ESG Corporate Compliance Update: May 2025

This ESG Corporate Compliance Update was originally posted on 13th June, 2025. Further regulatory developments may have occurred after publication. To keep up-to-date with the latest compliance news, sign up to our newsletter.

ESG & Sustainability Regulatory Updates: May 2025

Global momentum behind ESG regulations continues to accelerate – and in May 2025 alone, 264 regulatory changes were recorded across sustainability reporting, climate-related disclosures, due diligence, and labor practices.

This month’s update from Compliance & Risks highlights key developments in:

ESG Reporting (including Sweden’s proposed deferral and Turkey’s TSRS amendment)
Climate Disclosures (new frameworks emerging in India and Taiwan)
Sustainable Resource Use (Germany, EU)
Labor & Employment (USA, South Korea)
Supply Chain Due Diligence and Anti-Corruption

Whether you’re tracking CSRD alignment, global PFAS restrictions, or preparing for supply chain audit readiness, staying ahead of shifting compliance landscapes is critical.

Below we list just some of the regulation changes impacting businesses from May 1st to May 31st, 2025. If you want expert insights into all proposed and enforced regulations, start a conversation now. Interested in even more sustainability content? Check out our expert webinar, Navigating the Digital Product Passport: What are Your Compliance Obligations?, to get an overview of your key obligations, alongside what’s on the horizon.

*Note: The regulatory changes captured in C2P include regulations being proposed, approved, coming into force, date alerts, additional support materials and any other changes to regulations & standards that compliance teams need to be aware of to be proactive about their compliance status.

ESG Reporting

Sweden: Annual Reports Law, SFS 1995:1554 and others – Proposed Amendment – (on postponement of sustainability reporting) Memorandum, May 2025. C2P Approval Probability: >75%.

Turkey: Sustainability Reporting Standard TSRS 1 and TSRS 2, Decision, December 2023 – Amendment – (on TSRS 1 regarding the location of TSRS Compliant Sustainability Report) Decision, May 2025.

EU: Small Mid-Caps – Helping Europe’s Growing Businesses, Fact Sheet, May 2025.

Climate Disclosures

France: Adaptation to Various European Union Law in the Areas of Economy, Health, Work, Transport, Environment, Law, April 2025.

India: Climate Finance Taxonomy Framework, Draft Plan, May 2025.

Taiwan: Regulations Governing Information to be Published in Annual Reports of Public Companies, Order No. 08446, 1988 – Proposed Amendment – (on sustainability-related financial information disclosure) Draft Announcement No. 1140382332, May 2025. C2P Approval Probability: >75%.

Sustainable Resource Use

Germany: Batteries and Waste Batteries, Draft Law, May 2025. C2P Approval Probability: >99%.

EU: Guidelines for the Implementation of Certain Selection Criteria for Net-zero Strategic Projects Laid Down in Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1735, Draft Decision, May 2025.

EU: Framework for Setting Ecodesign Requirements for Sustainable Products (ESPR), Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 and Others – Proposed Amendment – (on digitalisation and common specifications) Draft Directive, May 2025. C2P Approval Probability: 99%.

Labor & Employment

California (USA): Workplace Violence Prevention in General Industry, Draft Regulation, 8 CCR 3343, As Revised May 2025.

South Korea: Gender Employment Equality Act, No. 3989, 1987 – Proposed Amendment – (on allowing employees to request wage information and requiring businesses to submit annual gender wage gap analysis report) Draft Law, May 2025.

Supply Chain Due Diligence

EU: Batteries and Waste Batteries, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 – Proposed Amendment – (on postponing the application date of battery due diligence obligations by 2 years) Draft Regulation, May 2025. C2P Approval Probability: 99%.

EU: List of Net-zero Technology Final Products and their Main Specific Components for the Purposes of Assessing the Contribution to Resilience, Regulation, May 2025.

Human Rights – Affected Communities

TNFD: Asking Better Questions on Nature – For Board Directors, Guidance Document, May 2025.

Anti-Bribery & Corruption

Lithuania: Whistleblower Protection Law No. XIII-804, 2017 – Amendment – (on reporting violations of international sanctions) Law No. XV-207, 2025.

Stay Ahead Of Regulatory Changes in ESG Corporate Compliance

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