The European Commission has unveiled a first set of pilot actions to accelerate Europe's transition to a circular economy, with a particular focus on the plastics sector. The Commission says that by optimising the recycling of plastics, these measures will further unlock the potential of the Single Market and enhance the EU's economic security, strategic autonomy, competitiveness and environmental sustainability.
Those importing more than 50 tonnes of cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertiliser, as well as all importers of electricity or hydrogen, need to have submitted an application for a CBAM account number or a CBAM application
reference number under the EU CBAM (or received an authorisation at the time of import). Importers who have not already submitted applications need to act fast now to avoid risking disruptions, delays or penalties. Applications must be submitted prior to import and at the latest by 31 March 2026 for all concerned import companies.
The European Council has approved conclusions on 'Europe's Environment 2030 – Building a more climate resilient and circular Europe'. The conclusions stress the urgent need to accelerate action to meet the EU’s long-term environmental and climate goals, particularly the six 2030 priority objectives of the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP).
Legal Affairs Committee MEPs and the European Council have agreed to reduce sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements for companies, a proposal that forms part of the so-called Omnibus I package. According to the informal agreement, social and environmental reporting will only be required for EU companies employing on average over 1,000 employees and with a net annual turnover of over €450m. The net turnover threshold has also been increased for non-EU companies to €450m generated in the EU for sustainability reporting.
Negotiators from the European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional political agreement on an amendment to the EU Climate Law, setting a new, intermediate and binding 2040 EU climate target of reducing net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90% compared to 1990 levels.
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has issued targeted amendments to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions disclosure requirements in IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures in response to specific application challenges that were identified as companies started to apply the Standard.
The EU Parliament has endorsed reduced reporting duties and due diligence requirements for companies. With 382 votes in favour, 249 against and with 13 abstentions, Parliament has adopted its negotiating position on simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence duties for businesses.
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has issued International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (UK) 5000, “General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements”, which provides UK companies, investors and assurance providers with a consistent, internationally aligned assurance standards for voluntary use in sustainability assurance engagements.
The Global Circularity Protocol for Business (GCP) has been launched to accelerate the transition to a circular economy by providing a global framework for measuring, managing and communicating an organisation’s circular performance and its impacts. Developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in collaboration with the UNEP-hosted One Planet Network (OPN), the GCP enables organisations to embed circularity at the heart of strategy and operations.
Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) has launched a 60-day period for two public consultations. One consultation focuses on updates to the Scope 2 Guidance (2015) which addresses inventory accounting, while the other seeks feedback on consequential accounting methods for estimating avoided emissions from electricity-sector actions. These are the first public consultations in a broader effort to update GHG Protocol’s suite of corporate standards and guidance.
Global biodiversity is declining at unprecedented rates. ISO 17298 provides a practical framework to help organisations of all types and sizes understand how they depend on and impact nature – and take concrete action to address it. Developed by ISO’s expert committee on biodiversity (ISO/TC 331), this is the first International Standard that guides organisations in embedding biodiversity into their core strategies, operations and decision-making processes.
New online polling conducted across 10 European countries reveals that 75% of respondents rate the upholding by the European Union (EU) of its own environmental laws within EU member states as important (38% selected “very important”, 37% selected “fairly important”).
The European Parliament has given the green light to new measures to prevent and reduce waste from food and textiles across the EU. For context, each European generates 132kg of food waste and 12kg of clothing and footwear waste per year. The updated legislation will introduce binding food waste reduction targets, to be met at national level by 31 December 2030: 10% from food processing and manufacturing and 30% per capita from retail, restaurants, food services and households.
The UK government has introduced a landmark bill to protect two-thirds of the world’s ocean, a key source of food and oxygen for people in the UK and all over the world. This marks a major step forward in global efforts to protect marine life and ecosystems beyond national borders.
The EU Commission has launched a public consultation and a call for evidence for the upcoming Circular Economy Act. It marks a significant step in the impact assessment process and understand the bottlenecks and opportunities for the wider deployment of a circular economy.