Environmental Regulation

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Freedom of Alaska

The Trump administration changes course on regulatory interpretations relating to the scope of protections for endangered and threatened species and migratory birds.

By Nikki Buffa, Jennifer K. Roy, Lucas I. Quass, and Samantha K. Seikkula

Federal agencies took steps in April 2025 to narrow (i) habitat protections for federally listed endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and (ii) the scope of liability for incidental take of migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty…

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The orders span various sectors and aim to introduce sunset provisions into regulations and eliminate regulations deemed unlawful or anti-competitive.

By Nikki Buffa, Jennifer K. Roy, John Detrich, and Kayla Seltzer

On April 9, 2025, the Trump administration issued three new orders to reevaluate and roll back regulations across various sectors. These orders are a continued step toward implementing the administration’s objective of reducing regulatory burdens on agencies and the public (see our blog post on the…

William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building In Washington DC

EPA’s electronic mailbox is open for requests from stationary sources until March 31.

By Karl A. Karg, Stacey L. VanBelleghem, and Bruce M. Johnson

In March 2025, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has set up an electronic mailbox to allow stationary sources to request a presidential exemption from certain standards under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Section 112 requires EPA to establish emission standards for certain stationary sources of hazardous air pollutants. Section 112 also includes a provision that enables the president to exempt stationary sources from compliance with any standard or limitation under Section 112 for up to two years if “the President determines that the technology to implement such standard is not available and that it is in the national security interests of the United States to do so.” 42 U.S.C. § 7412(i)(4). Section 112(i)(4) also provides that such an exemption may be extended “for 1 or more additional periods, each period not to exceed 2 years.”

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The Commission’s proposal seeks to reshape EU Sustainability requirements by amending CSRD, CSDDD, EU Taxonomy, and CBAM.

By José María Alonso, Paul A. Davies, Fabrice Fages, Michael D. Green, Nicola Higgs, David Little, Cesare Milani, Axel Schiemann, James Bee, and Toon Dictus

On 26 February 2025, the European Commission (Commission) published its much-anticipated first Omnibus Package. This first Omnibus package regarding sustainability contains a set of legislative proposals designed to…

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The Compass aims to address concerns about productivity and maintain Europe’s leading role in sustainable innovation and climate neutrality.

By Paul A. Davies, Michael D. Green, and James Bee

On 29 January 2025, the European Commission (the Commission) launched the Competitiveness Compass, a strategic initiative that builds on the work undertaken by Mario Draghi. His report, commonly known as the Draghi Report, identified that the EU could no longer rely on many of the essential elements to the…

White house

President Trump’s orders, which include withdrawing from international climate agreements and declaring an energy emergency, emphasize domestic production and regulatory reform.

By Nikki Buffa, Devin O’Connor, Janice Schneider, Stacey VanBelleghem, and Brian McCall

On the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders and memoranda that signal a significant shift in US energy and environmental policy. These actions aim to reshape the regulatory landscape, prioritize domestic conventional…