On Aug. 1, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) issued a new mandatory national standard, GB 26572-2025, titled Requirements for Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products. The standard will take effect on Aug. 1, 2027. Products manufactured or imported… Read More »China Issues GB Standards for RoHS Regulation

Thailand has implemented a significant environmental policy by banning the use of mercury and its compounds in manufacturing processes for new factories, effective September 1, 2025. This directive, issued by the Ministry of Industry, also prohibits the expansion of existing factories that utilize mercury in… Read More »New factories banned from using mercury starting September 1

Effective August 2025, Indonesia has issued Permendag 24/2025, replacing Permendag 8/2024. The regulation introduces new procedures for importing used goods and non-hazardous, non-toxic (non-B3) waste, covering licensing, verification, zone-specific rules, reporting, and transition provisions.  Key Highlights  Effective Date From Aug 2025: Permendag 24/2025 replaces 8/2024. … Read More »New Import Rules for Used Goods and Non-Hazardous Waste

On August 6, 2025, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MoEL) announced revisions to the Standards for Classification, Labeling, and Material Safety Data Sheets of Chemical Substances (MoEL Notice No. 2025-50). The amendments took effect on August 7, 2025. These updates were introduced to align… Read More »South Korea Publishes Updated GHS Regulations for 2025

More than 30 investor and human rights organizations are pressing EU policymakers to preserve the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) “review clause”, which keeps the door open to applying the law to banks and other financial institutions in the future. In a joint letter… Read More »30+ Groups Urge EU to Keep Banks in Future CSDDD Scope

Vietnam has approved the transfer of 1 million tons of surplus CO₂ reductions to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), under Resolution No. 261/NQ-CP issued on August 29, 2025. The credits stem from plantation forests in the north-central region and build on Vietnam’s… Read More »Vietnam Greenlights $5 Million Carbon Credit Agreement With World Bank

On September 1, 2025, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launched a public consultation under the EU’s REACH Regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) on the proposal to identify three substances as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs). Stakeholders are invited to submit scientific… Read More »ECHA Proposes Inclusion of 3 New Substances on the SVHC List

Spain has rolled out a sweeping climate emergency plan that raises corporate disclosure requirements and accelerates its clean energy transition, following wildfires that devastated over 300,000 hectares. The strategy fast-tracks decarbonization while reinforcing climate resilience. A key measure is mandatory carbon reporting. From 2026, companies… Read More »Spain Mandates Carbon Reporting Under New Climate Emergency Strategy

For Senate Bill (SB) 54, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (Cal Recycle) is putting up permanent regulations. The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, established by SB 54, mandates minimum content standards for single-use plastic food service ware and packaging, which… Read More »California’s SB 54 EPR Packaging Law Rulemaking for Permanent Regulations Begins

Initially aimed at firefighting foams, Illinois’ PFAS Reduction Act (SB 2516) was passed on August 6, 2021. The Act forbade the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of class B firefighting foam that contained purposefully added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) starting on January 1, 2025, and… Read More »Illinois Broadens the Prohibition on PFAS in Consumer Goods