Top global EHS regulatory changes – June 2025

By: Cheryl Wong

Here are a few noteworthy global EHS regulatory changes in June 2025. 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 – Alberta
• Canada – Manitoba
• Canada – Ontario
• Canada – Quebec
• Canada – Saskatchewan
• United States – Florida
• United States – Montana
• United States – Ohio
• United States – Oklahoma
• United States – South Carolina
• United States – Utah
• United States – Washington
• European Union
• Denmark
• France
• Hungary
• Portugal
• Thailand

Canada – Alberta

Amended Document – Wildlife Regulation
Amending Document – Wildlife (Miscellaneous 2025 — Joint Authority) Amendment Regulation

First Effective Date: 21 May 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry

According to My Wild Alberta, the changes “[modernize] rules and regulations to better reflect contemporary science, social norms and technologies, [and] correct inaccuracies or ambiguities that existed” in the document. The changes affect requirements related to residency, crossbow permits, prohibited ammunitions, hunting migratory birds from boats, minimum draw weights for bows, hunting with dogs and tracking dogs, hunting muskrats, double crested cormorants and turkey, minimum edible portions of big game and game birds, the abandonment of black bear and cougar skins, youth minimum ages, bear bait station signage, resident hunting and use of outfitter licences, hunting sheep and trophy sheep, the use of tracking devices, taxidermy, feeding wildlife, sale and processing of skins and wildlife, shelter permits, and night hunting.

Canada – Manitoba

Amended Document – The Oil and Gas Act
Amending Document – The Oil and Gas Amendment Act

First Effective Date: 3 June 2025
Industry Sector: Oil and Gas Industry

According to the government, the changes notably require:

• pipeline operators to “notify the minister within 24 hours” of an emergency suspension of a pipeline;
• freehold leaseholders of oil and gas rights to “abandon a well or oil and gas facility in the lease area within 180 days after the expiry of the lease,” and provide that they “may apply […] for extensions to the time period for abandonment”; and
• well licence holders to “enter into an agreement with the minister before disposing of salt water in a spacing unit that includes oil and gas rights owned by the Crown.”

They also provide for the inspection of “wells, pipelines and other equipment used in the production of oil, gas, helium or natural hydrogen” and that natural hydrogen exploration agreements may be entered into.

Amended Document – The Environment Act
Amending Document – The Environment Amendment and Waste Reduction and Prevention Amendment Act

First Effective Date: 3 June 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance

According to the government, the changes notably:

• “prohibit the unauthorized release of a pollutant that may have an adverse effect on the environment”;
• “establish reporting and notification obligations for the director and persons responsible when there is a release or imminent risk of a release of a pollutant, including an obligation to notify the local authorities in affected areas”;
• “enable an environmental protection order to be used to require that specified steps be taken to notify those who may be affected by a release of a pollutant”; and
• “modernize the manner in which public notice of proposals and hearings may be given”.

Amended Document – The Workplace Safety and Health Act
Amending Document – The Workplace Safety and Health Amendment Act

First Effective Date: 3 June 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance

According to the government, the changes notably:

• confirm that dangerous work is “work involving an imminent risk of serious physical or health injury where reasonable controls have not been put in place”;
• provide that “[a]n employer may be ordered to put in place a medical surveillance program if the Chief Occupational Medical Officer has reason to believe that a worker has been over-exposed to a harmful substance”;
• extend “[t]he period during which improvement orders and stop work orders must be posted at a workplace and orders”;
• provide that “[r]elated employers may be treated as a single employer”; and
• require that “employer[s] who [must] conduct a risk assessment [ensure] that the assessment is carried out by a competent person”.

Canada – Ontario

Amended Document – Registrations Under Part II.2 of the Act – Water Taking
Amending Document – Amending O. Reg. 63/16 (Registrations Under Part II.2 of the Act — Water Taking)

First Effective Date: 1 July 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Construction, Building Management and Maintenance

The changes notably—

• clarify the obligation requiring a person who proposes to engage in a prescribed activity (hydrodemolition, cleaning and flushing, including the cleaning and flushing of culverts, seeding, mulching, sodding or landscaping, dust suppression, compaction of earth and granular materials or on-site preparation of materials to be used in the highway project or transit project) to give written notice to the relevant authorities, specifying that this notice is required if the water taking is intended to continue for more than 365 days “from the proposed start date”;
• update prescribed activities (the taking of ground water for the purpose of creating one or more dewatered work areas, the taking of storm water for the purpose of maintaining one or more dewatered work areas, and the use, operation, establishment, alteration, extension or replacement of a sewage works that is used solely for the collection, transmission, treatment and disposal of storm water and ground water taken from one or more dewatered work areas) by specifying that these activities must occur in work areas within a construction site rather than a construction site “for a single construction project”;
• add that two or more construction sites for the same linear infrastructure project, such as a pipeline, utility corridor or transit project, may be treated as a single construction site;
• specify that the obligations regarding specific prescribed activities do not apply in respect of the taking of ground water if the permit was in effect on July 1, 2025 rather than July 1, 2021, and add other cases where the obligations do not apply;
• update the information that must be included in a water taking and discharge report regarding the registration requirements for a person who proposes to engage in a prescribed activity and specify that the reports should be filed in the Registry;
• specify that a person engaged in a prescribed activity immediately prior to the transition date is not required to submit a water taking or discharge report until such time as an update to non-administrative information filed in the Registry is required;
• specify that any shutdown protocol identified in the contingency plans set out in the water taking report, and the discharge report, shall be implemented if the applicable circumstances arise;
• clarify the obligation requiring that a written notice be given if the water taking is intended to continue for more than 365 days by adding that the 365 days is calculated from the proposed start date of the water taking; and
• update the registration requirements by modifying the required content of the contingency and discharge plan.

Canada – Quebec

Amended Document – Environment Quality Act
Amending Document – An Act to amend various provisions relating to the environment

First Effective Date: 28 May 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance

According to the government, the change notably updates provisions concerning environmental impact assessment reporting “in particular to ensure that more information is sent to the Minister in the early stages, to provide for public information periods conducted by the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement, and to revise the scope of the Government’s powers when it renders a decision following the procedure.”

The change also “introduces a new sectoral or regional environmental assessment procedure, [clarifies] the scope of the concept of avoidance applicable to activities that adversely affect wetlands and bodies of water, [and clarifies] the information to be provided in support of an application for authorization for an activity that adversely affects wetlands and bodies of water.”

Canada – Saskatchewan

Amended Document – The Saskatchewan Employment Act
Amending Document – The Saskatchewan Employment Amendment Act, 2025

Publication Date: 13 May 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance

The change notably provides employers with “greater flexibility in managing shifts and aligning work schedules with their operational needs, as they will now have the option to either define a “day” as an individual calendar day or to continue using the 24-hour period for the purposes of scheduling and overtime”. The change specifies that “employers will […] be required to clearly communicate their definition of a day to employees when issuing work schedules” and that employees must “receive at least eight hours of rest within any 24-hour period, regardless of how the “day” is defined”.

United States – Florida

Amended Document – FS Chapter XXVIII-376 Pollutant Discharge Prevention and Removal
Amending Document – An act relating to brownfields; amending s. 376.303, F.S.; deleting a provision requiring certain property owners to provide information regarding institutional controls to the local government for mapping purposes; deleting local government requirements for such mapping; requiring that sites issued a site rehabilitation completion order without institutional controls be removed from the registry of all contaminated sites located in a brownfield area; amending s. 376.30781, F.S.; revising the conditions under which an applicant who has rehabilitated a contaminated site may submit and claim certain tax credits; specifying a timeframe within which such tax credit application must be submitted; revising the criteria for determining applicants who are redeveloping brownfield sites who may be eligible for certain tax credits; deleting the definition of the term “monetary compensation”; revising the date by which the Department of Environmental Protection must issue annual site rehabilitation tax credit certificate awards; revising the amount of time the department has to respond to a tax credit applicant regarding a certain notice […].

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

According to the government, the changes relate to the Brownfields Program and notably:

• “[extend] the contaminated site eligibility cutoff date for local government participants that did not cause or contribute to the contamination from July 1, 1997, to July 1, 2025”;
• “[streamline] a process that requires certain sites to obtain approval from the Environmental Protection Agency to participate in the program”;
• “[revise] the requirements and timing for claiming a certain tax credit under the Voluntary Cleanup Tax Credit (VCTC) program”;
• “[allow] larger brownfield properties to be subdivided into smaller parcels for purposes of brownfield site rehabilitation”; and “[revise] other requirements and procedures related to the program.”

United States – Montana

Amended Document – MCA Part 50-40-1 Montana Clean Indoor Air Act
Amending Document – An Act Revising the Definition of Smoking in the Clean Indoor Air Act; Providing a Definition of Electronic Smoking Device; Amending Section 50-40-103, Mca; And Providing an Immediate Effective Date.

First Effective Date: 8 May 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management and Maintenance

The change notably expands the definition of “smoking” to cover the use of an electronic smoking device.

United States – Ohio

Amended Document – ORC Chapter 37-3706 Air Quality Development Authority
Amending Document – AN ACT To amend sections 122.6511, 3313.372 […]; and to repeal sections 3706.40, 3706.41 […] of the Revised Code to amend the competitive retail electric service law, modify taxation of certain public utility property, and repeal parts of H.B. 6 of the 133rd General Assembly.

First Effective Date: 14 August 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry

According to the government, the change notably “repeals the solar energy credit program, which allow[ed] qualifying solar energy resources to apply to [the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA)] for payments from the Solar Generation Fund for credits received for generating electricity via solar energy. The repealed provisions also allow[ed] for an [electric distribution utility (EDU)] to collect a monthly charge from each retail customer in the state to produce a revenue requirement of $20 million annually for disbursement through the credit program”.

United States – Oklahoma

Amended Document – OS Title 27A Environment and Natural Resources
Amending Document – An Act relating to carbon sequestration; amending 17 O.S. 2021, Section 52, which relates to Corporation Commission jurisdiction; modifying jurisdiction of Commission; updating statutory language; amending 27A O.S. 2021, Section 1-3-101, as last amended by Section 2, Chapter 164, O.S.L. 2023 (27A O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 1-3-101), which relates to responsibilities and jurisdiction of state environmental agencies; modifying duties of certain agencies […].

First Effective Date: 1 November 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance

According to the government, the change “updates state law regarding carbon sequestration”. The change notably:

• updates the notice requirements for “applicant[s] for any permit[s] to be issued pursuant to the Oklahoma Carbon Capture and Geologic Sequestration Act”;
• updates certain provisions relating to “carbon dioxide property rights”;
• introduces provisions relating to “the creation of a CO2 storage unit as part of a CO2 sequestration facility” and lists the “application and notification requirements”; and
• provides that “[a] certificate of completion shall be issued to the owner of a site within 50 years after the cessation of all injections if the owner maintained mechanical integrity of the site and complied with applicable regulations”.

United States – South Carolina

Amended Document – CoL Chapter 58-37 Energy Supply and Efficiency
Amending Document – South Carolina Energy Security Act.

First Effective Date: 12 May 2025
Industry Sector: Utilities and Communications

The changes notably:

• “permit the evaluation of small modular nuclear facilities in this state and […] establish requirements”;
• “provide for state agency review of energy infrastructure project applications, […] establish requirements, […] [and] provide a sunset provision”;
• in relation to integrated resource plans, “add consideration of a utility’s transmission report, […] establish procedural requirements and evaluation by the commission, and require parties to bear their own costs”;
• “expand commission considerations for cost-effective, demand-side management and energy efficiency programs, require each investor-owned electrical utility to submit an annual report to the commission regarding its demand-side management programs, and […] require the commission to review these portfolios on at least a triennial basis”;
• “permit programs and customer incentives to encourage or promote demand-side management programs for customer-sited distributed energy resources, and […] provide considerations for these programs”; and
• “establish certain terms and rate recovery for agreements for financing and installing energy efficiency and conservation measures, and for application to a residence occupied before the measures are taken”.

United States – Utah

New Principal Document – UAC Rule R317-17 Great Salt Lake Mineral Extraction Salinity Discharge Limits

First Effective Date: 28 May 2025
Industry Sector: Mining and Minerals Industry

This document applies to persons involved in mineral or element extraction from Great Salt Lake brines. It establishes salinity discharge limits into the lake, primarily prohibiting discharges into certain bays when Gilbert Bay’s salinity exceeds 150 g/L, unless the discharge is minimal or reduces overall salt load.*

United States – Washington

Amended Document – RCW Chapter 70A.60 Hydrofluorocarbons—Emissions reduction
Amending Document – AN ACT Relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with hydrofluorocarbons by transitioning to environmentally and economically sustainable alternatives and promoting use of reclaimed hydrofluorocarbons; amending RCW 70A.60.010; adding new sections to chapter 70A.60 RCW; creating new sections; and prescribing penalties.

First Effective Date: 27 July 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry

The change notably establishes the following global warming potential (GWP) limits for newly produced bulk hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and HFC blends entering into commerce: 1,500 CO2e, beginning January 1, 2030, and 750 CO2e, beginning January 1, 2033. According to the government, “[r]eclaimed refrigerants, HFCs used in aircraft and aircraft maintenance, and HFC applications that receive a specific GWP authorization for certain uses under [Environmental Protection Agency] regulations are not subject to these GWP limits.”

Amended Document – RCW Chapter 70A-205 Solid waste management—Reduction and recycling
Amending Document – AN ACT Relating to improving outcomes associated with waste material management systems, including organic materials management systems; amending RCW 70A.207.050, 70A.205.540, 70A.205.545, 15.64.060, and 28A.235.180; reenacting and amending RCW 43.21B.110; adding new sections to chapter 70A.205 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 19.27 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28A.235 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 70A.455 RCW; creating new sections; and prescribing penalties.

First Effective Date: 27 July 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance

The change notably provides that, “[b]eginning January 1, 2028, solid waste collection containers that are smaller than 101 gallons and provided to customers for collection services must meet [certain] color coding requirements”. The change also provides that, “[b]y January 1, 2028, each curbside, commercial, or public place waste collection container must bear a label on the container and lid to specify the categories of materials that may be placed in the container.”

Amended Document – RCW Chapter 43.21C State Environmental Policy
Amending Document – AN ACT Relating to transportation resources; amending RCW 82.38.030, 82.38.075 […]; reenacting and amending RCW 46.20.117, 43.84.092, 43.84.092, 70A.65.030, 70A.65.040, 70A.65.230, and 84.55.020; adding new sections to chapter 82.08 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 82.12 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 47.60 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.21C RCW; adding a new section to chapter 70A.65 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 36.57A RCW; adding a new section to chapter 47.66 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 72.60 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 46.55 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 82 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 36 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 47 RCW; creating new sections; repealing RCW 46.68.490, 46.68.500 […]; prescribing penalties; providing effective dates; providing expiration dates; and declaring an emergency.

First Effective Date: 27 July 2025
Industry Sector: Public Administration and Institutions

European Union

New Principal Document – Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1176 of 23 May 2025 specifying the pre-qualification and award criteria for auctions for the deployment of energy from renewable sources

First Effective Date: 8 July 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance

This document specifies requirements for businesses participating in auctions for deploying renewable energy sources in the EU. It outlines mandatory pre-qualification criteria related to responsible business conduct, cybersecurity, and ability to deliver projects. It also details criteria for assessing resilience, sustainability (including environmental impact, innovation, and energy system integration), and compliance mechanisms.*

Denmark

New Principal Document – Executive Order on the Ban on Discharge of Scrubber Water from Ships’ Sulphur Gas Cleaning Systems into the Sea

First Effective Date: 1 July 2025
Industry Sector: Water Transportation

This document applies to Danish ships and ships in Danish territorial waters, except state-owned vessels in non-commercial service. It prohibits the discharge of scrubber wash water from ships’ exhaust gas cleaning systems into the sea, with limited exemptions for testing, safety, or damage-related situations.*

France

New Principal Document – Labor Code Articles R4463-3 to R4463-8: Preventive measures

First Effective Date: 2 June 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance

This document applies to workers exposed to intense heat episodes. It outlines eight risk reduction measures employers must implement, including modified work processes, workplace adaptations, adjusted schedules, technical solutions for heat management, access to fresh water, appropriate work equipment, protective gear, and proper training.*

Hungary

Amended Document – Law LVII of 2015 about energy efficiency
Amending Document – Act XXV of 2025 LVII of 2015 on energy efficiency. amending the law

First Effective Date: 12 June 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Building Management and Maintenance

This change notably-

• raises the energy savings obligations for companies under the EKR system and extends the compliance period to 2035;
• exempts fuel retailers from the increased obligation to stabilize fuel prices;
• restricts the use of short-lived energy savings (under 6 years) to a 0.5% cap of the obligation base and prohibits new ones after 2025 (with limited exceptions);
• requires the use of a standardized government-published list to calculate energy savings above the 0.5% threshold;
• allows individual audits for energy savings under 0.5% of the obligation base;
• enables businesses to trade certified energy savings on an organized market;
• imposes a transaction fee on bilateral trades outside company groups to encourage transparency;
• requires obligated companies to compensate end users when certified savings are transferred to them
• directs large energy companies to educate customers via websites and support services about energy efficiency programs;
• eliminates the use of multipliers for energy savings from 2025 onward; and
• imposes fines on companies that fail to meet residential renovation or savings rate targets.

Amended Document – Law CXVII of 2010 on the promotion of the use of renewable energy for transport purposes and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy used in transport
Amending Document – Act XLI of 2025 Act on increasing energy competitiveness and amendments for the purpose of legal harmonization

First Effective Date: 10 June 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry

This change notably-

• requires fuel distributors to meet a mandatory renewable fuel share annually, including a specified proportion of renewable fuels of non-biological origin;
• permits compliance with renewable fuel obligations using green fill certificates under conditions set by implementing regulations;
• limits the eligibility of fuels for the renewable share based on sustainability certification, excise exemptions, and origin during crisis situations;
• obliges fuel distributors to submit detailed annual reports verifying compliance with renewable fuel obligations;
• subjects fuel distributors to fines if they fall short of mandated renewable fuel shares or reporting duties, with penalties scaled to the energy shortfall;
• allows partial or full reduction of fines based on crisis conditions or if sustainability violations originated from suppliers;
• enables the government to regulate the accounting of carbon-recycled fuels and biomethane toward renewable targets;
• imposes joint liability and reporting requirements on successor companies in case of fuel distributor transformations or divisions;
• adds obligations for participation in a green charging certification system linked to renewable fuel crediting; and
• requires recordkeeping and verification processes for renewable fuel use, subject to future detailed regulation.

Portugal

Amended Document – Decree-Law No. 102-D / 2020 Approves the general waste management regime, the legal regime for landfill waste and changes the management regime for specific waste streams
Amending Document – Decree-Law No. 81/2025, of May 22 Amends the General Waste Management Regime, completing the transposition of Directive (EU) 2018/851

First Effective Date: 23 May 2025
Industry Sector: General Industry, Office Spaces, Building Management and Maintenance

The changes notably:

• update certain definitions, such as the definition of “Urban Waste” and “Non-hazardous Waste”;
• clarify that if the original producer of the waste cannot be identified, responsibility for waste management falls to the current holder or, if possible, previous holders;
• update the minimum requirements with regard to the extended producer responsibility to align with European Union law and harmonized criteria;
• introduce new requirements for waste prevention programs to require the description of how listed instruments and measures contribute to waste prevention;
• set out specific requirements for the evaluation and revision of national waste management plans and respective prevention programs;
• clarify that the National Institute of Statistics is responsible for measuring food waste levels;
• update the requirements for selective waste collection, such as prohibiting the incineration and landfilling of certain selectively collected waste intended for reuse or recycling, subject to certain exceptions; and
• update the hazardous waste labelling and removal requirements, such as requiring the removal of hazardous substances, mixtures, and components from hazardous waste before or after recovery, as necessary.

Thailand

New Principal Document – Announcement of the Ministry of Public Health on Criteria and Measures to Prevent Nuisance or Potential Health Hazards from Swiftlet Nest Farming and Cleaning or Trimming of Swiftlet Nests, B.E. 2568 (2025)

First Effective Date: 27 May 2025
Industry Sector: Food Industry, Animal Production and Aquaculture

This document applies to swiftlet nest business operators and their workers. It outlines health and safety requirements including: maintaining proper building conditions, controlling noise and air pollution, managing waste and wastewater, ensuring workplace hygiene, and providing personal protective equipment for workers.*

Past months’ top changes are available here: May 2025, April 2025, March 2025, February 2025, January 2025, December 2024

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