What are single-use vapes and why are they being banned? Single-use vapes are vapes which are not designed or intended to be re-used and are not refillable and/or not rechargeable. They are being banned for both health reasons and environmental reasons. As regards the environmental reasons, they pose a major waste problem in the UK, as they are often thrown away in general waste or littered, instead of being recycled ...
Corporate Power Purchase Agreements, or CPPAs, are long-term electricity supply agreements between two parties and are a valuable catalyst for the green energy transition. Currently, only around a very small proportion of UK businesses have the financial capacity and energy demand to use larger scale CPPAs, but as a firm we are working with clients to find innovative ways to democratise the procurement of renewable energy ...
Remuneration and governance The Bill inserts provisions into the Water Industry Act 1991 to enable Ofwat to make rules about pay and governance in the water industry ...
The latest report from techUK, which Shoosmiths has sponsored, shows the economic impact, as well as the potential to boost the positive impact, of data centres on the UK economy. The main economic value of data centres is their role in enabling digital transformation across all sectors of the economy, allowing businesses to benefit from digital products and services that allow them to operate and be more efficient and productive ...
The new Network and Information Systems Directive (NIS2) came into effect on 18 October 2024 and with it comes an overhaul of the way in which cybersecurity risk management is regulated in Europe. The major changes brought about by NIS2 include stricter security measures, new incident reporting obligations and will substantially expand enforcement powers for regulators ...
The new Network and Information Systems Directive (NIS2) came into effect on 18 October 2024 and with it comes an overhaul of the way in which cybersecurity risk management is regulated in Europe ...
Quebec has set ambitious energy transition and industrial decarbonization targets. The shift to greener practices has to be taken in a context where our energy consumption could rapidly grow under the combined effect of a number of factors, such as the reindustrialization of our economy, population growth, transport electrification and the potential for artificial intelligence to consume vast amounts of energy ...
The renewable energy industry in the United States has entered a new era of (relative) policy predictability and unprecedented economic incentives. From a legal perspective, the only certainty in a renewable energy practice is change. An industry founded by entrepreneurs within narrow regulatory exceptions that enabled private developers to experiment with different technology, renewables have often been relegated to the margins of the broader traditional energy industry. That, too, is changing ...
Renewable energy project developers and contractors must be prepared to negotiate novel risks in a quickly changing global market. Technological innovations in renewable energy equipment and decreasing procurement and construction costs have spurred renewable project development at unprecedented scale ...
The need to find mitigation mechanisms against climate change increases as time passes ...
On July 22, 2024, the European Commission approved revised Interpretative Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (“Regulation 261/2004”), which address air passenger rights concerning compensation and assistance for denied boarding, cancellations, and delays and on Regulation (EC) No 2027/97 on air carrier liability in case of accidents ...
The decision of the Supreme Court in R (Finch) -v- Surrey County Council and others [2024] UKSC 20 (Finch) has set a clear benchmark for the scope of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) undertaken in connection with carbon intensive developments in the UK. However, the Finch case is not just relevant to projects concerning fossil fuel extraction ...
The much-anticipated revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published for consultation on 30 July, with the consultation running until 24 September. The consultation document extends more widely than changes to the NPPF itself, centred around the three pillars of stability, investment and reform. This article looks at the proposed reform. It should be said at the outset that much in the NPPF remains as before and the reforms might be regarded as tweaks ...
Whilst the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) contains a number of potentially game changing new policy proposals, many of the changes aim to re-wind the clock to the pre-December 2023 version of the NPPF. This is to encourage short-term growth through restored stability in the planning system ...
Subsequent to the amendments to the Mining Code and other mining legislation that were introduced by Laws No. 21,420, of February 2022, and No. 21,649, of December 2023, on August 2nd there were published in the Official Gazette the Decrees No. 9 and 10 of the Ministry of Mining, which approved the Regulations on the obligation to submit geological information, and amended the Mining Code Regulations, respectively. Decree No ...
Following the adoption of Greater Manchester's Places for Everyone strategy, Shoosmiths brought together real estate experts for a roundtable discussion on approaches to new development, redevelopment, renewable energy provision, and decarbonisation. Greater Manchester has raised the bar for new commercial and residential development in recent years, with cranes now a permanent fixture on a skyline famous for high-rises and construction projects ...
A recent appeal case upheld a breach of contract claim over a lifetime rail travel benefit delivered by a third-party provider. We examine the case and how employers can avoid such disputes through clear terms and conditions for employee benefit schemes ...
The much-anticipated Court of Appeal judgment in C.G.Fry & Son Ltd v SSLUHC [2024] EWCA Civ 730 was handed down on Friday 28 June 2024. It dismissed the appeal on all three grounds. The case was centred on the widespread issue of developments being required to demonstrate that they are ‘nutrient neutral’, so as not to add nutrient load on designated habitats ...
Greenwashing is a form of marketing that misrepresents a product, service or practice as having positive environmental effects,1 thereby misleading consumers and preventing them from making an informed purchasing decision.2 Several initiatives have been launched around the world to counter this practice. In California, a law requires business entities to disclose information in support of environmental claims ...
The Automated Vehicles Act (the Act) outlines the safety requirements that manufacturers and operators of automated vehicles will need to meet in order to deploy their goods and services on UK roads. In this article Ben Gardner outlines the key safety areas that will need to be considered ...
On June 17, 2024, the Chilean Comptroller General of the Republic ("Comptroller") approved DS No. 13 of 2022, of the Ministry of Energy ("Decree"), which (i) amends the regulation of gas installers; and (ii) approves the Safety Regulation of Hydrogen Installations (the "Regulation"). Following the approval by the Comptroller, the decree will enter into force once it has been published in the Official Gazette, notwithstanding the transitory provisions regulated therein ...
On 12 June 2024, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) published its final report, ‘Railway Station Catering Market Study’. It evaluates the effectiveness of competition in station catering and whether the market is delivering value for money for passengers and taxpayers. The ORR has identified barriers to competition, such as limited space and protected leases ...
The Automated Vehicles Act (the Act) outlines how liability will be allocated when an automated vehicle commits a driving offence or is involved in an accident, together with certain information disclosure requirements to support regulatory investigations. In this article Ben Gardner outlines the key issues surrounding liability that will need to be considered ...
The Automated Vehicles Act (the Act) creates a licensing and permitting scheme for operators that intend to use automated vehicles to offer transportation services for passengers and goods. In this article Ben Gardner outlines what potential operators need to consider ...
On December 20, 2022, the federal government's Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations1 (the ?Regulations?) gradually came into force, with the effect, as the name suggests, of prohibiting (or restricting, in certain cases) the manufacture, import and sale of certain single-use plastics that pose a threat to the environment ...
