At the end of March, the European Commission (Commission) presented the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI) as part of a ‘Circular Economy Package I’, together with a Sustainable Textiles Strategy, and proposals for a new directive empowering consumers for the green transition (please see Sustainability Outlook March 2022), and a new Construction Products Regulation. In
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Furthering the Biden Administration’s Environmental Goals Using the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Advisory Committee
Recently, in celebration of National Agriculture Day, US EPA Administrator Regan announced that US EPA had rechartered its Farm, Ranch & Rural Communities Advisory Committee (FRRCC). Administrator Regan simultaneously announced a new charge topic for the FRRCC as well.
The FRRCC was developed in 2007 and focuses on providing policy advice, information, and recommendations to
Environmental Justice Consideration in Affordable Housing
Environmental justice has a natural connection to affordable housing programs. It remains, however, a broad and somewhat elusive term. There is no formal definition of environmental justice in US federal law. However, relevant agencies have developed working descriptions for the term. US EPA generally defines it as “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people
Still Time To Have Your Voice Heard In The UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry
With just under a week remaining on the Cabinet Office’s online consultation process into the COVID-19 Public Inquiry, we explore the current stage of the Public Inquiry process, the next steps, and the importance of ensuring organisations and individuals have their say in the draft Terms of Reference (“TORs”) by 7 April 2022, which will
Crunch Time for Critical Minerals in the US
Following up on Squire Patton Boggs’s continuing coverage of the critical minerals industry, we examine some recent reforms in the federal permitting process which aim to ease supply-side constraints by expediting the development and exploitation of critical minerals. Rapidly mounting geopolitical tensions, East/West decoupling, and longstanding supply chain stresses underlie a new reality—global logistics
UK Calorie Labelling for Food and Drink in Restaurants, Takeaways, Deli Counters and Other ‘Out of Home’
There is less than a month to go before the UK’s new Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 (the “Regulations”) come into force (6 April 2022). The Regulations include obligations for calorie labelling for ‘non-prepacked foods’ in England, which are sold in a form suitable for ‘immediate consumption’. They will require businesses
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) Publishes Enforcement Data (UK)
The OPSS has published details of its enforcement actions during the six months from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021. Actions related to product safety included orders for forfeiture and destruction, compliance notices and the issue of mandatory withdrawal and recall notices. Relevant businesses included businesses based in Great Britain, but also a significant
A “Made in America” Supply Chain for Critical Minerals
The Biden administration recently announced major investments in the domestic production of key critical minerals and materials.
The minerals targeted by the Administration are the rare earth elements, lithium, and cobalt—found in products from personal rechargeable electronics and television screens, to household appliances, as well as those used in clean energy technologies like batteries, electric
February 2022 Update: EU Sustainability Outlook: Key Developments In EU Sustainability Law and Policy
Our European Public Policy team is pleased to share with you our monthly newsletter, Sustainability Outlook – European Union which looks at key developments in EU sustainability law and policy. This month’s edition includes the following:
Biden EPA Backtracks on Trump-Era Water Policy – Will the New Stance Lead to Efficiency or Add to Administrative Backlog?
US EPA recently issued two memoranda announcing a more flexible timeline for its review of state and tribal water quality standards (WQS), replacing a Trump-Era policy that set defined deadlines for these reviews. On February 4, 2022, US EPA Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox issued a memorandum entitled “Rescission of Memorandum Titled: ‘Policy for the EPA’s Review