Recently, the Egyptian Financial Regulatory Authority has introduced a series of groundbreaking regulations to create a robust framework for the accreditation, issuance, listing, delisting, and trading of carbon emissions reduction certificates. On 13 August 2024, the FRA officially launched the first regulated voluntary carbon market. These steps underscore Egypt’s dedication to sustainable development and its ambition to lead the carbon trading market in the Middle East and Africa.
On 2 August 2024, Bill No. 2308/2023, which establishes the legal framework for low-carbon hydrogen in Brazil, was approved with a partial veto. Numbered as Law 14948/2024, it has created the National Low-Carbon Hydrogen Policy, which will form part of the country’s National Energy Policy. The Law has also established the competence of the National Agency for Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels to authorize, regulate and inspect activities in the low-carbon hydrogen value chain, and has created the Brazilian Hydrogen Certification System and the Special Incentive Regime for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Production, a tax regime designed to foster technological and industrial development, competitiveness and added value in national production chains.
Following the passing of the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill 2024 by the Malaysian Parliament in July 2024, three public consultation papers have been issued in relation to the implementation of the following impending new legal obligations:
- Notifying the Personal Data Protection Commissioner and affected data subjects for personal data breach.
- Appointing data protection officer(s).
- Effecting the data subject’s right to data portability.
The deadline to provide feedback is 6 September 2024 (Friday).
With effect from 1 January 2024, the government amended the Equality Act 2010 (EqA) to include associative indirect discrimination claims, with the stated aim of replicating and preserving existing EU case law. The EAT has confirmed that such claims were possible in relation to events occurring prior to 1 January too, under then-applicable principles of EU law. This means that where an employer applies a provision, criterion, or practice (PCP) which puts people with a particular protected characteristic at a disadvantage, and where the claimant also suffers that same disadvantage, the claimant does not need to have the same protected characteristic as the disadvantaged group. (BA v Rollett and Ors, EAT).
Federal Law No. 14.904/2024 was published. The law establishes guidelines for the preparation of climate change adaptation plans, with the aim of guiding the implementation of measures to reduce the vulnerability and exposure to risks of environmental, social, economic and infrastructure systems, in the face of the current and expected adverse effects of climate change.
On 26 July 2024, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation announced the introduction of the Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme, set to commence in September 2024. This initiative aims to enhance corporate companies’ access to green electricity supply through an open grid access system whereby third parties can supply or purchase electricity via the grid network system with a predetermined system access charge.
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has opened two investigations (PS12793 and PS12805) against two major luxury groups for alleged conduct in violation of Consumer Code rules in the promotion and sale of clothing items and accessories. According to the AGCM, in both cases, the companies may have made, in promoting their products, untrue ethical and social responsibility statements, particularly regarding working conditions and compliance with legal requirements at their suppliers.
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has opened two investigations (PS12793 and PS12805) against two major luxury groups for alleged conduct in violation of Consumer Code rules in the promotion and sale of clothing items and accessories. According to the AGCM, in both cases, the companies may have made, in promoting their products, untrue ethical and social responsibility statements, particularly regarding working conditions and compliance with legal requirements at their suppliers.
It comes as no surprise that class actions targeting greenwashing claims — or green advertising — continue to rise in number and complexity.
Although consumer demand and regulatory actions have increasingly motivated businesses to make public statements about their sustainability practices and commitments to climate change, now is the time to take a step back and reevaluate those sustainability claims and marketing. Vague, unverified and unsubstantiated claims can all too easily lead to allegations of greenwashing.
On 4 June 2024, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued the Revised Omnibus Guidelines Governing the Award and Administration of Renewable Energy Contracts and the Registration of Renewable Energy Developers (Department Circular No. DC2024-06-0018). The Revised Omnibus Guidelines amend the previous set of guidelines (i.e., Department Circular No. DC2019-10-0013) to integrate the latest policies and issuances from the DOE for an effective and efficient award and administration of Renewable Energy (RE) Contracts and registration of RE Developers in view of the increased interest of investors in this sector.