The proposals are part of the broader “omnibus” initiative and would postpone due diligence obligations and introduce a “small mid-cap” category for in-scope companies....more
5/28/2025
/ Batteries ,
Compliance Dates ,
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) ,
Due Diligence ,
EU ,
Manufacturers ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Small Business ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability
The updated guidance includes simplification measures allowing due diligence statements’ reuse, annual submission, and management by authorised representatives on behalf of companies....more
On 25 March 2025, the UK Home Office published its updated Transparency in Supply Chains (TISC): Statutory Guidance (the Guidance), which provides new and detailed recommendations to help organisations comply with Section 54...more
4/1/2025
/ Business Operations ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Employee Training ,
Modern Slavery Act ,
New Guidance ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Supply Chain ,
Transparency ,
UK
Through the course of 2024, the development of the ESG and sustainability landscape was dynamic. We anticipate that this dynamism will intensify in 2025, given the implementation and potential amendment of ESG-related...more
The Forced Labour Regulation creates a framework for investigation and enforcement against products made with forced labour.
On 19 November 2024, the EU Council (Council) adopted a regulation prohibiting products made with...more
12/2/2024
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Due Diligence ,
Enforcement ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Investigations ,
Member State ,
New Regulations ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainable Business Practices
The vote follows the European Commission’s proposal to delay application of the regulation by one year.
On 14 November 2024, the European Parliament (Parliament) voted in favour of the European Commission’s (Commission) ...more
11/19/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Due Diligence ,
Effective Date ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Parliament ,
Exporters ,
Green Initiatives ,
Importers ,
Manufacturers ,
Member State ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability
The Commission published guidance documents to the regulation and proposed to postpone its entry into application to 30 December 2025....more
On 5 July 2024, the final text of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) was entered into the Official Journal of the EU. The CSDDD will enter force on 25 July 2024. This marks the final key step in the...more
7/15/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
Member State ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
The CSDDD is set to impose mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence obligations for in-scope companies.
On 5 July 2024, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) was published in the...more
7/9/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
Member State ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
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)
This guidance aims to support the preparation and analysis of reports using the European Sustainability Reporting Standards.
On 31 May 2024, EFRAG published the first three Implementation Guidance (IG) documents relating...more
6/19/2024
/ Climate Change ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
Materiality ,
New Guidance ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Assessment ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
On 24 March 2024, the European Parliament approved the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) with a vote of 374 in favour (compared with 235 votes against and 19 abstentions)....more
4/26/2024
/ Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Parliament ,
Member State ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
For the first time, the Court has confirmed that the adverse impacts of climate change fall within the ambit of human rights protection under the European Convention of Human Rights, obliging States to implement effective...more
The proposed regulation would ban forced labour-made products from the EU market, affecting companies’ supply chains and requiring compliance checks.
On 5 March 2024, the European Parliament and European Council...more
3/25/2024
/ Compliance ,
Compliance Monitoring ,
Due Diligence ,
EU ,
European Council ,
European Parliament ,
Exports ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Member State ,
Proposed Rules ,
Supply Chain ,
Third Country Entities (TCEs)
Following extended negotiations, the directive was endorsed with a significantly narrower scope that would reduce the number of companies affected.
On 15 March 2024, EU Member States endorsed the Belgian Presidency’s...more
3/18/2024
/ Belgium ,
Due Diligence ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Council ,
European Parliament ,
Germany ,
Member State ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
The stock exchanges of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore have partnered to advance sustainability in ASEAN through the development of an interregional ESG ecosystem.
On February 15, 2024, Bursa Malaysia Berhad...more
The strategy aims to boost supply chain resilience of critical goods. On 17 January 2024, the government launched the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy (the strategy), which aims to safeguard UK supplies of goods...more
Amid new regulations, increased enforcement and litigation, and higher stakeholder scrutiny, companies will need to adopt an integrated and nuanced approach to ESG.
In some ways, 2023 was a challenging year for ESG. This...more
1/17/2024
/ Advertising ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Business Strategies ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Liability ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenwashing ,
Investors ,
Popular ,
Privately Held Corporations ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Strategic Planning ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Trade Policy ,
Transparency
The Private Members Bill, if passed, would establish the UK’s first law mandating business due diligence on human rights and the environment.
On 28 November 2023, Baroness Young of Hornsey (Baroness Young) introduced the...more
The FTC will likely update Green Guides provisions, impacting corporate decision-making in marketing and throughout the value chain.
Latham & Watkins is pleased to present a series of Clients Alerts on environmental,...more
6/28/2023
/ Advertising ,
Chemicals ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Claims ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Green Guides ,
Green Marketing ,
Greenwashing ,
Marketing ,
Recycling ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Sustainable Business Practices
The Guidelines build on current social, environmental, and technological issues facing businesses following the last update in 2011.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released updated...more
6/27/2023
/ Climate Change ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Due Diligence ,
EU ,
Guidance Update ,
Member State ,
Multinationals ,
OECD ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Transparency ,
UK
The EU has implemented a range of measures to promote the sustainability and competitiveness of the battery value chain.
Batteries play a crucial role across key sectors of the global economy and society, helping to...more
As part of the European Green Deal ambitions, the proposal encourages sustainable consumption through additional incentives to repair products to reduce waste and emissions.
On 22 March 2023, the European Commission...more
3/30/2023
/ Climate Change ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Environmental Policies ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Commission ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Incentives ,
Net Zero ,
Repairs ,
Right to Repair ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
Waste Management
The proposals form part of the Green Deal Industrial Plan and aim to scale up technology and materials for the energy transition.
On 16 March 2023, the European Commission (Commission) formally proposed two legislative...more
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