The Court’s decision has important implications for the French Constitution and the interplay between economic growth and the environment.
By Paul A. Davies, Fabrice Fages, and Michael D. Green
On 31 January 2020, the French Constitutional Court (Conseil Constitutionnel) took a decision that aimed to balance the protection of the environment and human health with the freedom of enterprise, both of which are protected under the French Constitution. (Decision n° 2019-823 QPC)
The matter was brought before the Court through an application for a priority preliminary ruling on the issue of constitutionality (question prioritaire de constitutionnalité). This procedure was introduced in 2008, and confers the right for any person involved in legal proceedings before a court to argue that a statutory provision invoked in the context of litigation infringes rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
Financial services regulators have been particularly vocal in the last 12 months, specifically about the impact on the financial services sector as the world experiences, and attempts to respond to, climate change.
On 11 December 2019, the European Union announced that it would enshrine into legislation its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 (see “
If the 2010s were the decade in which green bonds took hold, the 2020s will be the decade in which sustainable finance hits the broader marketplace. The green bond market has hit its stride, with issuances reaching well over US$200 billion in 2019. Attaining that figure is quite an accomplishment, considering that the first green bond appeared in 2007. While the green bond market will likely continue to grow, sustainable finance is expected to extend well beyond the strictures of traditional green bonds to embrace sustainability priorities beyond environmentalism and products other than bonds. 
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) was more prominent than ever in 2019, as issues such as climate change and corporate responsibility regularly appeared in news cycles worldwide. This year, observers can expect even more focus on this area, with public awareness of ESG at an all-time high, and major ESG-related events set to take place.
On 20 December 2019, the Dutch Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal ruling in the Urgenda case, determining that the Dutch State was required to reduce Dutch greenhouse gas emissions by 25%
January 1, 2020 marked the implementation of the new sulphur oxide limit for shipping fuel imposed by the International Maritime Organisation under the MARPOL Convention, often referred to as IMO 2020. IMO 2020 intends to improve global air quality and protect the environment through these measures, but concerns have been raised regarding the increased expenses that the maritime sector will face in order to comply with the new standards. This blog post considers the requirements under IMO 2020, how they will be enforced, and the solutions companies may utilise to ensure compliance. 
On December 19, 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
