Responsible business and human rights

Responsible business and human rights—content

Content on responsible business and human rights in this subtopic includes the following Practice Notes, Checklists and Precedents:

Corporate responsibility and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG)

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ESG—new starter guide—which provides practitioners new to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues with an overview of what ESG is, how it has developed and the key drivers and legislation behind it. It provides key practical tips useful to practitioners talking to clients about ESG implementation; whether for an ESG strategy generally or focussing on specific aspects of the E, S and G
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ESG and sustainability—biodiversity and nature-related risks—which provides guidance on biodiversity and business and why this area is rising up the corporate agenda, alongside climate change. It provides details on a natural capital approach, nature-based solutions (NbS) and how a whole value chain approach is relevant. The Practice Note also provides information on the business risks and opportunities associated with biodiversity loss, as well as details on future reporting frameworks such as the Taskforce on nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD), Science-Based Targets (SBTs) for Nature (SBTN) and any requirements stemming

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Latest Environment News

Defra publishes Waste Crime Action Plan to tackle illegal waste activity in England

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published its Waste Crime Action Plan, which sets out how it intends to tackle waste crime in England through prevention, enforcement and remediation. The plan responds to rising illegal waste activity, including fly‑tipping, illegal waste sites and Landfill Tax evasion, and outlines actions to strengthen regulation, improve intelligence, increase prosecution rates and support clean‑up efforts. It explains that waste crime costs the English economy £1 billion each year and that 20% of waste is estimated to be illegally managed, leading to environmental harm, threats to public safety and financial losses to legitimate businesses.

DESNZ publishes response to household tumble dryer ecodesign consultation

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has published the response to its July 2025 consultation on raising product standards for household tumble dryers. DESZN confirmed, it will proceed with new Ecodesign and Energy Labelling regulations for Great Britain, broadly as consulted-upon. Key refinements include: (1) extending the ecodesign transition period to 10 months; (2) making the rescaled energy label, including the repairability icon, mandatory from the end of the transition period and (3) setting a post-implementation review date of 9 December 2032. Minor drafting corrections have also been made to align the final SI with EU Regulations 2023/2533 and 2023/2534. The regulations introduce a new minimum performance standard that phases out inefficient gas-fired, air-vented and condenser models. Only tumble dryers with an Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) below 85 will remain on the market.

Commission seeks feedback on changes to EU renewable energy and energy efficiency rules

Two calls for evidence have been launched on revisions to the EU legal framework governing renewable energy and energy efficiency. Public consultations on the proposals are running concurrently.

Ofgem publishes renewables obligation certificate issue schedule for 2026–27

Ofgem has published its Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) issue schedule for the 2026–2027 obligation year, setting out, for electricity generated between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, the monthly deadlines by which generation output data must be submitted and the corresponding dates on which Ofgem intends to issue ROCs. The schedule confirms that operators who anticipate difficulties in meeting a submission deadline should notify Ofgem in advance, noting that data submitted late will be suspended and may require justification, and that ROCs are unlikely to be issued by the intended date in such cases. The schedule also confirms the arrangements for operators of micro‑generating stations with a declared net capacity of 50 kW or less who have elected to receive ROCs on an annual basis, requiring them (or their agents) to submit output and input electricity data for the full 2026–27 period by 31 May 2027, with data in most cases submitted via the Renewable Electricity Register and specific guidance available for micro‑generators in Northern Ireland.