In this month's ESG alert, we highlight Norway’s follow-up actions in the wake of the EU release of the Omnibus package, the EFTA Court’s recent advisory opinion in the case regarding disposal of mining waste in Førdefjorden, and public consultations on the new ESG Regulation.

In this month's ESG alert, we highlight the EU Commission's Omnibus package, which proposes significant simplifications to EU legislation on sustainability and human rights. We also describe the overturn of the first infringement penalty issued under the Transparency Act, and the proposed implementation of the EU Regulation on Waste Shipments into Norwegian law.

In this month's ESG alert, we highlight the entry into force of the reporting requirements of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive in Norway, and look into the Omnibus Simplification Package and the postponement of the Deforestation Regulation from the EU, as well as a recently published report evaluating the Norwegian Transparency Act.

On 14 November 2024, the EU Parliament formally approved the European Commission's proposal to postpone the application of the Deforestation Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) until 30 December 2025. With the aim of reducing deforestation, forest degradation, greenhouse gas emissions and global biodiversity loss, the Deforestation Regulation imposes documentation and due diligence requirements on in-scope entities to ensure that relevant commodities and products are deforestation-free and lawfully produced. Companies falling within the scope of the Regulation, should start preparations to ensure that they are prepared to comply once the obligations enter into force.

In this month's ESG alert, we highlight the first infringement penalty imposed under the Transparency Act, the implementation of the EU CSRD into Norwegian law, the Norwegian government's decision to implement CBAM into Norwegian law, EU restrictions on a sub-group of PFAS chemicals, and the latest decision from the Borgarting Court of Appeal regarding an injunction appeal from two environmental organisations.

In this month's ESG alert we describe three recently published public consultations in Norway, relating to (i) a revised CO2 compensation scheme, (ii) amendments to sustainability reporting in auditor and accounting regulations and (iii) the EU's recent Regulation on reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector.

On 11 June 2024, the Norwegian Parliament amended the Accounting Act to implement the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) into Norwegian law. The new rules impose new sustainability reporting requirements for Norwegian companies, with the aim of standardising and enhancing the quality of disclosed environmental, social and governance matters.

ESG, compliance and risk management

Responsible business and human rights

Sustainability, climate and environment

Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS)

Renewable Energy and Green Investments

Specialist Counsel

Tonje is a regulatory expert within the field of sustainability, climate change and  environment, with a broad expertise from both public and private sectors. 

She advices clients in all areas of climate and environmental law, both in relation to compliance and implementation, together with companies' strategy work and the identification of risks and opportunities to get well positioned in the green transition.   

Tonje has extensive experience from the Ministry of Climate and Environment both as Head of Section and a specialist. She has a particular emphasis on public law framework conditions, government permits and bureaucratic and political processes. She has worked with a broad range of sustainability topics such as climate, pollution, renewable energy, waste and circular economy. 

Tonje has been responsible for sustainability in a large private company, advancing ESG initiatives. This includes contributions related to the carbon capture initiative at one of the cement facilities, which is part of the Governmental CCS initiative Longship.

Oslo

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Tonje works with sustainability and ESG, mainly related to climate change and the environment.

Tonje Hagen Geiran

Head of Section / Project manager / Senior Advisor