Sustainability regulatory updates, the circular economy and the environment
Europe
EU Deforestation Regulation:
On the 4th of December, the Council Presidency and European Parliament have reached a provisional political agreement on a targeted revision of the EU Deforestation Regulation, intended to simplify the implementation of the existing framework and defer its application so that operators, traders and competent authorities have sufficient time to prepare.
The main elements of the agreements are:
- Clear extension of the application datefor all operators until 30 December 2026, with an extra six-month cushion for micro and small operators.
- The obligation and responsibility to submit the required due diligence statement will fall exclusively on the operators who first place the product on the market. The co-legislators have agreed that only the first downstream operatorin the supply chain will be responsible for collecting and retaining the reference number of the initial due diligence statement, rather than passing it on further down the chain.
- The simplified declarationfor micro and small primary operators was also clarified. These operators will only submit a one-time simplified declaration and will receive a declaration identifier, which will be sufficient for traceability purposes.
- Require competent authoritiesto report significant IT system disruptions to the Commission to ensure the smooth functioning of the system, but with flexibility to minimise administrative burdens.
- Remove certain printed products(such as books, newspapers, printed pictures) from the scope of the regulation, reflecting the limited deforestation risk associated with these items.
The provisional agreement must now be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions before it can enter into force and replace the current EUDR.
Even with the delay, building EUDR‑ready systems (supplier data, geolocation/traceability, DDS workflows, IT readiness) takes time.
At Eurofins Sustainability Services, we provide services to support EUDR readiness: supplier mapping with cascading questionnaires and precise geolocation capture, deforestation risk assessment, targeted mitigation planning, and tailored reporting.
Start now to de‑risk compliance and avoid last‑minute bottlenecks: https://sustainabilityservices.eurofins.com/services/eudr-deforestation-impact-assessment/
Recent publications regarding sustainability regulatory updates, the circular economy, and the environment (non-exhaustive).
| Entity | Date | Publication | |
| European Parliament | 26/11/2025 |
On November 26th the EU published Regulation EU 2025/2365, which introduces a comprehensive set of legally binding rules to prevent the loss of plastic pellets during production, handling, transport and storage. Its objective is to reduce microplastic pollution at the source. What the Regulation Requires
|
|
| EU Commission | 24/11/2025 | On the 24th of November 2025, the European Commission has published new guidelines on calculating and allocating the costs of cleaning up litter from single-use plastic (SUP) products, as required under Article 8(4) of Directive (EU) 2019/904, commonly known as the Single-Use Plastics Directive.
The guidance clarifies how Member States should implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, ensuring that producers of SUP items such as food containers, beverage cups, wet wipes, balloons, and tobacco filters cover the costs of litter clean-up, transport, and treatment. These measures aim to reduce plastic pollution and support the EU’s circular economy goals. The main points include:
The Commission emphasizes that these guidelines are non-binding but provide a common framework for Member States to design fair and effective EPR systems. The ultimate goal is to incentivize producers to adopt upstream measures that prevent littering rather than merely funding clean-up operations. For full details, visit EUR-Lex |
|
| EU Commission | 19/11/2025 | The European Commission has released a Communication setting out its plan for a Sustainable and Circular Textiles Strategy, aimed at transforming textile production, consumption and waste management across the EU. The strategy proposes measures to reduce environmental pressure from the sector — including requirements for design for durability, reuse and repair, improved traceability and transparency along supply chains, prevention and reduction of textile waste, and strengthened circular-economy instruments. It calls for extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles, better consumer information (e.g., labelling on durability, repairability and recyclability), and support for reuse, collection and recycling infrastructure. The Communication also outlines the need for regulatory and non-regulatory measures to ensure chemicals safety, promote sustainable fibres and low-impact materials, improve working conditions and social sustainability, and encourage innovation in sustainable textile technologies. Overall, the strategy sets a roadmap for the EU to foster a textile industry aligned with climate, environmental and circular-economy goals. | |
| TRIS | 19/11/2025 |
|
|
| UK Gov |
18/11/2025 | A new UK regulation has been published concerning the supply of wet wipes that contain plastic. This measure forms part of the Government’s broader strategy to reduce plastic pollution and protect waterways. key insights:
• The ban will take effect 18 months after the Regulations were made, with implementation expected in spring 2027. |
|
| French Republic | 17/11/2025 | A new decree has been published related to Agec Law: The decree of 17 November 2025 extends France’s extended producer responsibility scheme to cover not only household packaging but also packaging used or consumed by professionals, requiring producers to finance and organise the collection, reuse, recycling, and broader waste-management operations for these streams beginning 1 January 2026. It defines key terms by reference to EU Regulation 2025/40, assigns eco-organisms a central operational and financial role, and introduces stricter requirements on cost allocation, data traceability, and coordination among approved schemes. The text also establishes specific rules for oil and chemical-product containers, clarifies when packaging waste may be mixed with other professional waste streams, and sets transitional arrangements to ensure continuity for existing contracts and sectoral agreements. | |
| California | 15/11/2025 | California producers were required to submit packaging data by 15 November 2025 under SB 54, even though the state’s implementing regulations are not yet finalised. To support compliance, the Circular Action Alliance (CAA) issued reporting guidance and a California-specific producer definition, enabling producers to submit the information needed for CAA to begin developing the state’s EPR Program Plan. The reported data will not be used to determine fees at this stage; instead, it will form the baseline for source-reduction targets, system-wide performance indicators and future program guidance. With reporting completed, CalRecycle must now finalise SB 54 regulations following the rejection of its initial draft in March 2025. The statewide Needs Assessment is underway, with publication expected in January 2026, after which CAA will submit a draft Program Plan in mid-2026 for review by CalRecycle and the SB 54 Advisory Board. According to CAA, California’s packaging EPR program will officially launch in January 2027, when producers will begin paying fees. | |
| EU Commission | 13/11/2025 | On the 13th of November 2025, the European Union has taken a major step toward improving chemical safety and transparency with the adoption of the “One Substance, One Assessment” (OSOA) legislative package. This reform, proposed in December 2023, approved by the European Parliament on 21 October and formally adopted by the Council on 13 November, aims to streamline chemical safety assessments across EU laws. The OSOA package is part of the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability under the European Green Deal’s Zero Pollution Vision for 2050.
The main points of the Reform are:
|
|
| EU Commission | 11/11/2025 | The European Commission has adopted Regulation (EU) 2025/2262, introducing technical amendments to the EU ecodesign framework for several product groups. The measure updates requirements in Regulation (EU) 2023/826 on off-mode, standby-mode and networked-standby energy consumption for household and office electrical equipment, and Regulation (EU) 2023/2533 on household tumble dryers. Key changes include new and clarified definitions, updated measurement conditions for household coffee machines and kitchen grinders, and a revised definition of motor-operated building elements such as powered shutters and blinds. For household tumble dryers, the regulation establishes a harmonised methodology for calculating average final moisture content, reinforces repairability rules by defining which tools must be usable and which spare parts must remain available, and sets out updated parameters for testing, energy-efficiency measurement and verification tolerances. The revisions aim to ensure consistent application of ecodesign rules across the internal market, improve product durability and repairability, and support EU circular-economy objectives. | |
| EU Parliament | 10/11/2025 | The European Parliament has adopted its position on the EU’s 2040 climate target, calling for a 90% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels as part of the pathway to climate neutrality by 2050. MEPs emphasise that the target must be underpinned by strong sectoral measures, including accelerated deployment of renewables, faster energy-efficiency improvements, decarbonisation of industry, and a managed phase-out of fossil fuels. The position also stresses the need to safeguard competitiveness, provide support for workers and vulnerable regions through a just transition, and strengthen natural carbon sinks. This Parliament mandate will guide upcoming negotiations with the Council on the final shape of the EU’s 2040 climate framework. | |
| European Parliament and China | 10/11/2025 | China’s updated NDC, submitted on 3 November 2025, includes its first-ever commitment to absolute greenhouse-gas reductions. China’s pledge sets four targets for 2035: (1) reducing net economy-wide emissions by 7–10% from peak levels — a sharp contrast to the EU-27’s planned 48–57% reduction over the same period (page 1); (2) increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to over 30%, building on a rapid rise from 5.7% in 2000 to 20% in 2024 (page 1, chart); (3) expanding installed wind and solar capacity to 3 600 GW, over six times China’s 2020 levels, a target China is already on track to surpass before 2030 (page 2, chart); and (4) boosting total forest stock volume to over 24 billion m³ by 2035, supported by sustained afforestation policies (page 2). The briefing notes that China’s targets remain conservative relative to its current trajectory, but their inclusion marks a significant evolution from previous CO₂-intensity-based commitments | |
| EU Council | 05/11/2025 | The Council has agreed its position on an amendment to the European Climate Law, endorsing a binding 2040 target of a 90% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels as a milestone toward EU climate neutrality by 2050. The agreed text maintains the 90% target but introduces flexibility for member states, including limited use of high-quality international carbon credits, a role for domestic permanent carbon removals under the EU Emissions Trading System, and enhanced flexibility across sectors and instruments to achieve the target in a cost-effective and socially balanced way. It also sets principles for the post-2030 climate framework, with a stronger focus on competitiveness, just transition, innovation, energy security and the protection of natural carbon sinks and biodiversity. The Council’s position further provides for a biennial assessment of progress, a possible future revision of the climate law based on that review, and a one-year postponement of the start of the new ETS2 for buildings and road transport to 2028, and will serve as the basis for upcoming negotiations with the European Parliament on the final legislation. | |
| EU Commission | 05/11/2025 | The European Commission has adopted Regulation (EU) 2025/2240, amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1442 to adjust transitional rules for plastic food-contact materials manufactured with salicylic acid or untreated wood flour or fibres. The update responds to difficulties applicants faced in submitting the documentation required by EFSA for risk assessment—particularly for untreated wood flour/fibres—following new EFSA technical guidance on mixtures of natural origin. The regulation extends the period during which such materials may continue to be first placed on the market, allowing production between 1 February 2025 and 31 January 2026, provided that an authorisation application was submitted before 1 August 2024 and meets specified conditions. Products meeting these conditions may also continue to be placed on the market after 31 January 2026, as long as EFSA has validated the application by that date. The revision further clarifies that eligible materials may remain on the market until the application is withdrawn or the Commission issues an authorisation decision. The regulation applies from 1 February 2025, ensuring continuity for operators while EFSA completes its assessments. | |
| PEER – US | 05/11/2025 | Several major plastics recyclers have suspended or withdrawn certification for fluorinated HDPE containers following new concerns that certain fluorination processes may generate PFAS, creating contamination risks within recycling streams. According to the announcement, recyclers are pausing acceptance or certification of these containers until clearer evidence, testing protocols and regulatory guidance are available to confirm whether PFAS formation occurs during fluorination and whether recycled material could carry over these substances. The move reflects growing industry caution as PFAS scrutiny intensifies globally and signals potential disruption for brands using fluorinated packaging, who may need to reassess compliance, material choices and end-of-life pathways pending further clarification. For more information click here. | |
| AFIRM Group | November 2025 | The AFIRM Group has published Version 10.1 of its 2025 Restricted Substances List (RSL),, focusing on targeted changes to PFAS, UV absorbers and VOCs. The revision updates PFAS testing by adopting EN 17681-1:2025 for textiles and other materials, retaining EN ISO 23702-1:2023 for leather, adding a polymer method based on EN ISO 23702-1:2023 with THF extraction and methanol precipitation, and introducing EN 17813:2023 as an additional total-fluorine screening option, while maintaining existing PFAS substance groups and limits, including those for PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS and their related substances. It further strengthens controls on UV stabilizers by adding UV 329 with a 1000 ppm limit and tightening the UV 328 limit to 100 ppm, and it updates the VOC section by removing 2,4-toluene diisocyanate due to analytical constraints and pointing users to a new AFIRM VOC Testing Guidance and an expanded VOC list in Appendix D. | |
| AAFA | 31/10/2025 | The American Apparel & Footwear Association has called for sweeping reforms to trade, labelling and chemical-management rules, arguing that current barriers are undermining sustainability progress across the global apparel and footwear sector. In its submission to the USTR’s 2026 National Trade Estimate report, the association highlights unpredictable tariffs, fragmented chemical-safety requirements and restrictions on recycled-material imports as key obstacles to circularity and lower-impact manufacturing. AAFA stresses that physical labelling alone generates more than 5.7 million miles of label-tape waste and at least 343,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually, urging a shift to digital labelling to reduce waste and improve recyclability. It also calls for harmonised chemical regulations, the renewal of key US trade-preference programmes, and greater stability in global logistics to mitigate rising carbon impacts. Overall, AAFA argues that predictable and coordinated policy frameworks are essential to unlock sector-wide sustainability improvements and safeguard US competitiveness. | |
| EU Commission | 28/10/2025 | On 28 October 2025, the European Commission adopted Implementing Regulation 2025/2194, which establishes a single uniform electronic template that project promoters must use when applying for recognition of a critical-raw-material project as a ‘Strategic Project’ under Regulation (EU) 2024/1252; the template, detailed in the Annex to the Regulation, harmonises the information requirements for applications and is binding and directly applicable in all Member States as of 18 November 2025 | |
| UK WRAP | 28/10/2025 | WRAP has published the UK Textiles Pact Roadmap 2026–2030, setting out priority actions for accelerating circularity across the UK textiles sector. The roadmap outlines how industry signatories can work collaboratively to reduce environmental impacts by focusing on supply-chain decarbonisation, improved resource efficiency and the adoption of circular business models such as reuse and recycling. Developed with input from industry stakeholders, it provides updated guidance, tools and pathways intended to support progress toward long-term climate and resource-reduction goals, and reinforces WRAP’s call for systemic change to transform the sector’s environmental performance. | |
| ANSES – France | 27/10/2025 | ANSES has released the results of a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind national survey measuring human exposure to PFAS chemicals across France. The study assessed levels of several PFAS compounds in a representative sample of the population, revealing widespread exposure and highlighting geographic and demographic variations. The findings signal the urgency for strengthened regulatory and mitigation measures: ANSES recommends enhanced controls on PFAS emissions and contamination sources, expanded environmental and food-chain monitoring, and updated public health guidance. The agency underscores that the data will feed into future national and EU-level risk-management decisions, with the aim of reducing PFAS-related health risks and ensuring safer exposure levels for all citizens. | |
| Malaysia | 24/10/2025 | On 24 October 2025, Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs launched three flagship ASEAN initiatives under Malaysia’s 2025 Chairmanship—(1) the ASEAN MSME Excellence Centre for Green Transition (MEGA) to support MSMEs in adopting sustainable practices; (2) the ASEAN Ahead: STI Ecosystem Foresight 2035 and Beyond to strengthen regional science, technology and innovation capabilities; and (3) ASEAN in 2025: Shaping an Inclusive and Sustainable Future, a publication outlining ASEAN’s long-term development trajectory—emphasising inclusivity, sustainability, digital connectivity and the importance of preparing ASEAN for emerging challenges while reinforcing the region’s commitment to a cohesive and forward-looking community. | |
| EU Commission | 24/10/2025 | The European Commission has issued non-binding guidelines under Directive (EU) 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, providing Member States with a framework for calculating the costs of litter clean-up attributable to the single-use plastic items covered by the Directive. The notice defines key terms, clarifies which publicly managed clean-up, transport, treatment and infrastructure-related activities may be included in cost calculations, and sets out methodological options for allocating these costs to producers, including the possibility of using multiannual fixed amounts when detailed data are unavailable. The document reiterates that these guidelines reflect the Commission’s interpretation of the Directive and do not impose obligations beyond those established in the underlying legislation | |
| EU Council | 23/10/2025 | On 23 October 2025, the European Council adopted conclusions on competitiveness and the twin (green and digital) transition, calling for an ambitious simplification and better-regulation agenda to be implemented by 2028 through accelerated work on existing “omnibus” simplification packages (including on investment, CBAM, sustainability reporting, due diligence, agriculture, SMEs, digitalisation, defence readiness and chemical products), further simplification initiatives (notably for the automotive, energy-intensive and chemical sectors, including a review of REACH), and stress-testing of the EU acquis, while also urging rapid action to secure affordable clean energy and complete the Energy Union before 2030, support industrial decarbonisation and a competitive green transition, prepare enabling conditions for the EU’s 2040 climate target (including ETS2 adjustments), and advance a sovereign digital transition that reinforces Europe’s open digital ecosystem, safeguards EU values and data protection, protects minors online (including via a digital age of majority for access to social media), strengthens cyber-resilience and technological capabilities, and accelerates rollout of connectivity and digital infrastructure to boost innovation, start-ups and the digital Single Market | |
| European Parliament | 22/10/2025 | The European Parliament has called for the New Legislative Framework (NLF) to be updated so it can better support the EU’s digital and green transition, emphasizing that the current framework must evolve to address more complex, connected and sustainability-driven products. According to Parliament, the NLF should remain the cornerstone of EU product legislation but must be modernised to reflect new technologies, reinforce market surveillance, and enhance alignment with circular-economy objectives. The resolution highlights the need for clearer responsibilities across supply chains, improved traceability, and stronger mechanisms to ensure product compliance, while also stressing that any revision must maintain legal certainty and avoid unnecessary administrative burdens for businesses. | |
| ANSES – France | 22/10/2025 | The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety ANSES has announced an expanded programme to strengthen monitoring of PFAS across the environment, food and consumer exposure pathways. Building on earlier national sampling campaigns, the agency will broaden surveillance to better characterise population exposure, identify contamination sources and support future regulatory action. The updated programme includes wider testing of water, soil, foodstuffs and biosurveillance indicators, with the aim of producing more comprehensive national data to inform public-health protection and guide risk-management measures at both national and EU levels. | |
| Netherlands | 21/10/2025 | On 21 October 2025, the Netherlands notified the European Commission via the TRIS system of draft amendments to the Decree on the Living Environment (Activities), the Industrial Waste and Hazardous Waste Notification Decree, and the Waste Collection Decree, introducing obligations for companies performing certain environmentally harmful activities to deliver waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) to approved processors, establishing notification duties for processors receiving WEEE, and creating a permit requirement for WEEE collectors, with the measures aiming to reduce an estimated 100 000 tonnes of annual WEEE leak flows and enhance environmental and public-health protection. | |
| EU Commission | 21/10/2025 | On 21 November, the European Commission published its 2025 Report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement outlining actions to reduce administrative burdens while preserving the EU’s environmental and sustainability objectives. The report highlights six adopted “omnibus” packages that streamline legislation in areas such as sustainability reporting, environmental regulation, chemicals and due diligence, generating significant cost reductions for operators, including SMEs. It also confirms ongoing “reality checks” and sectoral reviews in environmental and circular-economy legislation, with further simplification initiatives under preparation. The Commission stresses that simplification must go hand-in-hand with enforcement and details extensive infringement actions launched in 2025 across climate, energy, water, waste and environmental impact assessment laws to ensure full and consistent application of EU sustainability rules. | |
| EU Commission | 21/10/2025 | The European Parliament has adopted the One Substance, One Assessment (OSOA) package, introducing a more streamlined and transparent framework for evaluating chemicals in the EU. The reform establishes a common data platform compiling information on chemical hazards, environmental presence, uses and available safer alternatives, while reallocating scientific and technical assessment tasks to the European Chemicals Agency to reduce duplication and improve consistency. It also strengthens data-reporting requirements, including information on chemicals in products and research data, to support earlier identification of emerging risks. Positioned within the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the zero-pollution agenda, the OSOA package is intended to enhance regulatory efficiency, improve access to high-quality chemical data, and reinforce environmental and human-health protection. | |
| TRIS | 21/10/2025 | The Netherlands has published a draft decree on TRIS introducing new requirements for the management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The proposal amends several national waste-management laws to require authorised processing of WEEE, strengthen permitting and notification obligations for collectors and processors, and improve traceability to prevent environmentally harmful disposal routes. The measure aims to reinforce responsible WEEE handling and reduce associated environmental risks, with a standstill period open until 22 January 2026. | |
| USA/ California | 21/10/2025 | California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has initiated a reproductive-toxicity review for p,p′-bisphenol chemicals under Proposition 65, formally requesting scientific information relevant to their potential listing as reproductive toxicants. The notice marks the beginning of the state’s evidence-gathering process and invites submissions of data on toxicity, exposure and other relevant factors to support the evaluation. | |
| EU Commission | 20/10/2025 | On 20 October 2025, the EU published the 2025 Overview Report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement, outlining progress on its mandate-wide drive to reduce regulatory burdens and speed up the application of EU law; the report notes that six cross-cutting “omnibus” packages have already been proposed, delivering over EUR 8.6 billion in expected administrative-cost reductions as part of broader targets to cut burdens by 25% overall and 35% for SMEs, alongside stress-testing of major policy areas, 28 implementation dialogues with more than 550 stakeholders, expanded support for Member States, and intensified enforcement actions, and announces further simplification initiatives planned for late 2025 and 2026. | |
| Turkey | 18/10/2025 | On 18 October 2025, the Turkish Presidency issued General Directive No. 2025/17, officially enacting the National Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan (2025–2028) (UDESEP) prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change of Turkey, which sets out six strategic areas, 22 objectives and 53 actions to advance a circular-economy model aligned with Turkey’s 2053 net-zero emissions goal, focusing on seven priority sectors (packaging; battery & vehicle; electronics & ICT; construction & building; plastic; textile; food & biomass), and aims to increase resource efficiency, reduce waste and emissions, mobilise green investments, and create over 100 000 jobs while reporting and monitoring progress every six months. | |
| CEN | 15/10/2025 | On the 15th of October 2025, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) published CWA 18291:2025, titled “TRICK – Guidelines on Data Collection from Textile Supply Chains for the Digital Product Passport.” This CEN Workshop Agreement provides a structured approach for gathering validated data throughout textile and footwear supply chains, aiming to support traceability, transparency, and sustainability claims.
Developed in the context of the TRICK project and other EU initiatives, the document outlines a comprehensive framework aligned with the European Commission’s textile strategy. It includes methodologies for ensuring data integrity, such as the use of blockchain references and environmental footprint tracking. The CWA is designed to help companies collect the necessary information to support Digital Product Passport (DPP) declarations, promote semantic consistency and interoperability, and share insights from industrial pilot projects to facilitate compliance with upcoming EU regulations. It is intended for all stakeholders in the textile industry, as well as IT solution providers working on ERP, PLM, traceability, customs, and sustainability tools. |
|
| California | 13/10/2025 | California’s existing PFAS law, AB 347, requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to adopt and enforce restrictions on PFAS in certain product categories, specifically food packaging made from plant-fiber materials, juvenile products, and textile articles. Under AB 347, DTSC must establish enforceable regulatory requirements by July 1, 2029, and begin policing compliance by July 1, 2030. Looking ahead, broader PFAS regulation in California has stalled following Governor Newsom’s October 13, 2025 veto of SB 682, which would have significantly expanded PFAS prohibitions to products such as cleaning agents, dental floss, cookware, ski wax, additional food packaging, and juvenile products containing intentionally added PFAS. The Governor cited concerns about product affordability and limited alternatives, sending the bill back to the Senate for further consideration. | |
| DTSC/California | October 2025 | On 18 October 2025, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) announced the release of updated Hazardous Waste Management Plans, which outline statewide priorities for hazardous-waste oversight, including reducing hazardous-waste generation, improving permitting and compliance—particularly in environmentally burdened communities—updating waste-classification criteria, and strengthening California’s long-term treatment and disposal capacity planning; the plans form part of DTSC’s broader strategy to protect public health and the environment while supporting more efficient, transparent hazardous-waste management across the state. | |
| EU Commission | October 2025 | EU publishes technical assessment underpinning the 2025 Climate Action Progress Report detailing greenhouse gas emission trends, sector-by-sector projections, and Member States’ progress toward the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate targets. The document confirms that while EU emissions have continued to decline – falling 32.6% below 1990 levels per the most recent National Inventory Document – the pace of reductions is insufficient to meet the 2030 target without accelerated action, with current trends indicating a shortfall of around 280 MtCO₂-eq by 2030 unless Member States fully implement planned measures. The analysis highlights persistent gaps in transport, buildings and agriculture, and points to growing deviation in international aviation and maritime emissions. It also reviews Member States’ responses to earlier recommendations on climate adaptation and resilience, noting improved policy frameworks but significant variation in robustness and implementation across countries. The document includes detailed assessments of ETS and effort-sharing emissions, LULUCF accounting, and auctioning revenue use, and feeds into the EU’s Biennial Transparency Report under the Paris Agreement. Overall, the technical assessment underscores the need for sustained investment, strengthened national measures and coherent long-term strategies if the EU is to stay on track for its climate-neutrality objective. |
|
| DEFRA (UK Government) | October 2025 | The UK Government (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) has launched a public consultation on proposed amendments to the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown schedule under the GB Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Regulations 2021. The consultation seeks views on accelerating the reduction of HFCs placed on the market by revising the existing phasedown trajectory, with the goal of achieving deeper, earlier cuts in line with UK climate commitments. It also invites input on the impacts for businesses, availability of low-GWP alternatives, and the readiness of supply chains. | |
| Vietnam | October 2025 | Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has released a draft amendment to the E-commerce Law aimed at modernising the regulatory framework for the country’s rapidly expanding digital economy. The proposal broadens the scope of e-commerce oversight to include digital platforms, social-commerce channels and cross-border online activities, while introducing clearer obligations for online traders, service providers and intermediary platforms. The draft strengthens requirements on transparency, consumer protection, data management and fair competition, and incorporates provisions to support greener and more sustainable e-commerce practices, including environmental responsibility in logistics and platform operations. The amended law also seeks to align Vietnam’s governance of the digital marketplace with international standards as part of its ongoing digital-transformation and sustainability strategies. | |
| South Korea | 16/09/2025 | From 1 January 2026, South Korea’s Ministry of Environment will require large bottled-water and non-alcoholic beverage producers (those using at least 5,000 tons of PET bottles yearly) to use at least 10% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in clear plastic beverage bottles, as per amendments to the Enforcement Decree under the Resource Recycling Act. Meanwhile, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has set design and recycled-content requirements under the 2022 Plastic Resource Circulation Promotion Act: starting 24 January 2026, plastic beverage bottles seeking certification must be made from colourless PET, free from incompatible caps/labels, and contain at least 15% recycled or bio-based plastic by weight. | |
| New European reuse Alliance | 10/09/2025 | On 10 September 2025, the New European Reuse Alliance (together with 78 organisations representing the reusable-packaging industry and civil society) published a statement calling for the establishment of a clear and enforceable reuse symbol under Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR), noting that the implementing acts on labelling requirements are expected by August 2026, and stating that the symbol should only be used for packaging that: (1) is part of a reuse system with collection, sorting, cleaning, repair and redistribution; (2) is designed for multiple reuse cycles and meets a defined minimum number of rotations; (3) achieves a high return rate; and (4) is recyclable at end of life, while the enforcement framework should include guidelines, penalties for misuse, oversight mechanisms and awareness-raising, with recognition that reusable transport packaging in business-to-business closed-loop systems may be exempt from physical symbol labelling in favour of digital tracking. | |
| China | 09/09/2025 | The China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNCA) has issued new green-product certification implementation rules covering nine product categories: lighting products; logistics turnover boxes; dyes; ready-mixed mortar for decoration/renovation; stone materials; refractory materials; computers; printers and multifunction devices; and wall (building) materials. At the same time, CNCA revised the existing rules for seven categories — sanitary ceramics, furniture, thermal-insulation materials, wood-plastic products, textile products, paper and paper products, and ceramic tiles/boards. The previous versions of the rules for those seven categories have been abolished as of 4 September 2025. | |
| Ontario Government | September 2025 | On 4 September 2025, the Government of Ontario published its final decision on amendments to the Blue Box Regulation (O. Reg. 391/21), stating that the changes are intended to clarify requirements, reduce administrative burden, and improve implementation by updating several definitions, adjusting diversion targets, modifying eligible sources, and streamlining processes for producer responsibility organizations, with the decision confirming that these amendments follow earlier consultations and will support more effective operation of the province’s producer-responsibility recycling framework. | |
| South Korea | September 2025 | On 26 September 2025, the Ministry of Environment, South Korea revised the Enforcement Rules and the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources (often called the Resource Recycling Act), thereby tightening requirements for the use of recycled materials, streamlining regulatory provisions and enhancing enforcement to promote higher uptake of recycled content in products and packaging. | |
| Spain | September 2025 | Spain’s planned Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles — intended to shift the burden of disposal, collection and recycling from consumers and municipalities to the producers/brands placing textiles on the market — has been postponed. The draft Royal Decree was expected to be adopted soon after a public consultation, but more than 1,200 objections from fashion-industry stakeholders prompted the government to halt the process while it reviews the feedback. As a result, the launch of the national EPR for textiles is now on hold pending further assessment. | |
| European Commission | September 2025 | The European Commission and the High Representative have issued a Joint Communication outlining a new Strategic EU-India Agenda designed to significantly deepen cooperation across five pillars: prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence, connectivity and global governance, and cross-cutting enablers. The agenda builds on the 2025 visit of the College of Commissioners to India and seeks to elevate the partnership in response to geopolitical pressures, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and shared climate and sustainability challenges. Key proposals include advancing an EU-India Free Trade Agreement, strengthening supply-chain resilience through the Trade and Technology Council, expanding cooperation on clean energy, green hydrogen and circular economy, and enhancing joint work on maritime security, counter-hybrid threats and defence industrial collaboration. The Communication also outlines plans for deeper cooperation on global governance, including climate, biodiversity, sustainable finance and multilateral reform, alongside measures to improve skills mobility, research collaboration and business engagement. The EU proposes adopting a comprehensive strategic agenda at the next EU-India Summit, signalling its intention to position India as a central partner in achieving economic resilience, technological leadership and sustainability objectives | |
| Australia | October 2025 | On 14 October 2025, the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) issued a notice under Evaluation ID EVA00204 requiring registrants to provide information on 522 PFAS chemicals listed on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals, meaning that any entity that introduced these substances during 1 September 2023–31 August 2025 must report details including CAS number, introduction method, total volume, end uses, and any reasons for missing data; registrants will receive the notice by email and must submit the information within 40 working days, after which AICIS will determine which substances proceed to further evaluation. | |
| USA | 2025 | In 2025, lawmakers in California , New York, and Washington introduced fashion accountability bills that would impose extensive due-diligence and reporting requirements on large fashion companies. Targeting “fashion sellers” with over USD 100 million in annual gross receipts—including multi-brand retailers—the proposals would require comprehensive environmental due diligence aligned with OECD guidelines, including full supply-chain mapping, supplier disclosure, risk assessment, and mitigation planning. Fashion sellers would be obligated to publish annual due-diligence reports detailing greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and chemical-management practices. Some bills, particularly in New York, introduce additional Tier-2 reporting obligations on dyeing, finishing, printing, and garment-washing suppliers, including wastewater sampling, chemical inventory reporting, and verification of supplier compliance. Proposed legislation in several states also requires short- and long-term GHG-reduction targets covering scopes 1–3, while California includes prohibitions on selling products containing certain regulated chemicals and Washington introduces reporting on priority chemicals. Enforcement would be led by state attorneys general and agencies, with significant civil penalties for non-compliance—ranging from daily fines to revenue-based penalties—directed to environmental-remediation funds. If adopted, these measures would substantially expand mandatory due diligence across the U.S. fashion sector, influencing long-term business strategy and compliance planning as legislative sessions progress into 2026. |
Thank you for reading the latest sustainability regulatory updates!
Have a question for our sustainability experts?
