Green Policies, Regulations & Standards

The REACH Regulation (EC 1907/2006) is the cornerstone of EU chemicals legislation, requiring companies to register, evaluate, and manage the risks of substances they manufacture or import. Managed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), it applies to all substances ≥ 1 tonne per year. REACH ensures that chemicals used in the EU are safe for humans and the environment, and restricts or bans hazardous substances when safer alternatives exist. It is legally binding and directly applicable in all EU and EEA Member States. Non-compliance can lead to fines, criminal penalties, and product bans. REACH forms part of the EU’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and will continue evolving toward a toxic-free environment.

California’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulation sets a binding mandate for new vehicle sales to be 100 percent zero-emission by 2035. This article explains requirements, deadlines, enforcement, and industry impacts.

The Clean Fuel Regulations require producers and importers of gasoline and diesel (primary liquid fossil fuels) to progressively reduce the lifecycle carbon intensity (CI) of the fuels they supply in Canada. The CI reduction requirements begin in 2023 with incremental reductions each year and increase toward a target level by 2030, contributing to lower greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels. The regime uses a credit system that allows regulated parties flexibility: credits can be generated through low-carbon fuel supply, lifecycle emissions reductions, or advanced technologies, and they can be traded or banked for compliance purposes. Compliance is measured annually against prescribed CI limits defined for each calendar year. This performance-based approach supports fuel decarbonization, clean technology deployment, and market-based compliance mechanisms.

California’s SB-253 requires large companies doing business in the state to disclose full greenhouse-gas emissions, including Scope 3. This article explains obligations, timelines, penalties, and compliance challenges.

Canada’s Clean Electricity Regulations (SOR/2024-263) create a federal emissions control regime under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to limit greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuel-fired electricity generation. Beginning in 2035, the Regulations prohibit emissions above annual limits tailored to the capacity of covered electricity generating units, with stricter intensity limits and mechanisms for compliance flexibility, including offset credits. The CER is technology-neutral and designed to help transition the electricity sector toward net-zero emissions by 2050, while providing flexibility to maintain grid reliability and affordability. They apply to most fossil fuel generation units connected to the grid and include reporting, compliance, and enforcement obligations under federal environmental law. The regime supports Canada’s broader climate commitments by reducing emissions and encouraging clean energy deployment across provincial grids.

Italy’s packaging EPR system is implemented through CONAI, the national packaging consortium. Producers and importers that place packaging on the Italian market must register, declare packaging placed on the market, and pay the CONAI environmental contribution, which finances separate collection, recycling, and recovery. Recent reforms strengthen eco-modulated fees, recyclability, and labeling obligations. Small producers may benefit from simplified regimes, but enforcement against non-registered and under-declaring companies is increasing. The CONAI system is central to Italy’s packaging and circular economy policy.

Spain’s Law 7/2022 on Waste and Contaminated Soils for a Circular Economy sets a modern framework for waste prevention, reuse and recycling, while reinforcing Extended Producer Responsibility across multiple product categories. It bans certain single-use plastics, strengthens producer obligations for packaging (including industrial and commercial streams) and introduces a special tax on non-reusable plastic packaging at 0.45 euros per kilogram of non-recycled plastic. The law is implemented via detailed regulations, such as the packaging decree, and supports new systems like deposit-return schemes. It is a central instrument for the circular economy, packaging, plastics and waste-related compliance in Spain.

Canada’s proposed Oil and Gas Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap introduces a federal framework to limit emissions from upstream oil and gas activities while allowing production flexibility. The framework is designed to set a declining emissions cap aligned with Canada’s 2030 climate targets and net-zero pathway, potentially using a cap-and-trade–style compliance system with allowances and credits. While the cap is not yet in force as a finalized regulation, it represents a major forthcoming regulatory intervention with significant implications for upstream operators, emissions planning, capital investment, and compliance strategies.

Spain’s Law 11/2018 on Non-Financial Information and Diversity requires large companies to publish an annual Non-Financial Information Statement alongside their management report. The statement must cover environmental matters, social and employee issues, human rights, anti-corruption, and diversity. It applies to entities with more than 250 employees and either assets above 20 million euros or turnover over 40 million euros, with group exemptions when consolidated reporting exists. The law is binding and aims to increase corporate transparency and comparability of ESG performance, complementing EU-level developments such as CSRD.

Germany’s Packaging Act (VerpackG) makes producers, importers, and online retailers fully responsible for the packaging they place on the German market. Businesses must register with the LUCID Packaging Register, participate in an approved recycling system, and report annual packaging volumes by material type. The law, in force since 2019, strengthens Germany’s circular economy by ensuring that packaging waste is financed and managed by those who create it. Non-compliance can lead to fines up to €200,000 or sales bans.