The strategy aims to boost supply chain resilience of critical goods.

By Paul A. Davies, Michael D. Green, and James Bee

On 17 January 2024, the government launched the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy (the strategy), which aims to safeguard UK supplies of goods including medicine, minerals, and semiconductors.

The strategy forms part of a wider government initiative to back businesses and grow the UK economy by helping companies build resilient supply chains and maintain supplies of critical goods and raw materials.

The strategy notes that recent global events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and climate change have highlighted vulnerabilities of the UK’s essential supply chains. The strategy thus focuses on ensuring reliable access to critical imports for present and future needs.

Ag-Gag Statutes: Eighth Circuit Reverses Injunctions for Two Iowa ‘Ag-Gag’ Laws
On January 8, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued two opinions in separate cases reversing injunctions against two so-called Iowa “ag-gag” laws for First Amendment violations and remanding each case. Animal Legal Defense Fund v. Reynolds, No. 22-1830…

For anyone involved in the first round of the Clean Air Act regional haze program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) action on the first business day of 2024 came as no surprise: EPA proposed to disapprove the regional haze plan for Kansas. If the past is any indication of the future, this proposal foreshadows what will likely be many more regional haze state plan disapprovals over the next 12 months, given that EPA has already been hauled into court once again to force it back on schedule.

The Eligibility List sets out the approved host countries, carbon crediting programmes, and methodologies that meet the established Eligibility Criteria in Singapore.

By Paul A. Davies, Jean-Philippe Brisson, Farhana Sharmeen, Don Stokes, Michael D. Green, Qingyi Pan, James Bee, and Kevin Mak

On 19 December 2023, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) in Singapore published the Eligibility List under Singapore’s International Carbon Credit (ICC) Framework, which took effect from 1 January 2024 and was published on Singapore’s Carbon Markets Cooperation website.

The Eligibility List followed the signing of an inaugural Article 6 implementation agreement with Papua New Guinea on carbon credits cooperation.

Under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, countries may enter into an implementation agreement to cooperate to achieve their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by trading Paris Agreement compliant carbon credits. Parties to the implementation agreement must also effect certain corresponding adjustment mechanisms to ensure that any emission reductions or removals are struck from the host country’s NDC accounts to prevent double-counting.

State Regulation: Ohio Governor Signs Legislation Limiting EV Regulations and Facilitating Funding for Natural Gas Projects
On December 28, 2023, the Governor of Ohio signed into law House Bill 201 (the “Bill”) which places limits on regulations of electric vehicles and provides natural gas companies with capabilities to fund future development projects. The Bill expressly…

CA Aqueduct

On January 5, 2024, the Third District Court of Appeal, upheld the Department of Water Resources’ (“DWR’s”) approval of amendments to long-term contracts with local government agencies that receive water through the State Water Project in Planning and Conservation League, et al v. Department of Water Resources, et al, etc. (2024) 98 Cal.App.5th 726.…

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IntroductionOn November 30, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).[1] With this proposal, EPA aims to simplify and expand upon the 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) and the original 1991 Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). The proposed LCRI outlines aggressive measures to achieve further reductions of lead in drinking water. This initiative brings to the forefront a critical question: Are the potential health benefits projected by EPA enough to justify the scope and extent of the rule and its related hefty price tag?

The most anticipated developments for 2024 in UK chemicals regulation are the long-awaited publication of the UK’s Chemicals Strategy, and a consultation on the UK government’s alternative transitional registration model (ATRm). In November 2023, a policy paper was issued outlining the government’s high-level plans for ATRm, but the questions and details for stakeholders are still unknown.