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Singapore
NOTE February 17, 2023, Singapore officially published regulations on radiation protection. See more details below: Singapore promulgates and implements general regulations on management of ionising radiation On December 1, …
China
China’s Zhongguancun Inspection, Testing and Certification Industry Technology Alliance released an association standard called “Automotive industry control of key chemical substances — Part 1:Application guidelines”, which came into effect Oct. …
India
Thailand
Ministry of Industry of Thailand published “Notification of Ministry of Industry B.E. 2565 (2022): List of hazardous substances (No.7)” in the Royal Gazette on 21 December 2022. The notification has …
*Taiwan
NOTE On February 18, 2023, the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan officially amended “Labelling standards for toy goods”. See more details below: Taiwan amends the labelling standard for toys …
China
On Dec. 30, 2022, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the 2023 List of Key Controlled New Pollutants. It was issued as part of the Action Plan on Controlling …
Vietnam
On November 23rd, 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Vietnam published the MONRE Decision No. 3220/QD-BTNMT on the National Plan about Biodiversity up to 2030, with …
Singapore
Singapore reported the Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill to the WTO/TBT on November 23, 2022. Singapore plans to launch a beverage container deposit system from mid-2024 as the first step in …
China
On Nov. 25, 2022, the Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People’s Congress issued Municipal Regulations on Water Conservation, which will come into effect March 1, 2023. These regulations set out …
Thailand
On September 8, 2022, the Notification of the Committee on Labels Re: Determination of Ultraviolet Radiation in the C Range of Wavelengths (Ultraviolet C or UV-C) Goods as a Label-Controlled …
South Korea
On November 30, 2022, the South Korean government announced the “Major Disaster Reduction Roadmap” to achieve “safe and healthy workplaces and a happy Republic of Korea.” The roadmap incorporates four …
China
On Nov. 25, 2022, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment published draft experimental measures for the oversight of wastewater outlets into the sea to seek public comments, which were accepted …
Vietnam
South Korea
On November 30, 2022, the South Korean Ministry of Environment announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Samsung Electronics to activate sewage water recycling. Under the …
Thailand
Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced “Notification of the Pollution Control Department on the Characteristics of Plastic Scraps Suitable for Recycling B.E.2565 (2022)” in the Royal …
South Korea
On November 30, 2022, South Korea Ministry of Environment announced that the Enforcement Rules of the Clean Air Conservation Act (published on November 14, 2022, Ministry of Environment Decree No. …
India
India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued a notice on December 20, 2022, to bring 50 products under 16 categories under mandatory quality control order (QCOs) …
China
On Oct. 1, 2022, a national recommended standard of China called the General Specification for Children’s Case and Bag (GB/T 41002-2022) came into effect. It was issued back on March …
South Korea
On November 21, 2022, the Ministry of Environment of South Korea issued a draft amendment to the Regulations on the Stipulated Quantities for Toxic Substances, Restricted Substances, Prohibited Substances and …
*Taiwan
Philippines’ Continuous Industrialization: Effect on Water Quality and Supply
Philippines
Figure 1. A part of Marilao River, part of the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System (MMORS) and one of the world’s most polluted river. Photo from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism …
South Korea
South Korea Ministry of Environment announced the plan to improve emissions trading system (hereinafter referred to as the improvement plan), which includes details for encouraging companies to reduce greenhouse gas …
China
South Korea
On November 4, 2022, the Korean Ministry of Environment announced a proposed amendment to the “Labeling Standards for Quality and Structure Grade of Packaging Materials”, and announced that it plans …
*Taiwan
On November 14, 2022, the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan of Taiwan announced a partial amendment to the notice of “Ban on the use of chlorpyrifos as a pesticide”.
India
The Indian Parliament on December 12, passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2022 laying the legal framework for establishing a carbon credit market, mandatory use of non-fossil fuel including green …
Philippines
On December 7, 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE) of the Philippines released “ADVISORY: Energy Audit Guidelines for Designated Establishments.” Since the deadline for submitting the first energy audit reports …
China
On Nov. 1, 2022, China’s National Development and Reform Commission and National Bureau of Statistics announced that energy used in material manufacturing is excluded from the country’s energy consumption limit …
China, Green Development and Harmony between Humanity and Nature
China
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China convened on October 16, 2022, and lit the way towards a new era of ecological civilization. The report delivered to …
Australia
Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, delivered the Government’s first annual climate change statement on December 1, 2022. The statement is a requirement under the Australian Climate …
South Korea
On October 26, 2022, South Korea government held a plenary session of the 2050 Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee as well as commissioning ceremony for the private sector committee members. …
China
On Oct. 12, 2022, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation issued a national standard called “Green product assessment—Kitchen and sanitary ware fittings” (GB/T 42065-2022), which will come into effect May …
South Korea
South Korea Ministry of Environment issued an administrative notice on proposed partial revision of the Regulations Concerning Preparation, etc. of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports, etc. from October 12 to November …
Philippines
On June 27th, 2022, “DTI-DAO No.22-11: The New Technical Regulation Concerning the Mandatory Certification of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Pressure Vessels, Services and Ancillary Products” (hereinafter referred to as “the …
Vietnam
On November 16, 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) together with TCP Vietnam, TCPVN announced that they agreed to implement a project titled “TCP moving toward circular …
China
On October 17, 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission of China released the “Implementation Rules for Energy Efficiency Labeling of Multi-Connected Air Conditioners” (Revised version) and “Implementation Rules for …
*Taiwan
On October 20, 2022, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI), Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan, released a draft amendment to the “Relevant Inspection Regulations for General Household …
Singapore
On November 15th, 2022, National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore together with Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced extension of the Commercial Vehicle Emissions Scheme (CVES) and the Early Turnover Scheme …
Indonesia
In Indonesia, on September 13, 2022, “Presidential Instruction No. 7 of 2022 on the use of battery-based electric vehicles as official operational and personal vehicles of central government institutions and …
*Taiwan
China
On Nov. 8, 2022, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Jiangsu province, China, released a draft plan for new pollutant control to seek public comments, which were accepted until …
South Korea
On October 18, 2022, the Korea Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy published an amended version of the “Act on the Control of Manufacture of Specific Substances for the Protection …
Global
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Convention/hereinafter referred to as the “Convention”) published the Report of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (hereinafter referred to as “POPRC”) on …
New Zealand
On November 1, 2022, New Zealand amended the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act of 1996 (HSNO Act) that legislates chemical substances management. The purpose of the amendment is to …
Singapore
In September 2022, two national standards on the specification for water-based primers and water-based enamel paints were published in Singapore. These standards define specific requirements for each product type, such …
China
On Oct. 12, 2022, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation published a national recommended standard called “Air Cleaner” (GB/T 18801-2022), which will come into effect May 1, 2023. This is …
*Hong Kong
On November 11, 2022, the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department promulgated the Energy Efficiency (Labelling of Products) Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2022, which adds LED lights, gas stoves, …
China
On Nov. 13, 2022, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Hebei province, China, released an action plan for new pollutant control to seek public comments, which were accepted through …
China
On Nov. 1, 2022, the Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment of Shanghai, China, released a draft action plan for new pollutant control to seek public comments, which were accepted …
South Korea
The Ministry of Environment of South Korea has given a legislative notice from October 20 to November 29, 2022, of the draft amendment to the “Enforcement Regulation of the Clean …
China
On October 31, 2022, the China Electronics Standardization Institute (CESI) published a draft of the group standard “Recycled Plastic Applications Technology Code for Electrical and Electronic Equipment” of the China …
Australia
On September 14, 2022, the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) released a new assessment report for six chemicals under Section 37 of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019. The assessment …
*Hong Kong
On November 11, 2022, the Hong Kong government promulgated three commencement notices: the Promotion of Recycling and Proper Disposal (Product Container) (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 (Commencement) Notice, the Product Eco-Responsibility (Regulated …
Malaysia
The Guidelines on Monitoring of Airborne Chemical Hazardous to Health, 2022 (hereafter referred to as the Guidelines) were released in Malaysia on August 29, 2022. The Guidelines provide guidance for …
Thailand
Thailand Ministry of Industry published a set of announcements to control emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from chemical and petrochemical industries on 2 November 2022. The notifications are;
China
On Oct. 21, 2022, the Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Center of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment published FAQs on the revised Measures on Hazardous Waste Transfer, issued Nov. …
China
On Nov. 9, 2022, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Hainan province, China, released draft provincial rules for solid waste pollution control to seek comments, which were accepted through …
China
On November 3, 2022, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China released a draft opinion solicitation for the “National Implementation Plan for the Distribution of Total Carbon Emissions Trading …
South Korea
On October 18, 2022, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea published the amended version of the “Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act”, and announced …
Vietnam
NOTE: On Dec. 30, 2022, Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport published the Circular on Energy Efficiency Labeling Rules for Electric Vehicles and Motorcycles (48/2022/TT-BGTVT). See more details below: Vietnam to start …
Singapore
NOTE: In Singapore, on 17 February 2023, the following four acts were promulgated to regulate substances subject to the Chemical Weapons Convention under the Environmental Protection and Management Act and the Fire Safety Act. See …
China
On Sept. 30, 2022, the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Zhejiang province, China, released a local standard to evaluate “sponge cities”. A sponge city is a city that …
India
On November 11, 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India issued a draft regulation “Environment (Protection) (Amendment) Rules, 2022” amending the water quality standards for treated …
South Korea
On October 18, 2022, the Ministry of Employment and Labor of South Korea published an amended version of the “Regulations on Occupational Safety and Health Standards”. The purpose of this …
China
On Nov. 10, 2022, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation and other government bodies and organizations announced an Action Plan to Improve the Quality of Products, Construction Work and Services …
India
On November 4, 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India published the “Environment (Protection) Third Amendment Rules, 2022” to revise the emission standards for fixed-speed or …
China
At a regular press conference Oct. 27, 2022, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment released its 2022 report on the country’s policies and actions regarding climate change. The ministry prepared …
South Korea
On October 18, 2022, the Ministry of Environment of South Korea issued a public notice (No. 2022-567) stating that in regard to the “Obligation to Provide Information on Chemical Substances” …
Malaysia
The Food Grade Certification Guidelines were released in Malaysia on June 21, 2022. These guidelines set out the requirements and application procedures for food grade certification of food contact materials. …
*Taiwan
On October 12, 2022, the Environmental Protection Administration Executive Yuan of Taiwan released the draft revision to the standard “Air pollution regulations and emission standards for volatile organic compounds in …
Thailand, Preparation for Upcomming Particulate Matter Season
Thailand
The month of November is when the winter season begins for Thailand. In the past years, during winter season, the air quality gets particularly worse than other seasons due to …
China
On September 8, 2022, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the National Development and Reform Commission, and 15 other administrative agencies of China promulgated the “In-depth action plan for the …
China
At a regular press conference of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment on Sept. 28, 2022, Yan E, a Deputy Director of Department of Laws, Regulations, and Standards talked about …
Indonesia
On October 3, 2022, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia notified WTO/TBT of two draft decrees on the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) for electric motor and …
India
On October 29, 2022, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) of India issued a draft regulation “Bureau of Energy Efficiency (Particulars and Manner of their Display on Labels of Chillers) …
China
On Oct. 30, 2022, China issued the Yellow River Protection Law, which will come into effect April 1, 2023. This law introduces to the Yellow River basin a ban on …
Singapore
NOTE: In February 2023, Singapore issued revisions of Parts 2 and 3 (SS 586-2: 2022, SS 586: 3) of the National Standard SS 586: Specification for hazard communication for hazardous …
China
On October 24, 2022, the China Coating Industry Association announced that it would conduct a survey on the use of 73 chemicals in the Coating industry, including PFCAs, UV-350. The …
China
Vietnam
On August 15, 2022, the Vietnam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the General Department of Environment released drafts of the National Technical Regulations(QCVN) for Noise, Vibration, and Sedimentation and …
Malaysia
The House of Representatives of Malaysia passed amendments to the Environmental Quality (Amendment) Bill 2022 on October 5, 2022. It is scheduled to be discussed in the Senate in the …
India
On November 1, 2022, the Ministry of Heavy Industries of India promulgated an order to postpone the effective date of the Electrical Equipment (Quality Control) Order 2020, which defines the …
China
On Sept. 28, 2022, the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Hebei province, China, published revised “Hebei Regulations on the Control of Solid Waste Environmental Pollution,” which will come …
China
On Oct. 9, 2022, China’s Certification and Accreditation Administration issued a revised list of standards used to specify couplers for household and similar uses (e.g., connectors and plugs that connect …
China
On October 14, 2022, the State Post Bureau of China held the regular press conference of the fourth quarter of 2022. At the press conference, the implement progresses of “9917” …
Thailand, Carbon Tax
Thailand
Economic instruments (EI) can be considered as one of the most effective environmental policies since they provide incentives for actions without removing individual freedom of choice. From a policy viewpoint, …
Improving China’s Pollutant Discharge Permit System: New Policy Movements
China
The Pollutant Discharge Permit System is how the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in China monitors and enforces legal restrictions on polluting entities and polluting behaviors.While it boasts a major …
India
On November 02, 2022, Ministry of Heavy Industries of India issued a notice making testing of electric vehicles mandatory for enhanced human safety with effect from April 01, 2023. The …
Indonesia
On October 3, 2022, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia notified WTO/TBT of six draft decrees of the minister on the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) for …
China
On July 11, 2022, the State Administration for Market Regulation released the national standard “General rules for equipping and managing the water metering devices in water-use organizations” (GB/T 24789-2022). This …
India
On November 2, 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India published the “E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022.” These Rules replace the current E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and …
China (1,093) *Hong Kong (26) *Taiwan (237)
Japan (91) South Korea (326)
Brunei (8)
Cambodia (2) Indonesia (123)
Laos (14) Malaysia (136)
Myanmar (8) Philippines (165) Singapore (142) Thailand (232) Vietnam (352)
Oman (2)
Saudi Arabia (6) Australia (65) New Zealand (22)
