US formally submits notification of withdrawal from Paris Agreement. On January 27, 2025, Dorothy Camille Shea, the US acting ambassador to the United Nations, submitted a notification of withdrawal from the Paris Agreement...more
“Net zero” is a topic as hot as the climate these days. With so much regulatory attention being placed on it, companies that do not communicate their net zero efforts appropriately or, worse, intentionally make false and...more
REGULATORY ISSUES & UPDATES - Recent Evolution of the European Regulatory Framework on Greenwashing - Two new Directives adopted by the EU in 2024—the "Empowering Consumers Directive" and the "Green Claims...more
In this week’s edition, we look at the climate-linked criminal lawsuit filed against a French oil major. We also review a survey conducted by Bloomberg Law that shows a majority of attorneys believe they will see only a...more
California recently has passed three climate disclosure laws, with yet another still pending. These new laws are aimed at increasing transparency and consistency in climate-related disclosures, including greenhouse gas (GHG)...more
The Mintz Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Working Group developed this ESG primer to provide an overview of the current state of affairs in the United States with respect to the ESG issues that businesses...more
As businesses across the globe strive to fulfill carbon-neutral and net-zero promises over the coming decades, the voluntary carbon market has emerged as a necessary resource to help businesses bridge the gap to...more
On October 7, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law two expansive climate disclosure bills (SB 253 and SB 261), making California the first state in the U.S. to impose requirements on greenhouse gas (“GHG”)...more
The risk of an accusation of “greenwashing” is now an important concern for many companies. Greenwashing is an ill-defined concept but, nevertheless, is increasingly a source of litigation and regulatory scrutiny – with more...more
Net zero goals and carbon neutrality have hit the mainstream, propelled over the past decade by consumer and investor demands that businesses curb greenhouse gas emissions to counter the climate crisis. In response, companies...more
The public comment period for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) proposed rules on climate-related disclosures (the “Proposal”) closed on June 17, 2022. The Proposal, which was released on March 21, 2022, would...more
With the SEC’s disclosure proposal comment period recently ending and likely climate-related disclosure regulation coming soon, it is imperative that companies begin to not only understand how to compile this information, but...more
The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recently proposed landmark climate-related disclosure rules draw attention to a broad scientific consensus that to avert catastrophic consequences from climate change, the...more
On March 21, the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed far-reaching climate-related disclosure rules for public companies that do business in the United States. In a 3-1 vote, the SEC proposed rules that would...more
Senior Democrats from the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce introduced on March 2, 2021, their comprehensive climate bill, the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation's (CLEAN) Future Act. The...more