Green Bonds: Update On EU Green Bond Standard Regulation

The EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation has banned the destruction of unsold apparel and footwear from July 2026, forcing retailers to pivot from recycling and disposal to donation, resale and reuse strategies. With mandatory public reporting on unsold stock disposal and stricter policing of environmental marketing claims now in force, consumer-facing businesses across Ireland and the EU face a fundamental shift in how they manage inventory, report waste, and communicate sustainability creden

The European Commission has published its final Delegated Regulation establishing a common rating scheme for data centres, introducing electronic sustainability labels for facilities with at least 500 kW of IT power demand. The regulation incorporates significant changes from the draft version, particularly around nuclear energy consumption indicators, and will require data centre operators to understand complex conditionality requirements for energy procurement arrangements.

Climate related litigation continues to evolve, with several recent landmark decisions shaping the global legal landscape. In this update, we consider the broad trends in recent climate litigation...

Ireland's Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2026 introduces significant reforms to judicial review procedures and planning law, while new EU packaging regulations and climate action consultations signal major environmental policy shifts. Key court decisions address wind turbine noise nuisance and water quality obligations under EU directives.

Ireland moves forward with legislation to implement the EU Deforestation Regulation, introducing supply chain due diligence requirements for commodities like cattle, cocoa, coffee, and wood. The draft bill aims to ensure products placed on the Irish market are certified as deforestation-free, with enforcement beginning in December 2026.

This Q3 2026 edition highlights key legal and regulatory developments shaping Ireland's sustainability landscape, covering energy, infrastructure, and sustainable finance. The newsletter features insights from Climate Finance Week 2026 and explores legislative priorities for Europe's energy future during Ireland's EU Presidency.

The Council of the European Union (the “Council”) has approved the amended European Climate Law (the “European Climate Law”) and published Regulation (EU) 2026/667 (the “Regulation”) in respect of the 2040 intermediate climate target. The European Climate Law, with direct effect in Ireland, was first adopted in 2021 and established the EU’s long-term climate policy framework in line with the Paris Agreement.

The Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 (the “Bill”) completed Final Stages in the Dáil on 14 January 2026. Minister O’Brien, when securing cabinet approval to publish the Bill, pitched it as a game-changer for investment.

Michelle Martin, a partner in the Environment & Planning team at William Fry is joined by planning consultant Luke Wymer to discuss the planning policy reforms proposed by the 2024 Act...

Ireland's Minister for Agriculture has published the draft General Scheme of the Deforestation and Forest Degradation Bill 2026, establishing the national enforcement framework for the EU Deforestation Regulation.