Environmental Policy Updates: News on Climate Laws and Regulations in 2025

Introduction

As 2025 unfolds, environmental policy remains a battleground of ambition and retrenchment, shaped by geopolitical shifts, scientific imperatives, and economic pressures. With global temperatures on track for 3°C warming by century's end, policymakers grapple with enforcement gaps, funding shortfalls, and competing priorities. In the U.S., a wave of deregulations under the Trump administration contrasts with state-level resilience and international momentum, including China's bold emissions reductions and the EU's push for COP30.

This article synthesizes key updates from September and October 2025, drawing on reports from the EPA, UNFCCC, OECD, and more, to offer an in-depth review of climate laws and regulations. From domestic rollbacks to global adaptation strategies, these developments signal a fragmented yet evolving landscape, where innovation and advocacy will determine progress toward net-zero goals.

U.S. Policy Shifts: Deregulation and State Pushback

The United States has dominated 2025 headlines with aggressive deregulatory moves, marking a stark reversal from prior administrations. On March 12, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency's largest deregulatory action in history, targeting 31 rules across sectors like emissions reporting and clean energy standards.

This includes proposals to eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting for most industrial sectors and delay oil and gas disclosures, potentially undermining transparency and investor confidence.

President Trump's April 8 executive order further escalated tensions by challenging state climate laws, setting the stage for litigation over programs like California's cap-and-trade and New York's climate superfund. 

The Act on Climate's rollback tracker documents 18 Bureau of Land Management rule reversals, easing mining in national forests and prioritizing fossil fuel extraction. June's EPA revisions propose repealing carbon standards for power plants and relaxing carbon capture mandates and could increase emissions by 10-15% in hard-to-abate sectors.

These actions echo Project 2025's blueprint, whose excerpts reveal an intent to dismantle federal climate responses, including gutting the Inflation Reduction Act's clean energy incentives. Harvard's Corporate Governance alert notes early-year executive actions and state legislation, with 19 states pursuing net-zero targets despite federal retreat. 

California's upcoming climate disclosure laws, highlighted in KPMG's October 21 webcast, mandate Scope 1-3 emissions reporting for large firms, clashing with federal leniency. State attorneys general warn that European regulations like CSRD could compel U.S. firms to violate domestic laws on climate disclosures, putting businesses in a difficult situation. NAEM reports rising scrutiny on greenwashing, prompting companies to rethink ESG strategies amid these tensions.

Global Climate Commitments: Ambition Amid Fragmentation

Internationally, 2025 has seen pockets of progress. China's September 25 announcement of 7-10% GHG cuts from peak levels defies U.S. denialism, positioning Beijing as a leader in renewables and adaptation. The ICLG's Environment & Climate Change Report surveys global enforcement, noting stricter permits and liabilities in the EU and Asia. 

The UNFCCC's new Climate Weeks platform enhances dialogues for ambition, building toward COP30 in Belém, Brazil. EU MEPs' recent resolution urges high-ambition policies, targeting methane and road transport emissions while integrating adaptation. The OECD's October blog emphasizes embedding adaptation in core policy, vital for resilience at COP30.

UN News highlights the Climate Summit 2025's focus on floods, wildfires, and heatwaves, emphasizing the need to implement 1.5°C pathways. ABC's October 6 update warns seven Earth health metrics are in peril, from ocean acidification to biodiversity loss. The WMO's seasonal forecast for September-October-November predicts declining Niño influences, potentially easing some extremes but not the long-term trend.

Qatar's enforcement actions, like confiscating illegal hunting devices, reflect localized commitments to wildlife laws. Australia's $75 billion climate spend faces scrutiny, with senators demanding breakdowns amid embedded regulations.

Implications for Businesses and Communities

These updates ripple through economies. U.S. deregulations may lower short-term costs but risk stranded assets and litigation, as seen in Alberta's $14 million pipeline push against federal hurdles. Globally, laws like the EU's CSDDD and the U.S. SEC rules demand balanced profit-planet approaches, challenging firms to navigate greenwashing risks. Communities bear the brunt: Skepticism on X questions climate narratives, from "taxes as control" to calls for repealing the UK's Climate Change Act. Yet, advocacy persists, with The Nature Conservancy's guide urging action by 2030 for 1.5°C.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Fragmentation poses risks: U.S. rollbacks could isolate it from Paris Agreement peers, while funding gaps hinder adaptation. COP30 offers a reset, with MEPs and the UN pushing for bolder targets. Innovations in reporting and enforcement, like California's mandates, may bridge divides. Looking ahead, Q4 2025 will test these policies amid seasonal extremes. Stakeholders must advocate for equitable, science-driven regulations to avert catastrophe.

Conclusion

2025's environmental policy updates reveal a world at crossroads: U.S. deregulations clash with global resolve, from China's cuts to EU ambitions. As EDF notes, eliminating GHG reporting erodes accountability, yet voices on X and beyond demand transparency. By engaging with these laws—whether through compliance or activism—we shape a resilient future. Stay vigilant; the next summit could redefine our trajectory.