Top global EHS regulatory changes – November 2024

By: Sydney Sybydlo

Here are a few noteworthy global EHS regulatory changes in December 2024. We cover EHS legislation and standards for over 30 countries and 400 jurisdictions. If you would like to track legislative changes for specific regions, countries, or jurisdictions, we are happy to help. Please send us a request for more information here, and we will contact you shortly. Note that descriptions with an asterisk (*) were generated with artificial intelligence.

Canada – Federal
Canada – Nova Scotia
Canada – Prince Edward Island
Canada – Quebec
Canada – Saskatchewan
United States – Federal
Australia – South Australia
Brazil
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Sweden
Thailand
United Kingdom
United Kingdom – Northern Ireland
Vietnam

Canada – Federal

New Principal Document – National Parks of Canada Land Use Planning Regulations

First Effective Date: 4 December 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management & Maintenance

This document applies to individuals with land use agreements in Canadian national parks, excluding the town of Banff. It outlines regulations for land use planning, including requirements for permits, authorizations, and compliance with building codes. Key aspects include project approvals, maintenance standards, and restrictions on timeshare agreements.*

It replaces the Town of Jasper Zoning Regulations, the National Parks Building Regulations, and the National Parks Signs Regulations.

Amended Document – Food and Drug Regulations
Amending Document – Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made Under the Food and Drugs Act (Agile Licensing)

First Effective Date: 18 December 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry

According to the government, the changes to the document notably:

“Enable the use of terms and conditions (T&Cs) on the drug identification number (DIN) of any drug;
“Broaden the scope of use of T&Cs on Class II, III and IV medical device licences;
“Require risk management plans (RMPs) for certain human drugs to manage risks and uncertainties;
“Expand the flexibilities for COVID-19 drugs to other public health emergency drugs, including the option of a rolling review of the submission;
“Clarify expectations that a drug be fabricated, packaged/labelled, tested and stored, including during transportation, in a manner that assures its quality;
“Modernize requirements for biologics by repealing outdated requirements and replacing them with those that reflect current practices;
“Clarify, in regulation, the authority to consider certain information obtained outside of a drug submission to support Health Canada’s examination of that submission;
“Require manufacturers to submit clinical trial data broken down by different subgroups (disaggregated data) for certain drug submissions, as submitted to the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA); and
“Update requirements relating to the inclusion of drug standard information on labels and for manufacturers that use a manufacturer’s standard for their drug.”

Amended Document – Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products Regulations
Amending Document – Regulations Amending the Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products Regulations

First Effective Date: 18 March 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry

According to the government, the changes to the document notably:

“provide that only the primary testing [of formaldehyde emissions] must be done by an accredited laboratory, while the routine quality control testing conducted within mills may be done using less expensive testing methods”;
“enable specimen selection to occur within 30 days of each required 90-day test interval and all testing and verification requirements to be completed within 90 days of sample selection”;
update record-keeping requirements to provide that “[a] declaration must still be made and maintained by the domestic manufacturer, or obtained and maintained by the importer, of composite wood panels and laminated products and made available to the Minister immediately [except] domestic manufacturers and importers of component parts and finished goods incorporating a composite wood panel or laminated product [who] must now obtain the declaration, upon request by the Minister, within 40 days after the day the request is made or within 60 days if the information needs to be translated from a language other than English or French”;
provide that “[s]ellers of composite wood products — whether panels, laminated products, component parts or finished goods — are no longer required to maintain declarations”;
require domestic manufacturers, importers of component parts and finished goods, and sellers of composite wood products to indicate that their products are compliant with certain rules”;
“change the performance standards to qualify for reduced-testing for no-added formaldehyde or ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde resins”;
“incorporate changes to the equations required to establish equivalence with the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) emission testing methods”; and
make more correcting amendments.

New Principal Document – Clean Electricity Regulations

First Effective Date: 1 January 2025
Industry Sector: Utilities & Communications

This document applies to responsible persons for electricity generating units. It outlines regulations for reducing CO2 emissions from electricity generation, including emission limits, reporting requirements, and a system for compliance credits and offsets. Key requirements include registering units, monitoring emissions, and submitting annual reports.*

It replaces the Regulations Limiting Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Natural Gas-fired Generation of Electricity (the new document does not apply to units that are subject to emissions limits or exemptions) and the Reduction of Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Coal-fired Generation of Electricity Regulations, and amends the Regulations Designating Regulatory Provisions for Purposes of Enforcement (Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999) to designate contraventions of certain provisions of the new document as offences.

Amended Document – Canada Energy Regulator Event Reporting Guidelines
Amending Document – Canada Energy Regulator Event Reporting Guidelines 2024-12-04 Amendments

First Effective Date: 12 March 2025
Industry Sector: Oil & Gas Industry

According to the CER, the changes to the guidelines notably:

“[include] incident reporting under Northwest Territories’ Oil and Gas Operations Act regulations that are administered by the CER”;
“[update] definition and examples for Canadian Energy Regulator Onshore Pipeline Regulations incident type ‘Significant Adverse Effect on the Environment'”;
“clarif[y] expectations regarding Annual Incident Costs Reporting”; and
improve the Online Event Reporting System (OERS).

Canada – Nova Scotia

Amended Document – Environment Act
Amending Document – Proclamation of amendments to Act, S. 8(1), S.N.S. 2022, c. 46–S. 1, 2(1), 4(1) and 6

First Effective Date: 11 December 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry

The change to the document removes rules concerning greenhouse gas mitigation and the cap-and-trade program.

Canada – Prince Edward Island

New Principal Document – Fire Safety Act

Publication Date: 29 November 2024 (comes into force on proclamation)
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management & Maintenance, Public Administration & Institutions

This document applies to firefighters, fire companies, and occupants of buildings in Prince Edward Island. It outlines regulations for fire safety, including requirements for fire detection and protection systems, reporting of fires, and investigation of fire incidents. It also establishes a long service medal for firefighters and sets penalties for violations of fire safety rules.*

It replaces the Fire Prevention Act. The new document notably sets out generally applicable fire safety rules, including those concerning the installation of fire detection and prevention systems.

New Principal Document – Employment Standards Act

Publication Date: 29 November 2024 (comes into force on proclamation)
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

This document applies to employers and employees in Prince Edward Island. It outlines employment standards legislation, including requirements for minimum wage, hours of work, overtime pay, vacation time, various types of leave, and termination notice. It also establishes procedures for enforcement and appeals related to employment standards violations.*

It replaces the existing Employment Standards Act.

Canada – Quebec

Amended Document – Regulation respecting mandatory reporting of certain emissions of contaminants into the atmosphere
Amending Document – Regulation to amend the Regulation respecting mandatory reporting of certain emissions of contaminants into the atmosphere

First Effective Date: 1 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management & Maintenance

According to the Government, the changes to the document notably:

“[allow] emitters [of contaminants] who have acquired from a natural gas distributor […] or from another supplier quantities of biomethane as a substitute for natural gas to report, instead of the quantities of natural gas used during the report year, [the] equivalent quantities of biomethane acquired for the year concerned, to the extent that the biomethane acquired meets certain criteria;
“[add] protocol QC.35 stating the criteria to be met and the information and documents to be sent so that emitters who wish to report biomethane as a substitute for natural gas may avail themselves of the option”;
“[add] information to be reported for emitters who operate an enterprise that distributes biomethane and the requirement to demonstrate that the biomethane distributed meets the criteria in the new protocol QC.35”;
“[clarify] the visits that are part of the verification of the report and the addition of a time period for sending verification reports or attestations required following a notice of correction; and
“[update] Table 17-1 concerning default greenhouse gas emission factors for Canadian provinces and certain North American markets.”

Canada – Saskatchewan

Amended Document – The Building Code Regulations
Amending Document – The Building Code (Energy Tiers and Refrigerants) Amendment Regulations, 2024

First Effective Date: 1 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management & Maintenace

The change to the document postpones the application of the National Building Code Tier 3 performance requirements (found in section 9.36.7 of the Code) from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026.

United States – Federal

Amended Document – 40 CFR 63 Subpart XXXX National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing
Amending Document – National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing

First Effective Date: 29 November 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry

According to the government, the change to the document adds “emissions standards for the rubber processing subcategory of the rubber tire manufacturing industry.”

New Principal Document – 30 CFR 18 Subpart F Voluntary Consensus Standards

First Effective Date: 9 January 2025
Industry Sector: Mining & Minerals Industry, Hardware Manufacturing

This document applies to manufacturers of electrical equipment for gassy mining environments. It outlines the acceptance and use of voluntary consensus standards as alternatives to existing requirements for fire and explosion protection in mining equipment. It also details the process for reviewing and updating these standards.*

New Principal Document – 40 CFR 751 Subpart D Trichloroethylene (TCE)

First Effective Date: 16 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry

This document applies to manufacturers, processors, distributors, and users of trichloroethylene (TCE). It outlines restrictions on TCE use, including prohibitions and phase-outs for various applications. Key requirements include workplace chemical protection programs, exposure monitoring, personal protective equipment, and recordkeeping for businesses and their employees.*

New Principal Document – 49 CFR 513 Whistleblower Program

First Effective Date: 16 January 2025
Industry Sector: Road Transportation, Hardware Manufacturing, Other

This document applies to employees and contractors of motor vehicle manufacturers, part suppliers, and dealerships. It outlines a whistleblower program for reporting motor vehicle defects, noncompliance, or violations of notification requirements. It details eligibility criteria, submission procedures, confidentiality measures, and the process for determining and awarding monetary incentives to whistleblowers.*

New Principal Document – 40 CFR 751 Subpart H Carbon Tetrachloride

First Effective Date: 17 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management & Maintenance

This document applies to businesses and individuals involved with carbon tetrachloride.

It outlines workplace safety requirements, including:
– Exposure monitoring and controls
– Personal protective equipment use
– Training programs
– Recordkeeping procedures

These measures aim to protect workers from health risks associated with carbon tetrachloride exposure.*

Amended Document – 40 CFR 723 Subpart B Specific Exemptions
Amending Document – Updates to New Chemicals Regulations Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

First Effective Date: 17 January 2025
Industry Sector: Chemical Industry

According to the government, the changes to the document notably “require EPA approval of an exemption notice before the submitter may commence manufacture, allow EPA to inform a [low volume exemption (LVE) or low release and exposure exemption (LoREX)] holder when the chemical substance that is the subject of the exemption becomes subject to a significant new use rule (SNUR) […] and the chemical identity is confidential, make [polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)] categorically ineligible for these exemptions, and make certain [persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic (PBT) chemicals] ineligible for these exemptions.”

Australia – South Australia

Amended Document – National Electricity (South Australia) Act 1996
Amending Document – National Electricity (South Australia) (Orderly Exit Management Framework) Amendment Act 2024

First Effective Date: 5 December 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

The change to this document notably integrates the Orderly Exit Management (OEM) Framework into the National Electricity (South Australia) Act 1996. According to the Australian Government, “[t]he OEM Framework will allow governments to better manage the early exit of thermal generators, seeking alternative options to replace the capacity of the thermal generator or temporarily seek an extension to the closing date of the thermal generators to maintain energy reliability and security. The OEM Framework will act as a transition backup, while investment in clean technologies and transmission network continues as fast as possible. This will ensure the energy market transitions in an orderly manner.”

Additional information is available here.

Brazil

New Principal Document – Law No. 15.042, of December 11, 2024 – Institutes the Brazilian Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading System (SBCE); and amends Laws No. 12,187 of December 29, 2009, 12,651 of May 25, 2012 (Forest Code), 6,385 of December 7, 1976 (Securities and Exchange Commission Act), and 6,015 of December 31, 1973 (Public Records Act).

First Effective Date: 12 December 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry, Finance & Insurance

This document applies to businesses and individuals involved in greenhouse gas emissions and carbon credits in Brazil. It establishes a national emissions trading system, sets rules for carbon credit generation and trading, and outlines requirements for regulated entities to monitor and report emissions. It also defines rights and responsibilities related to carbon credits from indigenous and traditional lands.*

New Principal Document – IBAMA Normative Instruction No. 24, of December 4, 2024 – Provides for the regulation of environmental control procedures for the import of waste.

First Effective Date: 1 Jnauary 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry

This document applies to importers of waste materials into Brazil. It outlines regulations for importing waste, including prohibited and controlled waste types. Key requirements include obtaining proper authorizations, ensuring waste is destined for recycling, and complying with environmental standards. Importers must also maintain documentation and follow specific procedures for certain waste categories.*

It repeals IBAMA Normative Instruction No. 12/2013.

Czech Republic

New Principal Document – No. 429/2024 Coll. Decree on application forms submitted to the water authority and proposal forms for the establishment of a water source protection zone

First Effective Date: 1 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry

This document applies to water management authorities and those seeking water-related permits or approvals. It establishes standardized application forms for various water-related activities, including water usage, wastewater discharge, and protective zone designation. Applicants must use these forms when submitting requests to water management authorities.*

New Principal Document – No. 443/2024 Coll. Government Regulation on the definition of a difficult working environment and the amount of the wage supplement for work in a difficult working environment

First Effective Date: 1 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

This document applies to employers and employees in the Czech Republic. It defines hazardous work environments and establishes minimum wage supplements for employees working in such conditions. Key requirements include providing additional pay of at least 10% of the minimum wage for each hazardous factor present in the workplace.*

France

Amended Document – Energy Code Articles R221-14 to R221-25: Section 2: Issue of energy savings certificates
Amending Document – Decree no. 2024-1100 of December 2, 2024 creating article D. 221-17-1 of the Energy Code

First Effective Date: 5 December 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

The changes to the document notably introduce the conditions to be met for the establishment of a new industrial installation or the extension of an existing industrial installation in the context of the issuance of energy-saving certificates, mandating such installations to achieve a higher level of performance in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions after completing the operation.

Germany

Amended Document – Ordinance on Hazardous Substances
Amending Document – Ordinance amending the Hazardous Substances Ordinance and other occupational health and safety regulations (GefStoffVuaÄndV k.a.Abk.)

First Effective Date: 5 December 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

The change to the document:

provides a new risk-assessment based model for carcinogenic exposure limits with three categories based on particle concentration: low, medium, and high risk;
requires the use of closed systems for activities involving carcinogenic substances;
considers all buildings constructed before October 31, 1993 to contain asbestos and requires the consideration of this in risk assessment plans;
requires initiators (anyone who starts work on structural or technical facilities) to provide all information on construction or usage history regarding expected hazardous substances, as well as the year of initiation of construction in order to determine if asbestos was present;
requires the supervisor to be present at all times at the facility where work with asbestos is conducted, allowing a three-year transition period;<li>introduces qualification requirements for employees working with asbestos – basic training and knowledge are required, with a three-year transition period; and
bans covering, building over, and raising asbestos-containing materials.

Ireland

New Principal Document – Waste Management Act 1996 (End-of-Waste) Regulations 2024

First Effective Date: 21 November 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management & Maintenance

This document applies to producers of end-of-waste substances or objects. It outlines regulations for end-of-waste notifications, including requirements for producers to register with the Environmental Protection Agency, provide annual reports, and pay fees. It also establishes procedures for the Agency to review and make decisions on end-of-waste status.*

Amended Document – National Oil Reserves Agency Act 2007
Amending Document – European Union (Renewable Energy) Regulations 2024

First Effective Date: 1 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

The change to the document, according to the Irish government, “sets the percentage rates that apply for the 2025 renewable transport fuel obligation period by establishing the renewable transport fuel obligation as being 25 per cent, the advanced biofuel obligation as being 1.5 per cent, the crop cap as being 2.4 per cent and the high ILUC-risk [high indirect land-use change-risk] cap as being 75 per cent of the total certified disposal of biofuels and biogas produced from high ILUC-risk feedstock supplied during the 2019 obligation period by a renewable transport fuel account holder.”

Italy

Amended Document – Legislative Decree 3 April 2006, n. 152 Rules on the environment
Amending Document – Law 14 November 2024, n. 166 Conversion into law, with amendments, of the decree-law of 16 September 2024, n. 131, containing urgent provisions for the implementation of obligations arising from acts of the European Union and from infringement and pre-infringement procedures pending against the Italian State

First Effective Date: 15 November 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

The changes to the document notably:

specify that producers selling products through electronic commerce platforms are also subject to the same extended producer responsibility requirements as traditional sellers of those products;
require electronic commerce platforms to provide services to help producers comply with their extended producer responsibility;
mandate specific agreements between platform managers and waste management consortia or systems;
establish rules for tracking platform managers and producers using these platforms in the National Producers Registry; and
provide for some exemptions, such as certain micro-enterprises in the packaging sector.

Amended Document – Legislative Decree 14 March 2014, n. 49 Implementation of Directive 2012/19 / EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
Amending Document – Law 14 November 2024, n. 166 Conversion into law, with amendments, of the decree-law of 16 September 2024, n. 131, containing urgent provisions for the implementation of obligations arising from acts of the European Union and from infringement and pre-infringement procedures pending against the Italian State

First Effective Date: 15 November 2024
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

The changes to the document introduce urgent provisions for recovering critical raw materials from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), in particular by:

establishing communication requirements for collective systems to raise awareness among citizens about the WEEE collection;
introducing penalties for violating the aforementioned communication requirements;
introducing a voluntary collection option for professional WEEE distributors;
allowing retailers with a sales area of less than 400 m² to participate voluntarily in the “one for zero” collection scheme, which allows them to take back very small WEEE from households without requiring the customer to buy anything new; and
requiring retailers to inform customers in a clear and visible manner that collection is free of charge and to state explicitly that there’s no obligation to buy new equipment when disposing of very small WEEE.

Sweden

Amended Document – Environmental Assessment Ordinance (2017:966)
Amending Document – Regulation on amendments to the environmental assessment regulation (2017:966)

First Effective Date: 1 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

The change to this document notably-

requires operations or actions to be presumed to have significant environmental impact if they are subject to specified chapters and sections of the Environmental Assessment Ordinance (2017:966);
includes nuclear reactors or other nuclear installations, with certain exceptions, under significant impact criteria;
defines large wastewater treatment plants as having significant environmental impact;
specifies permit requirements for the combustion, chemical treatment, or disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste;
excludes research, development, or testing installations from certain provisions of the Environmental Assessment Ordinance (2017:966);
mandates carbon dioxide separation installations for geological storage to meet specific annual separation volumes;
covers various water-related activities such as mini-hydroelectric plants, water diversion, dredging in environmentally sensitive areas, and significant groundwater extraction or replenishment activities;
requires significant environmental impact assessments for dams or other facilities with water storage exceeding 10 million cubic meters;
includes government approval for specific activities under the Environmental Code (1998:808);
mandates environmental assessments for pipelines over 800 millimeters in diameter and longer than 40 kilometers for transporting gas, oil, chemicals, or CO2;
requires assessments for high-voltage power lines with a minimum of 220 kilovolts and at least 15 kilometers in length;
specifies that highways, motorways, or roads with at least four lanes and 10 kilometers or more, and railways for long-distance traffic, including new tracks of at least five kilometers, require environmental assessments; and
ensures changes to permitted activities are considered for significant environmental impact based on specific criteria.

Thailand

New Principal Document – Announcement from the Ministry of Labor regarding Hazard Assessment, Workplace Environmental Impact Studies, and the Development of Employee and Workplace Management Plans

First Effective Date: 21 May 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

This document applies to employers and employees.

It outlines requirements for workplace safety assessments and risk management. Key elements include:
– Evaluating workplace hazards and risks
– Developing safety plans and control measures
– Appointing qualified safety officers
– Maintaining safety documentation and reports*

United Kingdom

Amended Document – Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 on shipments of waste
Amending Document – The International Waste Shipments (Amendment) Regulations 2024

First Effective Date: 1 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry

The change to the document notably updates the requirements for transboundary movements of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). According to the Government of the United Kingdom, it notably introduces two new waste codes subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure – Y49 and A1181 – for non-hazardous and hazardous WEEE respectively; and removes certain waste codes to “apply PIC for the transboundary movement of WEEE to all parties, whether they are OECD [the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] member countries or not”.

United Kingdom – Northern Ireland

New Principal Document – The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

First Effective Date: 1 June 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management & Maintenance

This document applies to businesses in Northern Ireland. It prohibits the supply of single-use vapes. Businesses and their employees are forbidden from supplying, offering to supply, or possessing for supply any single-use vapes. Penalties for violations include fines and potential imprisonment.*

Vietnam

New Principal Document – Decree 153/2024/ND-CP regulating environmental protection fees for emissions

First Effective Date: 5 January 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management & Maintenance

This document applies to organizations that emit industrial air pollutants. It outlines environmental protection fees for air emissions, including calculation methods, fee rates, declaration procedures, and payment requirements. Key points include fee structures for different pollutants, reporting obligations, and payment mechanisms for businesses subject to these regulations.*

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