In April, 2025, during a CARACAL (Competent Authorities for REACH and CLP) meeting, the European Commission introduced new amendment proposals to the REACH Regulation. The proposals were immediately met with sharp criticism from key industry groups: the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), the European Federation… Read More »Proposed Changes to REACH Regulation Challenged by EU Industry Groups

The updated Enforcement Ordinance of Japan’s Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL), issued by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on October 1, 2024, came into force on April 1, 2025. The revised regulation mandates that all companies involved in the manufacture or import… Read More »Stricter Controls Introduced in Japan’s Updated Chemical Regulations with Tiered Reporting System

In a move set to significantly enhance consistency across climate reporting frameworks, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol has expanded its Independent Standards Board (ISB) to include five leading sustainability standard-setters—CDP, EFRAG, GRI, ISSB, and SBTi—as non-voting observers. Although these organizations will not hold voting rights,… Read More »GHG Protocol Expands Partnerships with Leading Frameworks to Advance Climate Disclosure Consistency

The European Commission has unveiled a set of measures designed to streamline the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a landmark law intended to ensure that products entering or leaving EU markets no longer contribute to global deforestation and forest degradation. Originally proposed in… Read More »EU Commission Announces Measures to Streamline New Supply Chain Deforestation Law

In March, 2025, Singapore enacted the Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 3) Order 2025. Effective March 24, 2025, the order outlines specific exempted uses for Dechlorane Plus and UV-328, clarifying the contexts in which these substances are not subject… Read More »Singapore Issues Directive on Approved Uses of Dechlorane Plus and UV-328

The European Commission amended Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (EU REACH) on April 1, 2025, with the publication of Regulation (EU) 2025/660. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in clay targets used for shooting… Read More »The EU will tighten regulations on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) starting in 2026, according to the revised REACH Annex XVII

China has formally started an upgrading project for the national standard system and is actively adjusting to the changing trends of international regulations. The Standardization Administration of China (SAC) declared on March 11, 2025, that it would begin revision projects for 28 national standards, including:… Read More »China Will Update Guidelines for Packaging Groups and Dangerous Goods Nomenclature

The final REACH reform proposal was formally presented by the European Commission during the REACH-CLAP Joint Consultation Body’s CARACAL-54 meeting on April 3, 2025. The proposal, dubbed “the most significant overhaul in European chemical regulation history,” has provoked conflicting responses, with business warning of worsened… Read More »The Chemical Industry Expresses Concerns About “Overregulation” in the EU’s Final Proposal for REACH Regulation Revision

The European Union’s plastic recycling sector is at a turning point, with domestic production declining, economic strains intensifying, and rising imports threatening the industry’s long-term viability. Imports and Market Distortions Undermine Domestic Recycling Imports of virgin and recycled polymers now make up over 20% of… Read More »EU Plastic Recycling Sector on the Brink Amid Import Surge and Economic Challenges