Thank you for joining us at Covington during New York Climate Week. We were delighted to welcome more than 625 attendees to our New York office for 20 events and meetings, convening leaders from government, business, civil society, and the legal and policy communities. The breadth of the week was
Continue Reading New York Climate Week 2026 – Closing ReflectionsOn September 21, 2026, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of seven data center-focused bills into law that introduce new energy and water use reporting requirements, modify environmental review requirements, and direct regulators to address electricity infrastructure, interconnection, and cost allocation for certain data centers. The California legislation comes
Continue Reading California’s New Data Center Package Highlights Growing State Focus on Energy, Water, and Environmental ImpactsOn August 26, 2026, President Trump issued Executive Order 14421, Declaring a National Emergency to Secure the United States Bulk-Power System. The Order establishes a new national security regulatory framework for a broad range of equipment, software, services, and supply chain relationships associated with the U.S. electric grid. Although
Continue Reading The Electric Grid’s ICTS Moment? New National Security Executive Order Targets Foreign-Sourced Energy EquipmentOn July 14, 2026, U.S. District Judge William Q. Hayes granted a motion for preliminary injunction barring California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the State of California from enforcing SB 343, California’s “Truth in Recycling” law, while the litigation proceeds. The order is significant not merely because it pauses
Continue Reading California Court Issues a Preliminary Injunction Stopping Enforcement of SB 343, “Truth in Recycling”On July 13, 2026, the European Commission (“Commission”) adopted two new Regulations that will shape the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, “EUDR”). The EUDR will start applying to large and medium-sized operators and traders at the end of this year (i.e., December
Continue Reading Commission Adopts Measures to Shape Implementation of EU Deforestation Regulation Ahead of December 2026 ApplicationOn June 12, 2026, the European Commission (“Commission”) launched its public consultation on guidelines (“Guidelines”) that will significantly shape the implementation of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CSDDD;” more details about the CSDDD available here). The consultation, presented in the form of a detailed questionnaire, is open
Continue Reading European Commission Seeks Public Input on CSDDD Guidelines: What to WatchThe European Commission (“Commission”) has launched a four-week feedback period — open until June 3, 2026 — on a draft delegated act to revise the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (“ESRS 2.0”). Ultimately, EU companies in scope of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) will have to draft their annual
Continue Reading European Commission Publishes “ESRS 2.0” for Public Consultation: Draft Closely Follows EFRAG’s Technical Advice with Additional Simplifications for CompaniesIn April 2026, EPA released a proposal that, if finalized, would begin the process to potentially regulate the presence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water, by designating them as “Candidate Contaminants.” This proposal is likely to be of significant interest to pharmaceutical manufacturers, given that it entails EPA evaluating, in detail
Continue Reading EPA Begins Process to Regulate Pharmaceuticals in Drinking WaterA coalition of 21 trade associations and commodity groups has filed a complaint seeking to enjoin enforcement of portions of California’s SB 343, also known as the “Truth in Recycling” law, which sets restrictions on how manufacturers and sellers can communicate recyclability information in California. Among other things, the statute
Continue Reading Industry Coalition Challenges California’s Truth in Recycling Law SB 343 on Constitutional GroundsOn March 23, 2026, the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) held a public, “pre-rulemaking” workshop to introduce regulatory approaches for reporting greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions under the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (“SB 253”). SB 253 requires U.S.-based entities with more than $1 billion in annual revenue doing business in
Continue Reading Key Takeaways from the California Air Resources Board’s Public Workshop on the California Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program