earnest in 2017. Since then, regulators have been...more
President Xi announces a comprehensive, 14-point reform policy that has long-term implications for companies with business interests in China.
Key Points:
..President Xi Jinping has formalized a national commitment to...more
11/21/2017
/ China ,
Conservation ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Emissions Trading System ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Violations ,
Green Finance ,
Impact Assessments ,
Lending ,
Multinationals ,
Natural Resources ,
NDRC ,
Operational Permits ,
Outbound Transactions ,
Presidential Decrees ,
Private Right of Action ,
Public Citizen ,
Regulatory Reform
China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of pesticides, is strengthening its regulation of agrochemicals. The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) recently issued revisions to the country’s pesticide registration...more
The Chinese government has announced a US$4 trillion investment in developing infrastructure globally under the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI). Under the BRI the Chinese government will spend US$750 billion on overseas...more
Since establishing the People’s Bank of China’s Green Finance Task Force in 2014, China has encouraged green financing mechanisms through a variety of pioneering initiatives. For example, the country has designated five green...more
President Xi has announced the creation of a new environmental bureau to oversee China’s state-owned natural resources. Establishment of the new bureau is one of the most notable outcomes of the recent meeting of the 19th...more
In recent months, teams of inspectors from China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Communist Party’s anti-corruption commission have conducted a slew of surprise inspections of various industrial facilities...more
At the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi Jinping asserted his country’s emerging leadership in environmental stewardship and pledged to build a “beautiful China”. In his speech to the 2,300...more