All regulatory updates
1361 results found
RMI releases new standard suite for social, environmental, OHS and governance risks used alongside minerals due diligence programs
RMI announced release of a new “standard suite” intended to provide a common framework to assess environmental, social, occupational health & safety (OHS), and governance risks in operations and mineral supply chains. While not a CMRT template-version release, this update is directly relevant for CMRT programs because it can influence due diligence expectations and program alignment used alongside CMRT-based supplier outreach and risk evaluation.
LEED v5 Project Certification Opens with New Tools and Resources
USGBC officially opened LEED v5 project certification, allowing projects to certify under the new rating system. LEED v5 emphasizes decarbonization (50% of points), quality of life (25%), and ecological conservation (25%). New scorecards, tools, and resources are available for project teams pursuing certification under the updated standard.
GBCI updates LEED Certification Agreement requirements for projects registered on/after April 28, 2025 (removes certain authority confirmation submissions)
Per the official LEED Certification Agreement Help Center article, projects registered on or after 2025-04-28 are no longer required to submit the ‘Confirmation of Agent’s Authority’ or ‘Confirmation of Primary Owner’s Authority’ forms as part of the LEED certification administrative process. Projects registered before that date remain subject to additional authority/change-of-owner documentation requirements. Compliance teams administering LEED registrations should update onboarding checklists and ensure legacy projects still meet the older submission requirements to avoid certification review delays.
USGBC updates LEED Certification Agreement for projects registered on/after April 28, 2025 (removes authority confirmation submissions)
USGBC/GBCI updated the LEED Certification Agreement requirements for LEED projects registered on/after April 28, 2025. The updated agreement removes the need to submit certain authority confirmation documents (e.g., Confirmation of Agent’s Authority and Confirmation of Primary Owner’s Authority). Projects registered before April 28, 2025 continue to follow prior additional requirements described in the Help Center article. Compliance teams should update internal registration/contracting checklists and document-control workflows to reflect the new agreement package and avoid requesting or submitting deprecated forms for newly registered projects.
GBCI implements updated LEED Certification Agreement for projects registered on/after April 28, 2025 (removes certain authority confirmation submissions)
Per the USGBC Help Center, GBCI implemented a new LEED Certification Agreement for projects registered on/after April 28, 2025. For those projects, certain administrative submissions are no longer required (e.g., confirmation of agent’s authority and confirmation of primary owner’s authority). Projects registered before that date remain subject to the earlier requirements. Compliance teams managing LEED registrations should update SOPs, onboarding checklists, and document retention expectations to align with the revised agreement requirements by registration date.
RMI releases CMRT version 6.5 (template update primarily affecting Smelter Reference List)
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), the maintainer of the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT), released CMRT v6.5 (reported release date: April 25, 2025). The research indicates the principal change is an update to the embedded Smelter Reference List/Smelter Look-up data. For CMRT-driven supplier due diligence workflows, this can require updating supplier survey packages, internal intake/validation logic, and reconciliation against current smelter IDs and statuses to avoid mismatches and data-quality issues.
Secretariat updates/maintains amendments status page noting COP-5 Annex A & B amendments entered into force on 25 April 2025
The Minamata Convention Secretariat amendments page indicates that the COP-5 amendments to Annexes A and B entered into force on 25 April 2025 (subject to treaty mechanics). This is a treaty-level in-force status update relevant to Parties’ and stakeholders’ implementation planning for amended mercury-added products and manufacturing process controls referenced on the amendments page.
Minamata Convention COP-5 amendments enter into force
The COP-5 amendments to Annex A of the Minamata Convention on Mercury entered into force on April 25, 2025, creating binding phase-out obligations for all 153 Parties. The amendments prohibit mercury-added products including all batteries with intentionally added mercury, all switches and relays containing mercury (except for R&D purposes), and all fluorescent lamps for general lighting (CFLs, LFLs, NFLs) with phase-out deadlines through 2027. The amendments also eliminate the previous 1 ppm threshold for mercury in cosmetics, establishing zero tolerance for mercury-added cosmetics including skin-lightening products. Manufacturing processes using mercury catalysts in polyurethane production (deadline 2025) and sodium/potassium methylate or ethylate production (deadline 2028) are also subject to phase-out requirements.
Maine LD 1423 proposes amendments to packaging EPR law
LD 1423 proposes amendments to Maine's first-in-the-nation Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging law. The bill would create broad exemptions for product sectors and change the definition of 'toxicity.' Stakeholder testimony indicates concerns that the bill would undermine the existing program, reduce incentives for sustainable packaging, and delay environmental benefits.
Ireland transposes Stop-the-Clock Directive into national law
Ireland has transposed the EU Stop-the-Clock Directive into national law through the European Union (Corporate Sustainability Reporting) Regulations 2025. This postpones by two years the CSRD sustainability reporting requirements for Wave 2 companies (large undertakings) and Wave 3 companies (listed SMEs and non-EU companies) while the Omnibus package negotiations proceed at EU level. Wave 2 companies now report in 2028 for FY2027; Wave 3 companies report in 2029 for FY2028.
Maine DEP Extends CUU Designations by Two Years
Maine Department of Environmental Protection has extended Currently Unavoidable Use (CUU) designations by two years for certain product categories subject to PFAS sales prohibitions. This extension provides manufacturers additional time to continue selling products with intentionally added PFAS that have received CUU determinations, while they work toward reformulation or alternative compliance strategies. The extension affects the timeline for compliance with Maine's PFAS in Products law for CUU-designated products.
European Commission adopts Ecodesign for Sustainable Products and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025–2030 (COM(2025) 187 final) setting priority product groups and timelines
On 16 Apr 2025, the European Commission adopted the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025–2030 (COM(2025) 187 final). This is a key ESPR implementation milestone that sets the Commission’s priority product groups and indicative timelines for preparing future delegated acts (which will contain binding ecodesign requirements) as well as horizontal measures (e.g., repairability). Compliance teams can use the Working Plan to prioritize product readiness efforts (data, design, supply chain information) for product groups expected to be regulated earlier and to anticipate upcoming consultations and delegated-act development cycles.
ESPR Working Plan 2025-2030 adopted with priority product groups and timelines
The European Commission adopted the first Ecodesign for Sustainable Products and Energy Labelling Working Plan (2025-2030) establishing priority product groups for ecodesign requirements under ESPR. Key priorities include textiles/apparel/footwear (delegated act expected 2026-2027), iron and steel (2026), aluminum (2027), furniture including mattresses (2027-2028), tyres (2027-2028), and ICT products. The plan includes a mid-term review scheduled for 2028.
Directive (EU) 2025/794 adopted (‘stop-the-clock’) postponing CSRD application dates for certain waves
Directive (EU) 2025/794 (published in OJ L on 16 April 2025) amends the CSRD framework as regards application dates (commonly referred to as the CSRD ‘stop-the-clock’ mechanism). This legally underpins postponements of certain CSRD reporting timelines (notably for later ‘waves’ of companies) and requires companies to reassess their first reporting year and internal readiness plans in light of the updated application schedule and Member State implementing measures.
Commission adopts ESPR and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025-2030
The European Commission adopted the first ESPR and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025-2030 (COM(2025) 187 final), establishing priority product groups for delegated acts development under the ESPR framework. Iron and steel products are prioritized for 2026, aluminium and textiles (garments and footwear) for 2027, with furniture, tyres, detergents, paints, lubricants, chemicals, and ICT products to follow. The plan also carries forward 19 energy-related products from the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC for adoption by December 31, 2026. A mid-term review is scheduled for 2028. The Working Plan sets indicative timelines for when specific product sectors can expect binding ecodesign requirements.
EU amends REACH Annex XVII Entry 50 for PAHs in clay targets
Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/660 amends Annex XVII Entry 50 to extend PAH content limits to clay targets (clay pigeons) used in sports shooting. The regulation addresses the presence of PAHs in binders used in clay targets, adding restrictions for their placing on the market to protect human health and the environment.
Nevada NDEP Publishes PFAS Sampling Quality Assurance Project Plan
The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) published a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for PFAS sampling of public water sources and other potential sources. The plan, prepared by Broadbent & Associates on behalf of NDEP, establishes standardized protocols for PFAS sampling projects including quality assurance procedures, sampling methodologies, and documentation requirements for monitoring PFAS contamination in Nevada.
EU adopts Stop-the-Clock Directive postponing CSRD reporting by two years
Directive (EU) 2025/794 postpones CSRD sustainability reporting requirements by two years for Wave 2 and Wave 3 companies. Wave 2 companies (large companies previously due to report for FY2025) now report in 2028 on FY2027 data. Wave 3 companies (listed SMEs, previously due to report for FY2026) now report in 2029 on FY2028 data. Wave 1 companies (large public interest entities already reporting) must continue as planned. Member States must amend national laws by December 31, 2025.
European Commission press release: provisional political agreement on new EU Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 (chemical bans, DPP, online sales/border enforcement)
The European Commission issued a press release announcing a provisional political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the new Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509. The release previews expected compliance impacts, including a planned ban of harmful chemicals in toys (explicitly referencing PFAS, endocrine disruptors, and bisphenols), introduction of a mandatory Digital Product Passport (DPP) for toys to improve traceability and compliance checks, and stronger rules for online sales and border/market surveillance. As this is a political agreement stage communication (not the final legal text notice), it is treated as a proposed/pending milestone that signals upcoming obligations and enforcement tooling for supply chains selling toys into the EU market.
Commission Opens Consultation on DPP Service Provider Rules
The European Commission launched a public consultation seeking stakeholder views on how Digital Product Passport data should be stored and managed by service providers, and on the need for a certification scheme for such service providers. The feedback gathered will inform the development of delegated acts establishing the rules for DPP service providers under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. Economic operators, industry associations, and other stakeholders should participate to ensure their perspectives are considered in the regulatory framework.