Today’s ESG Updates
- Trump Weakens Toxic Gas Rules: The administration plans to roll back EPA limits on ethylene oxide emissions despite major health concerns.
- EU Eyes Carbon Pricing for Global Flights: Brussels is considering extending emissions costs to international flights departing Europe.
- UK Groups Demand Tougher Air Pollution Laws: Charities are pushing for bans on wood burning and diesel vehicles under a new Clean Air Act.
- Brazil Delays Deforestation Loan Checks: Satellite monitoring rules for rural credit were postponed following industry pressure.
Trump rollback of toxic pollution rules cuts EPA authority
The Trump administration is taking steps to undo 2024 regulations on toxic pollution from ethylene oxide and limit the EPA’s authority to strengthen public health protections. Recent research finds ethylene oxide is about 60 times more carcinogenic than was believed in 2006. The 2024 Biden EPA rule required emitters to collectively cut emissions by about 90%, and if these regulations are rescinded, nearly 8 tons of the carcinogenic gas will continue to be released. This would expose approximately 2.3 million people to the toxic gas.
Ethylene oxide is used to sterilize about 20 billion medical devices annually, including pacemakers and syringes. The Trump administration’s proposed rescission would save companies $47 million annually. The Trump administration is using a national security provision to exempt about half of all commercial medical sterilizers from ethylene oxide standards.
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Further reading: Trump’s rollback of toxic gas rules limits EPA’s authority to protect public health, analysis says
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EU considers carbon pricing for international flights to level playing field
The European Commission is considering extending its Emissions Trading System to include carbon pricing for international flights departing from the EU. The possible expansion is designed to provide all airlines with equal treatment on routes. At present, the EU ETS only puts a cost on carbon for flights within Europe, while the UN’s CORSIA scheme covers emissions from international flights, requiring the purchase of CO2 offsets rather than cutting emissions.
The Commission is considering giving industries free carbon permits for longer than originally envisaged to help them compete with cheap imports and global competition. It also aims to slow down the pace of ETS emissions cuts in the 2030s, giving industries breathing space while pursuing 2040 climate goals.
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Further reading: EU weighs extending carbon market to flights beyond Europe
Related Articles
Here is a list of articles selected by our Editorial Board that have gained significant interest from the public:
Charities demand new Clean Air Act to ban wood burning and diesel vehicles
More than 60 charities are urging ministers to introduce a new Clean Air Act to ban wood burning, remove diesel vehicles from roads, and compel councils to reduce pollution. Air pollution is estimated to cost the country approximately £27bn a year and is linked to health conditions including asthma, cancer, and dementia.
Together, organizations with more than 230,000 members are backing the call for tougher regulation. Between August 2024 and August 2025, at least 15,195 complaints about burning wood were recorded in England, yet only 24 fines were issued. Evidence suggests that wood-burning particles are as toxic, if not more toxic, than coal particles.
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Further reading: Labour must fulfil promise to introduce clean air act, charities urge
Brazil delays satellite monitoring rule for rural loans amid industry pressure
The Brazilian government has delayed a rule requiring banks to use satellite imagery to verify if rural loan applicants have engaged in deforestation before approving subsidized credit. The rule faced significant opposition from the farm sector and Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry, which requested that the measure be postponed or scrapped.
For rural properties with more than 15 fiscal modules, the requirement will now only apply starting in January 2027. For land areas between four and 15 fiscal modules, the verification requirement is set to take effect in July 2027. The implementation date for smaller properties up to four fiscal modules has been pushed back from the previous January 2027 deadline to January 2028.
The measure was designed to curb deforestation by restricting access to billions of dollars in subsidized public credit as on-the-ground enforcement becomes more difficult.
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Further reading: Brazil delays rule barring subsidized rural loans for deforested areas
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: A view of a power plant. Cover Photo Credit: Marek Piwnicki
