ESG Legal Outlook 2025: key global themes

We have published our ESG Legal Outlook 2025 highlighting the key global themes set to shape the legal landscape for ESG in the coming year. 

We anticipate that 2025 will be a year focused on implementation, reflection, and recalibration.

The last couple of years have seen ESG policy and regulation across the globe develop at a frenetic pace. However, with many economies concerned about competitiveness and energy costs, it is not surprising that some are now asking for a moment of reflection and recalibration, as well as emphasis on the practical implementation of recently adopted regulation. 

Serious questions are being asked about the private sector’s ability to cope with what has been a veritable tsunami of ESG developments, including hefty new disclosure and due diligence requirements, which has led to a certain amount of ESG fatigue. 

Even the EU, which has been leading the ESG charge so far, is about to embark on a simplification (and implementation) phase. And there is no denying that the outcome of the recent US election will have a significant effect on the ESG landscape, not just domestically but also further afield. 

Having said that, 2025 is unlikely to see a full reversal or halt to ESG developments globally. What is more likely is that the pace of change will slow this year and that there will be a pause for thought and focus on practical implementation, to give businesses some much-needed breathing space. 

There are still plenty of significant developments scheduled for 2025, including in respect of transition plans, energy transition, sustainable finance, disclosure, due diligence, and circular economy, as well as a continued focus on greenwashing and ESG litigation - all of which we have highlighted in this year’s publication.

If you would like to discuss any of these themes, please reach out to the contacts on this post, or to your usual Linklaters contacts.