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On July 13, 2021, the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board approved a rulemaking to establish a program to limit the CO2 emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric generating units (EGU) located in the Commonwealth.
The stated purpose of the final-form rulemaking is “to reduce anthropogenic emissions of CO2, a greenhouse gas (GHG) and major contributor to climate…
An example of a new trend towards recognizing “Environmental, Social and Governance” (“ESG”) impacts from business operations is the recently introduced Climate Risk Disclosure Act of 2021 (“the Act”). As currently drafted, the Act would require significant new public disclosures from publicly traded companies regarding financial risks to their operations and profitability from climate change…
Earlier today, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board held a public meeting to consider, among other items, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which was developed to replace the existing ETS that has been in place since December 1, 2020.
During the initial…
In our previous ESG Update blog, we described what the then anticipated new EU-wide Sustainable Corporate Governance requirements might look like.
On 21 April, The European Commission published a draft of the proposed new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). It will completely replace and significantly expand the scope of the current EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive.…
On Earth Day, April 22, 2021, President Biden announced that the U.S. will aim to cut carbon emissions in half by the year 2030 compared to 2005 levels. This is significantly higher even than goals established by President Obama during his tenure. The virtual Leaders Summit on Climate where the announcement was made took place…
In our “What to expect in 2021” blog, one cross-sectoral EU initiative we flagged was forthcoming Commission proposals for far-reaching new EU-wide Sustainable Corporate Governance requirements.
Here are some more details of what that might entail.
Background
Recent studies have suggested that companies performing well on ESG factors outperform their peers and that…
In accordance with its initiatives under the European Green Deal, the Commission is currently seeking public feedback on both its proposed update to the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (‘IED’) and for the proposed implementation of the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan.
Introduced in 2019, the European Green Deal sets out the Commission’s ambitious strategy to…
Earlier this month, BEIS (the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) started to accept applications for grants under Phase I of its Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF). The IETF, first announced by the UK government in August 2018, is slated to provide £315 million in funding by 2024 to support a shift to ‘greener’…
Many businesses are reopening their doors as states lift closure orders. While a plan to reopen will look different for each company, all employers should ensure they are taking appropriate cleaning and safety measures to reduce possible exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recommended several measures…
Previously shuttered businesses and offices are gearing up to reopen as many states are beginning to lift closure orders. Each employer will need to determine when it is legally permitted to reopen based upon state and local mandates. While plans to reopen will vary widely from state to state and company to company, all employers…
