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On March 20, 2025, House Republicans passed the “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB) as part of H.R. 1, a sweeping legislative package that includes dramatic rollbacks of many of the clean energy tax credits established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). While the bill has little chance of advancing in the Senate in its current form, its proposed cuts offer a window into shifting political priorities and could have significant implications for the U.S. clean energy manufacturing sector. Subtitle...

On December 19, 2024, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced the availability of the Federal Sustainable Chemistry Strategic Plan (Strategic Plan). As reported in our January 19, 2021, memorandum, Subtitle E of TII of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA for FY2021) includes the text of the bipartisan Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2019. Subtitle E establishes an interagency working group led by OSTP to...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on December 5, 2024, that it published updates to its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing (Recommendations). EPA notes that this is the first time in almost ten years that it has comprehensively evaluated private-sector standards and ecolabels and expanded the Recommendations. According to EPA, the Recommendations “help buyers cut through the clutter to identify thousands of products and...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 8, 2024, the availability of the final updated Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) Standard (the Standard). 89 Fed. Reg. 64915. According to EPA, the update includes a name change to the title of the Standard, a revision to the packaging criteria, a new certification for cleaning service providers, a new provision allowing for preterm partnership termination under exceptional circumstances, and the addition of...

On April 22, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) issued a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to restructure and update the regulations to focus on current environmental and sustainability matters and to implement a requirement for agencies to procure sustainable products and services to the maximum extent practicable. 89 Fed. Reg. 30212. The final rule adds several...

On April 22, 2024, the European Commission (EC) announced that it adopted a “Communication from the Commission: Guiding criteria and principles for the essential use concept in EU legislation dealing with chemicals.” The press release states that “[t]he overall aim of this concept is to achieve higher regulatory efficiency and predictability for authorities, investors and industry for a faster phase-out of the most harmful substances in non-essential uses, while allowing more time for the...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host the Clean Fuels & Products Shot™ Summit on April 8, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (EDT), and April 9, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (EDT). The virtual event will gather stakeholders across government, industry, academia, and non-profit organizations to engage on the objectives, progress, priorities, and future plans for the seventh DOE Energy Earthshot™. According to DOE, the Clean Fuels & Products Shot aims to lower carbon...

On September 18, 2023, the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) recognized member companies that have been “early adopters” of its Sustainable Feedstocks Initiative, “aimed to drive the use of more sustainable feedstocks in cleaning product ingredients and products throughout the industry.” ACI states that the initiative focused on the top raw materials used in cleaning products. For the purposes of this initiative, ACI defines a sustainable feedstock as “a raw or recycled material...

On August 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) proposed to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to restructure and update the regulations to focus on current environmental and sustainability matters and to implement a requirement for agencies to procure sustainable products and services to the maximum extent practicable. 88 Fed. Reg. 51672. Comments are...

On August 3, 2023, the Joint Subcommittee on Environment, Innovation, and Public Health Sustainable Chemistry Strategy Team (Sustainable Chemistry ST) of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) published a report entitled Sustainable Chemistry Report: Framing the Federal Landscape. As reported in our January 19, 2021, memorandum, the fiscal year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included the text of the bipartisan Sustainable Chemistry Research and...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) will host a workshop on “Transitioning to a Sustainable, Circular Economy for Plastics.” The June 8-9, 2023, workshop will convene stakeholders for a discussion of the current challenges and opportunities in transitioning to a sustainable domestic economy for plastics. According to DOE, it...

On March 8, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $16 million for two new grant opportunities to support states and Tribes in providing technical assistance to businesses seeking to develop and adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices that advance environmental justice in underserved communities. The Request for Applications for P2 investments include the Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable...

 By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   On March 8, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $16 million for two new grant opportunities to support states and Tribes in providing technical assistance to businesses seeking to develop and adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices that advance environmental justice in underserved communities. The Request for Applications for P2 investments include the Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on January 31, 2023, that it has extended the deadline for public comment on its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (Green Guides) to April 24, 2023. FTC states in its December 14, 2022, news release that it seeks to update the Green Guides “based on increasing consumer interest in buying environmentally friendly products.” FTC expects “many public comments” on...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) will hold a webinar on December 13, 2022, on the “SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap: Soaring Towards Sustainable Fuel Production Goals.” Attendees will learn about the six action areas that support the Grand Challenge’s goals of: Reducing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 50 percent compared to conventional fuel; Producing enough sustainable aviation...

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (CDTSC) invites stakeholders to two external engagement sessions, on November 1 and November 3, 2022, to share their perspectives on an actionable definition of sustainable chemistry. CDTSC states that stakeholders’ participation and expertise can help refine a draft, consensus definition and set of criteria for sustainable chemistry. According to CDTSC, the draft definition and criteria were developed over the past six months by a...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (CDTSC) invites stakeholders to two external engagement sessions, on November 1 and November 3, 2022, to share their perspectives on an actionable definition of sustainable chemistry. CDTSC states that stakeholders’ participation and expertise can help refine a draft, consensus definition and set of criteria for sustainable chemistry. According to CDTSC, the draft definition and criteria...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) May 18, 2022, webinar “Domestic Chemical Regulation and Achieving Circularity” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, moderated a timely and fascinating review of the state of sustainable chemical regulation in the United States with Kate Sellers, Technical Fellow, ERM; Mathy Stanislaus, Vice Provost, Executive Director, The Environmental...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) May 18, 2022, webinar “Domestic Chemical Regulation and Achieving Circularity” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, moderated a timely and fascinating review of the state of sustainable chemical regulation in the United States with Kate Sellers, Technical Fellow, ERM; Mathy Stanislaus, Vice Provost, Executive Director, The Environmental Collaboratory,...