The European Union has introduced new restrictions on all PFAS used in firefighting foams, effective October 23, 2030. On October 2, 2025, the European Commission adopted Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1988, which amends Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 to limit the use… Read More »EU Takes Action to Limit Use of “Forever Chemicals” in Firefighting Foams

Lawmakers in the European Parliament have reached an agreement on a negotiating position for the EU Commission’s Omnibus I initiative, which aims for deeper cuts to sustainability reporting and due diligence rules than initially proposed by the Commission. The deal significantly narrows the scope of… Read More »EU Lawmakers Agree on Cuts to Sustainability and Due Diligence Rules

The European Commission has announced plans to delay several pieces of scheduled legislation as part of its “de-prioritisation” process, including the adoption of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) for non-EU companies under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This de-prioritisation was outlined in a… Read More »EU Postpones CSRD Sustainability Reporting Requirements for Non-EU Companies

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has introduced a new standard, ISO 17298: Biodiversity for Organizations, designed to help organizations assess and manage their biodiversity impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities. The launch comes as businesses face growing regulatory, reputational, and operational pressures linked to biodiversity… Read More »ISO Introduces New Standard for Biodiversity Management

On September 5, 2025, Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) released a draft decree titled “Detailed Provisions and Guidelines on the Management of Certain Articles and Hazardous Chemicals in Products and Goods of the Law on Chemicals” for public consultation. The Law on Chemicals… Read More »Vietnam Publishes Draft Decree Providing Details for the Law on Chemicals: Part 3

On August 13, 2025, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published a draft mandatory national standard, Regulations for the Preparation of Chemical Safety Labels, on its official website and opened it for public consultation until October 12, 2025. This draft is intended to… Read More »China’s MIIT issues draft GB standard on chemical safety labeling

Germany has launched a €6 billion ($7 billion) industrial decarbonization package extending its climate protection contracts to include carbon capture and storage (CCS) for the first time. The initiative targets key heavy industries — steel, chemicals, cement, and glass — to accelerate emissions reduction while… Read More »Germany Launches $7B CCS-Integrated Industrial Decarbonization Plan

Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, through the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS), has issued a new guide to help companies navigate quality-related claims and avoid potential greenwashing in marketing their products, services, and businesses. The guide addresses claims about the qualities, uses,… Read More »Singapore Publishes Anti-Greenwashing Guidelines for Businesses

Businesses using these 18 chemicals across 271 industries are required to abide by the Law on Soil Pollution Prevention’s applicable control measures and requirements. On September 22, 2025, the List of Toxic and Hazardous Soil Pollutants Subject to Priority Control (1st Batch) (henceforth referred to… Read More »China identifies eighteen chemicals as hazardous and toxic soil pollutants

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was notified by the European Union (EU) on September 17, 2025, of a proposed regulation that would modify the REACH regulation’s ban on synthetic polymer microparticles. Key Content The changes target microplastics, which are microparticles of synthetic polymers. Because of… Read More »The EU suggests changing the regulations pertaining to microplastics