World Resources Institute’s Post

🌲At the end of April, the European Commission will publish its simplification review of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a landmark law designed to curb deforestation globally. ⚠️And it could reduce the regulation’s effectiveness significantly. Various interest groups are increasing pressure to reopen or weaken key provisions. Many are focused on the idea of introducing a no-risk category to the law’s country benchmarking system. But a proposed 'no-risk' category would undermine these efforts, creating laundering loopholes and adding more uncertainty for businesses. We outline why a no-risk category jeopardizes the EUDR’s effectiveness: https://bit.ly/4vnlN7S

Partner Sylvie Gallage-Alwis and Associate Anélia Naydenova discuss the rapidly evolving environmental regulatory framework for products and commercial communications at EU-wide and national levels, as France is pursuing an ambitious, independent agenda. Sylvie and Anélia argue that the combination of stringent French legislation and still-unstable European harmonisation creates a high-risk compliance environment for companies. They highlight that controls are tightening, penalties are rising and litigation pressure is constantly growing. Read their article, published in La Tribune, by following the link here: https://shorturl.at/uCgV7 #ProductLiability #EnvironmentalRegulation #Litigation #EUProductLiability #Regulation

ESG Question of the Week: Does European Whistleblower Protection Really Exist? A whistleblowing case dominating the final phase of Hungary’s election campaign raises serious questions about the effectiveness of whistleblower protection frameworks. In a nutshell: a law enforcement investigator, after reporting internally about alleged unlawful activities by intelligence services, turns to the public - and is met with state retaliation. So where is whistleblower protection in all this? The EU Whistleblower Directive dates back to 2019, and the Hungarian implementing law to 2023. But do these rules actually work in practice? Two questions are particularly important from an ESG perspective: • Anonymity and protection How willing are whistleblowers in Hungary today to speak up? Legal protection under the EU Whistleblower Directive means little if, in practice, the whistleblower becomes the first target of legal action. • Independence Who investigates the case when the state itself is involved? Independent investigation is a cornerstone of whistleblower protection - without it, the system quickly loses credibility. ESG takeaway: The “G” (governance) is not only measurable at the corporate level, but also at the level of the state. Where whistleblowers cannot feel safe, the system is not only ethically compromised, but operationally fragile. #ESG #Governance #Whistleblowing #RuleOfLaw #Transparency #Hungary #Ethics #Compliance

A technically correct environmental report can still fail regulatory review. Why? Because: • The risk is not clearly explained • The reasoning is not transparent • The structure does not support decision-making From a regulator’s perspective, clarity is everything. If the documentation does not clearly justify actions, it creates uncertainty. And uncertainty increases compliance risk. #EnvironmentalCompliance #Melbourne #RegulatoryCompliance

#NewYork companies face a confluence of new #environmental obligations as #greenhousegas reporting requirements take effect, remediation standards are updated and SEQRA amendments move closer to finalization. Our latest alert outlines how these developments fit together and why the state's regulatory agenda could have consequences for #compliance, permitting and deal activity. https://bit.ly/4eoTz6o #environmentalregulation   Jose Almanzar | Graham Coates | Alexandra Ward | Maggie Pahl

🌳The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) postponement changes the calendar, not the core compliance challenge. Large and medium operators now face 30 December 2026, and micro and small operators 30 June 2027. But the hard part of EUDR was never the date alone. It is the ability to connect products, suppliers, plots, geolocation, legality evidence, and due diligence statements in one repeatable process. That is why the delay is not a reason to pause preparation. It is a reason to fix the parts that become hardest to rebuild later. ⤵️

3 common mistakes in environmental compliance reporting: 1. Overly technical language without regulatory clarity 2. Weak justification of environmental risks 3. Poor structure and lack of traceability From a regulator’s perspective, these are red flags. Because compliance is not just about having the right data. It’s about presenting that data in a way that builds confidence. If a report creates doubt, it increases risk. #EnvironmentalManagement #EnvironmentalRegulation #Australia

Partner Sylvie Gallage-Alwis, Senior Associate Gaëtan de Robillard, and Associate Anélia Naydenova contribute to a country-specific Q&A chapter in the fourth edition of The Legal 500: Environmental, Social and Governance Comparative Guide. In their Q&A chapter, Sylvie, Gaëtan, and Anélia provide an overview of ESG laws and regulations applicable in France. Follow the link to read their chapter in full https://lnkd.in/dxfqxjQt #ESGLaw #FrenchLaw

Regulation of environmental claims isn’t coming. It’s already here — and it’s accelerating. So far in 2026, we’ve tracked 383 enforcement actions, rulings, and regulatory developments across: 🇺🇸 United States (federal + state) 🇪🇺 European Union + member states 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇨🇦 Canada 🇮🇳 India Not headlines. Not opinions. Actual enforcement activity. What’s becoming clear: The issue is no longer just what companies do It’s increasingly about what companies say And regulators are now equipped to act on it directly Most of this activity is fragmented across regulators, courts, and jurisdictions. So we built something simple: A free Global Enforcement Tracker that consolidates real developments, updated daily. No paywall. No interpretation. Just signal. If you're working in sustainability, compliance, or communications, this is the shift to watch. 🔎 Explore it here: https://lnkd.in/eGXpjXQH