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03 February 2023 / Simon Walsh
Issue: 8011 / Categories: Features , ESG , Environment , Governance , Regulatory
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A new dawn for global ESG regulation?

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Environmental, social & governance obligations are expanding their regulatory reach around the world: Simon Walsh considers the compliance frameworks in the EU & US
  • Proposed legislation in the EU and US is set to significantly expand ESG-based reporting obligations for companies based or even operating in these jurisdictions.
  • Companies subject to some or all of these proposals will have to devote considerable time and effort in order to comply in a timely manner.

Global temperatures are not the only thing on the rise: global reporting requirements in respect of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are also on the way up. Newly proposed legislation in both the European Union and in the United States is set to significantly expand ESG-based non-financial reporting obligations for companies based in—or, in some cases, operating in—the EU or the US.

The reach of that legislation will also be expanded to a greater range of entities than ever before. This regulatory growth will not only affect businesses which fall directly

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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