UK REACH (Registration, Authorisation, Evaluation and Restriction of Chemicals) is the UK’s post-Brexit chemicals regulatory framework for the Great Britain (GB) market. It is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and has the overall aim of ensuring the protection of human health and the environment from the use of chemicals. UK REACH places responsibility for understanding and managing the risks associated with the use of chemicals on those who place them on the market (i.e ...
Michelle Craven-Faulkner, Partner and Rail Sector Lead participated in a roundtable in Birmingham last month hosted by Insider Media Limited, which was focused on the challenges, obstacles and opportunities supply chains face when looking at how manufacturing is adapting and innovating to bring forward the green revolution in transport. Michelle joined a team of experts and leading players from the mobility sector covering rail, automotive and aerospace ...
Shoosmiths’ energy & infrastructure partner Chris Pritchett hosted a panel discussion at the UK Solar Summit, focused on how public and private sector organisations are capitalising on solar carports. Chris joined 350 solar energy professionals at the inaugural event to take stock of the rapid progress the industry is making towards a decarbonised energy system, as well as evaluating the obstacles that are threatening to impede that progress ...
"Leave this to me, I'm British… I know how to queue."{1} The Energy Services Operator (ESO) recently published a consultation which sets out a vision of medium-term reform for connections to (or affecting) the Transmission Network, whether they are directly connected or embedded ...
On June 14, 2023, the National Congress approved the bill that creates the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service and the National System of Protected Areas (the "Bill"). The purpose of the Bill is the conservation of biological diversity and the protection of the national natural heritage through the preservation, restoration and sustainable use of genes, species, and ecosystems ...
After a rollercoaster of a ride, the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill has received Royal Assent and is now an Act of Parliament. From the initial proposal of an all-singing, all-dancing automatic revocation of thousands of retained EU laws by the end of this year, to a more restrained revocation of just under 600 irrelevant or redundant laws, the Bill will not deliver the big bang that it initially promised ...
The UK now has one publicly accessible charge point for every 11.2 Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) on the road, having seen a remarkable 70% jump in charge points over the past year. The figures, utilised in the calculation of the Electric Vehicle Country Attractiveness (EVCA) Index developed by Cornwall Insight and law firm Shoosmiths, demonstrate the substantial impact of the government's ongoing efforts to expand the charging infrastructure network ...
As of June 1, 2023, the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr, “BMDV”) published a new draft bill for a regulation on consent management services (Consent Management Regulation Einwilligungsverwaltungsverordnung, “EinwV”) under the German Telecommunications Telemedia Data Protection Act (Telekommunikation-Telemedien-Datenschutz-Gesetz, “TTDSG”) ...
Over the past few years, the United Arab Emirates has witnessed an increase in awareness and significance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. While businesses in the UAE have begun to acknowledge that conscious efforts towards ESG compliance is imperative for growth and longevity of their business, the question remains whether ESG compliance can truly be said to now form a part of the UAE compliance ecosystem ...
“Why don’t I own this?” The words of oil prospector Daniel Plainview to his property advisor, querying the land rights for his oil pipeline to the California coast in the Oscar winning film ‘There Will Be Blood, and a blunt, single sentence reminder of the need for early due diligence on large scale developments ...
Throughout the United States and globally there is an undisputed trend towards renewable energy as much of the world seeks to decarbonize in response to the risks of climate change. As the article, “Clean energy investment is now nearly 2x that of fossil fuels – here’s why,” from Electrek notes, as of 2023, for every $1 spent on fossil fuels globally, now more than $1.70 is spent investing in clean energy, a ratio that was 1:1 just five years ago ...
This pilot is a first-of-its-kind use of distributed ledger (Web3) SLC technology and is expected to deliver reduced operational costs and improved risk management for lenders. Based on natural language contract terms developed by SVW and converted to SLCs using Hunit’s AI-powered tools, MMB’s clients will benefit from simplified processes, streamlined monitoring, and improved contract fulfilment ...
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is at the forefront of everybody’s considerations when looking at property investment, development and management decisions. The Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) sector has always been naturally pre-disposed to considering such ESG issues from the sector’s early days ...
It is broadly accepted that hydrogen has an important part to play in our net zero future -the shape and the extent of that role, however, is widely debated. Low carbon mobility is one of those areas. Most analysis has focussed on the commanding position held by battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in personal mobility, and some of the advantages which hydrogen fuel cells have in heavy duty or return-to-base applications like buses[1], waste vehicles[2] and heavy haulage ...
Monday, May 29, 2023, marked the official end of the 88th regular session of the Texas Legislature. It was an especially active session for the energy industry, which saw the passage of several bills that, if signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, will have significant and long-term impacts on the oil and gas, renewable energy and power sectors in Texas ...
Key Takeaways Rooftop solar (“RTS”) power installations are permissible, based on two categories: Category 1 – RTS systems not synchronized with the national power grid; or Category 2 – RTS systems synchronized with the national power grid. An annual quota for Category 2 permits will be set. Compensation tariffs (i.e. reduced tariffs payable by consumers based on their RTS generation). Technical and safety standards. One Window Web Portal ...
May 31, 2023 By: Marissa Alkhazov Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 1047, Washington State’s Toxic-Free Cosmetic Act (the Act) into law on May 15, 2023. The Act bans some of the most concerning chemicals added into cosmetic and personal care products, including PFAS, phthalates, formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing agents ...
On 11 March 2023, the Law on Clean Water Supply Management was promulgated to regulate clean water supply business within Cambodia (“Law on Clean Water Supply Management”). This new law is aimed to ensure the quality, safety, sustainability and affordability of clean water supply. The scope of this law applies to commercial supply of clean water in Cambodia ...
Why is ESG of importance to charities when they already make such a positive difference to society? Because there is still much to be done about how charities undertake their valuable work, and many do not yet communicate to stakeholders all the things they do well, in a systematic and measurable way. And because two thirds of millennials consider the social and environmental commitments of an organisation when deciding where to work ...
The Supreme Court on 10 May 2023 considered whether damage caused by an oil spill in 2011 could constitute a “continuing nuisance” – and so extend the limitation period for a claim ...
