On 20 March 2026, the Environment Agency (EA) launched its ‘10 Point Plan’, focused on early intervention, tighter regulation and police-style enforcement powers. The plan is backed by the government’s Waste Crime Action Plan and £45 million of government funding over the next three years, which represents a 50% increase in the EA’s enforcement […]
Introduction At the end of March, the FCA consultation CP25/34 closed. The consultation concerned the regulation of ESG ratings, following the Government’s decision in October 2025 to legislate to bring this activity within the regulatory perimeter. This legislation is expected to form part of the Financial Services and Markets (Sustainable Finance) Bill currently progressing […]
On 27 March 2025, following the Modern Slavery Act consultation in October 20241 and the Government’s response in December 20242, the Home Office published statutory guidance3 on section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA), entitled ‘Transparency in supply chains.’ Large commercial organisations are required to produce annual statements setting out the steps […]
On 23 July 2025, all 15 Judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) published a landmark advisory opinion on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change. The ICJ is the highest court in the United Nations. It recognised that the consequences of climate change are severe and far-reaching, impacting both natural […]
Over the last few years, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has made its stance on greenwashing clear. And now it is increasing its efforts with the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Three recent rulings highlight just how central AI has become to the regulator’s efforts to police environmental claims in online advertising. In these […]
Twelve months ago, most legal commentators would have looked to their crystal balls and felt on relatively safe ground when predicting 2022 as the “Year of Covid-fraud enforcement”. While, at least in the UK, that is yet to eventuate in any meaningful way, a less expected development has been the global regulatory focus on “greenwashing” […]
With more and more brands sprucing up their green credentials when marketing their wares in a bid to attract environmentally conscious customers and funders, it was only a matter of time before ESG regulation was going to escalate around the world, with authorities and non-governmental bodies slowly but surely homing in on corporates involved in […]
With more businesses using sustainability as a marketing tool, in a bid to attract environmentally aware consumers or to secure investment in environmental, social and governance (ESG)-related funds, it was only a matter of time before “green” or “eco-friendly” claims would attract the regulators’ attention. In July 2022, the UK Competition and Markets Authority […]
In July, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an inquiry into ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda to investigate potentially misleading ‘green’ claims by the three fashion brands. The watchdog is concerned that some of the firms’ fashion products are being marketed as being eco-friendly and sustainable, even though the businesses may […]
At the end of September 2022, almost seven years after the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, standard 25700:2022 of the British Standards Institution (BSI) came into effect, offering guidance and recommendations on organisational responses to modern slavery. As explained in the first part of our four-part series on the standard, the standard provides […]
