The GHG Protocol and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have announced a strategic partnership to align greenhouse gas accounting and disclosure standards globally. The goal is to create a more consistent framework that avoids duplication and confusion for companies reporting under multiple regimes.
This development is particularly relevant for multinational firms navigating EU rules alongside international disclosure obligations. It also increases the importance of harmonized tools for Product Carbon Footprinting (PCF) and corporate GHG reporting—both integral to EQS’ upcoming modules.
EFRAG Vice-Chair Kerstin Lopatta has warned that attempts to water down the scope of the CSRD would be counterproductive. She stressed that Europe’s credibility and investors’ ability to rely on comparable ESG data depend on maintaining the breadth of the framework.
Lopatta underlined that reducing scope now would risk fragmentation, undermine confidence in EU sustainability rules, and jeopardize the policy goals of the European Green Deal. Her comments follow increasing political pressure to scale back reporting obligations.
Read more – Responsible Investor
Spain is moving quickly to strengthen its sustainability framework, turning its Royal Decree on ESG disclosures into an emergency plan to accelerate adoption. The government sees ESG as a strategic pillar for competitiveness, capital access, and resilience in the face of climate risks.
This signals that national governments are not just implementing EU rules but also pushing ESG forward as an economic policy tool. For companies operating in Spain, expectations for advanced ESG reporting and risk management will rise faster than elsewhere in Europe.
The European Parliament has voted with overwhelming majority to adopt the final draft of the CBAM Omnibus Regulation. The law still requires Council approval, but no further changes are expected.
Key updates for companies include:
New threshold: Imports below 50t per year are fully exempt from CBAM — meaning many companies that were previously expected to fall under the regime are no longer in scope.
Certificate purchase: Obligation starts February 2027, but covers imports retroactively from 2026.
CBAM declaration: Deadline extended to end of October, giving companies more time to collect verified data.
For affected companies, these changes mean greater flexibility in compliance, but no cost relief—expenses are only deferred, not eliminated.
Read more – EU Parliament press release
This autumn, decisions on CSRD and CSDDD are moving into the final phase, with the Parliament’s position expected by the end of October or early November. Observers highlight the difference between technical simplifications, designed to reduce reporting burdens, and political attempts to weaken core sustainability requirements.
The debate shows that “simplification” can mean both efficiency and deregulation. For companies, this means monitoring not only the technical details but also the political dynamics shaping EU sustainability regulation. Compliance will increasingly require flexibility to adapt to both dimensions.
Read more – Corporate Disclosures
This autumn, the European Commission will table a second Omnibus package targeting EU sustainability legislation. According to Responsible Investor, areas under review may include the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the Green Claims Directive, the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), and the Forced Labour Regulation.
The Commission frames this as “simplification,” but stakeholders warn that continuous revision risks undermining credibility and legal certainty. For companies, the ongoing changes increase planning uncertainty at a time when compliance deadlines are already pressing.
Read more – Responsible Investor
The European Parliament has given its final approval to the revised Waste Framework Directive, setting out binding new rules on textiles and food waste.
Textiles: Producers selling in the EU (including e-commerce sellers outside the EU) must cover the costs of collection, sorting, and recycling. Member States must introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to enforce this. Products in scope include clothing, footwear, accessories, hats, blankets, bed & kitchen linen, and curtains. Producers must also disclose data on volumes and waste handling.
Food waste: Binding reduction targets by 2030 — 10% in processing/manufacturing and 30% per capita across retail, restaurants, food services, and households. Businesses are required to help prevent food waste and ensure safe, unsold food is made available for donation.
While some sustainability regulations like CSRD and CSDDD face headwinds, progress continues in other key areas of the EU Green Deal.
Read more – EU Parliament press release
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has announced that the number of companies with validated climate targets has more than tripled since 2023. The growth highlights how corporate climate commitments are accelerating despite regulatory uncertainty.
For investors and banks, this trend reinforces the expectation that climate alignment is becoming standard business practice. For corporates, it underscores the importance of structured CO₂ target-setting, reduction planning, and scenario modelling—tools that will soon be available in the EQS Sustainability Cockpit.
The German environmental NGO DUH (Deutsche Umwelthilfe) has launched new climate and greenwashing lawsuits against companies, including Condor and Continental. The cases focus on alleged misleading sustainability claims and insufficient action to reduce emissions.
The lawsuits reflect growing legal risks for corporates around green claims and climate accountability. Companies should ensure that marketing, disclosure, and transition strategies are backed by verifiable data and aligned with regulatory expectations.
Read more – DUH press release (German only)
EQS has entered into a partnership with Hypergene to give finance and sustainability teams in Sweden, Finland, and Norway a unified view of financial and ESG planning and reporting.
The collaboration means Nordic enterprises can meet new regulatory requirements with confidence and turn ESG data into a driver for business value. The partnership highlights the growing demand for integrated ESG and financial reporting solutions across Europe.
Read more – Hypergene press release
In H2 2025, EQS will roll out new modules to further support corporate climate action and compliance:
CO₂ target-setting, scenario modelling and reduction planning
AI-enhanced, strongly automated Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)
The new modules will strengthen our offering around decarbonization and further help us work towards our goal of making the Cockpit the full suite for managing regulatory compliance and long-term sustainability strategy.
Check out our homepage to learn more about our ESG solutions. Or if you'd like to speak to us directly, feel free to schedule a consultation.
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