New biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements are set to be enforced in November 2023, giving developers and the wider real estate industry less than 12 months to prepare. The legislation will require all new developments in England, bar a few exceptions, to deliver at least 10 per cent BNG – impacting commercial and residential developers. The requirements form part of the Environment Act 2021, which received Royal Assent in November 2021 ...
With office attendance down and face to face events less frequent, the ability to meet and network with industry peers has been somewhat stymied in recent years. This is particularly true for the in-house lawyer community who, having worked through a period of sustained legislative, societal, economic and regulatory change, have arguably been one of the groups to have suffered the most from the inability hear how other IHLs across the industry have managed these challenges ...
Dr Ingrid Fenech participated in the Society Education Annual Conference on Aspects of Maltese Company Law held on 29th November, where she delved into the recent amendments to the Companies Act introducing the notion of cell companies carrying on or engaged in shipping or aviation business ...
Thailand’s traditional alcoholic beverages have been developed for centuries and their growth potential has been recognized in the global market. Several indigenous alcoholic beverage brands have received international recognition and are sold globally. This has continued even though Thailand’s manufacturing of alcoholic beverages-related laws (the “Laws”) are very restrictive ...
In the Autumn statement, the chancellor confirmed that “despite the economic pressures we face, we remain fully committed to the historic Glasgow Climate Pact agreed at COP26 including a 68% reduction in our emissions by 2030”. The construction industry has a big role to play in achieving this target by making buildings more energy efficient and reducing embodied carbon emissions during a building’s lifecycle ...
Shoosmiths has been ranked as a recommended firm in the newly published Legal 500 Green Guide UK. The Guide recognises firms with a clear focus on sustainability, climate change mitigation and supporting the green transition. Shoosmiths is recognised for the pre-eminent legal expertise its team are providing to clients, as well as the firm’s internal practices and net zero ambitions ...
Last year a new landmark report was launched by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), aimed at changing the diversity of the people building the critical national infrastructure - as they have not always reflected the diversity of the people and communities who will ultimately use it ...
To raise sustainability practices and disclosures of listed issuers, Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad has enhanced the sustainability reporting requirements in the Main Market Listing Requirements and the ACE Market Listing Requirements which was announced on 26 September 2022. Click here to read more. Feel free to contact our partner Lai Zhen Pik or associate Ng Kar Mun for any questions about this article or Corporate/M&A matters ...
On 17 November 2022, the State Administration Council (“SAC”) enacted the Law Amending the 2022 Union Tax Law (“2022 UTL Amendment”). This law provides tax exemptions for Battery Electric Vehicles (“BEVs”) and increases the corporate income tax rate of companies engaged in the oil and gas exploration and production sector in Myanmar. We highlight below the major changes under this law: 1 ...
Following the 2018 enactment of regulations governing contractual terms contained in vehicle hire-purchase agreements, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (“OCPB”) has recently resolved to adjust such regulatory scheme as part of their initiatives to alleviate the ongoing economic downturn and financial hardships suffered by consumers as a result of the pandemic, and to prevent consumers being subject to any unfair contractual terms in this respect ...
While originally opened to great fanfare between 2017 and 2019, over the course of 2022 Shell has discreetly closed down all of its UK hydrogen filling stations, citing that "the prototype technology had reached the end of its life". This decision is perhaps not surprising, given the low volume of domestic fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) on UK roads ...
On May 20, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 14030, Climate-Related Financial Risk, which directed the implementation of policies that would “advance consistent, clear, intelligible, comparable, and accurate disclosure of climate-related financial risk ...
Shoosmiths’ head of energy and infrastructure (E&I) sector, James Wood-Robertson, details and reacts to the much-anticipated E&I developments and proposals set out in the UK government’s 2022 Autumn Statement ...
WSG Members Featured in Financial Times Innovative Lawyers 2022 Report for Europe WSG member firms Colbalt, Ellex, Garrigues, PLMJ and Shoosmiths were recently recognized as top firms for innovation in the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers 2022 Report for Europe. The report explores key trends and transformations taking place in the legal sector with an index of firms and articles and is the most widely respected published assessments for innovation in the law ...
ESG The Guernsey Financial Services Commission (“GFSC”) ran its Sustainable Finance Week in September and announced three initiatives that came into force from 20 September: The Natural Capital Fund Regime was launched and allows a regulatory designation for biodiversity and natural capital projects that positively contribute and/or reduce harm to the natural world. The regime has arguably more stringent criteria than those for the Guernsey Green Fund Regime ...
ESG The Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) ran its Sustainable Finance Week in September and announced three initiatives that came into force from 20 September. The Natural Capital Fund Regime was launched and allows a regulatory designation for biodiversity and natural capital projects that positively contribute and/or reduce harm to the natural world. The regime has arguably more stringent criteria than those for the Guernsey Green Fund Regime ...
Asters' Counsel and pro bono legal advisor of the Committee on Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Development of the European Business Association (EBA) Anzhelika Livitska contributed to EBA White Paper "Deregulation of environmental legislation in a time of war and reforms aimed for European integration" ...
Republic Act No. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, is a landmark environmental legislation designed to meet the country’s waste management problems. It requires local government units to achieve 25% waste reduction through re-using, recycling, and composting activities and other resource recovery activities. However, two decades after its enactment, solid waste management remains to be a major challenge ...
The Philippine Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has issued an opinion to the effect that the exploration, development and utilization (“EDU”) of solar, wind, hydro and ocean or tidal energy sources is not subject to the forty percent (40%) foreign equity limitation under Article XII, Section 2 of the Philippine Constitution ...
With an ingrained focus on community, connectivity and sustainability, the build to rent (BTR) sector is helping to transform modern living habits in the UK. With the total number of BTR homes completed, under construction or in planning at Q2 2022 up 13% from 2021 to 237,000, and with regional cities growing at double the pace of London, the sector has a huge opportunity to act as a flagbearer for the ESG agenda ...
