Green Policies, Regulations & Standards

Greece’s Law 3908/2011 provides investment incentives that emphasise environmental protection, energy efficiency, and green innovation. Companies must meet strict eligibility, reporting, and implementation obligations, with audits verifying progress. Failure to deliver milestones or environmental benefits can trigger repayment or sanctions. Although new laws have updated the scheme, Law 3908/2011 continues to govern legacy-supported investments and forms part of Greece’s broader green industrial policy.

The THG-Quote is Germany’s mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction obligation for companies that place transport fuels on the market. It requires annual, progressively increasing reductions in the lifecycle carbon intensity of fuels, driving the shift toward sustainable biofuels, advanced biofuels, renewable electricity for electric vehicles, hydrogen and e-fuels. Obligated suppliers must calculate fuel-related emissions, submit annual compliance reports and acquire credits when internal measures are insufficient. EV charging volumes can generate tradable GHG reduction credits, creating additional market incentives. Non-compliance leads to significant administrative penalties. As a core pillar of Germany’s transport decarbonisation strategy, the THG-Quote accelerates the adoption of low-carbon fuels and supports alignment with EU renewable energy objectives.

The new EU Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive establishes a framework for soil health monitoring, contaminated-site lists, and land-take mitigation. This article details obligations, current status, penalties, and known enforcement issues.

Greece’s Law 3851/2010 accelerates renewable energy deployment, granting priority grid access and streamlining licensing procedures. It set early national renewable targets and simplified approvals for various RES technologies. Although updated by later laws, it remains foundational for Greek renewable policy and continues to influence grid and licensing frameworks.

SARA is a powerful biodiversity protection law that directly affects infrastructure, energy, and land-use projects. Its habitat protections and strict prohibitions create material regulatory risk and planning obligations for climate-related developments.

The EU Environmental Crime Directive (recast) requires Member States to criminalise serious breaches of EU environmental law and to impose strong penalties on both individuals and companies. It expands the list of environmental crimes, strengthens corporate liability, and raises sanctions, including large fines, licence withdrawal, and restoration orders. Transposition is required by around 2026. The directive elevates environmental compliance into a criminal-risk category, making governance, controls, and traceability critical for high-risk sectors.

The EU CO₂ Emission Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles establish legally binding CO₂ reduction targets for new trucks, buses, and coaches sold in the European Union. The regulation requires manufacturers to progressively cut fleet-wide CO₂ emissions, achieving reductions of 15% by 2025, 45% by 2030, 65% by 2035, and 90% by 2040, compared with 2019–2020 levels. It forms a central pillar of the EU’s transport decarbonisation strategy and supports the transition to electric and hydrogen-based heavy vehicles. Adopted in 2019 and strengthened in 2024, the framework promotes technological innovation, sets reporting and verification obligations, and introduces super-credits for zero- and low-emission vehicles.

The EU CO₂ Emission Performance Standards for Cars and Vans set binding emission limits for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles sold in the European Union. The regulation requires manufacturers to progressively reduce fleet-wide CO₂ emissions, achieving full decarbonisation of new vehicles by 2035. First applied in 2020, the framework defines intermediate targets for 2025 and 2030, along with reporting and compliance mechanisms monitored by the European Commission. It supports the EU’s broader Fit for 55 and Green Deal objectives, promoting the shift to electric and zero-emission vehicles through innovation incentives, pooling arrangements, and strict penalties for excess emissions.

The National Adaptation Strategy shifts Canada’s climate policy beyond mitigation, embedding resilience and risk management into federal planning and investment decisions.

Poland’s Strategy for Sustainable Transport Development to 2030 (adopted in 2019) sets national policy direction for improving transport accessibility and safety while reducing environmental and climate impacts. It promotes modern transport solutions and integrates sustainable urban mobility planning concepts. While not legally binding for companies on its own, it shapes the investment and compliance environment through funding, procurement, and planning requirements linked to transport projects. The main practical risk is misalignment: projects that do not reflect the strategy’s environmental and system objectives face higher permitting, funding, and public acceptance challenges.