Global Scans · Legal · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Substantive regulatory change is likely to happen in the next decade as a result of the recent U.S. Presidential election, Brexit and efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change, increase trade and reduce bureaucracy while legislating for new forms of technological advancement such as robots, driverless cars and drones.

• [New] Under the Insurance Act, 2079, companies need bilateral agreements, regulatory approvals, and minimum capital requirements to operate abroad, making diplomatic coordination and legal compliance essential for expansion. / Nepal Nepal News
• [New] Key drivers behind the growth of ESG and sustainable finance include: Climate Change and Environmental Risks: Increasing frequency of extreme weather events, carbon regulations, and global climate commitments have made environmental risks financially material. TradingView
• [New] Divisions could slow U.S. leadership in crypto regulation, giving other jurisdictions an edge in attracting innovation. Tekedia
• [New] Preventing the sharing of non-consensual deepfakes on X will likely require government legislation, warning it's a structural issue that users have limited means to solve. / Canada CBC
• [New] Educational institutions will operate within secure, dedicated digital workspaces that are fully compliant with Kazakhstan's data protection and information security legislation. The Astana Times
• [New] Russia's approach suggests a strategic wager: that NATO's political caution, legal constraints, and internal divisions will limit its ability to impose meaningful costs for actions below the threshold of war. Hungarian Conservative
• [New] Some countries, such as Poland and Romania, have adopted more assertive postures, including changes to domestic legal frameworks to allow the interception or destruction of unidentified aerial threats in peacetime. Hungarian Conservative
• [New] U.S. Senators are formally going to expand the crypto rulebook by clearly defining the role of every individual, assigning distinct responsibilities to formalize crypto regulations. Bitget Exchange
• [New] The United States is expected to see continued legal and political debate over the role of federal climate and ESG regulation. Net Zero Compare
• [New] 2026 is expected to be a pivotal year for sustainability, legal, and compliance professionals as governments, regulators, and investors recalibrate expectations around climate action, transparency, and corporate accountability. Net Zero Compare
• [New] AI and Workplace Surveillance Will Remain in the Spotlight Despite some AI-related legislative fails this year (SB 7 and AB 1018), California regulators advanced some significant regulations of AI use by employers. FlippingBook
• [New] Congress Will Still Be Talking About AI, Not Passing a Comprehensive Law Despite urging from the White House, Congress will not pass a comprehensive federal AI statute in 2026. FlippingBook
• [New] California's ADMT Regulations Will Make AI Governance a National Standard Gearing up for CPPA regulations to take effect in 2027, businesses will need to grapple with risk assessments, cybersecurity audits, pre-use notices, opt-out rights, and annual cybersecurity audits in 2026. FlippingBook
• [New] New mandatory frameworks in APAC, driven by waste challenges and global alignment efforts, will prompt at least five software vendors to launch new modules designed to support APAC packaging EPR regulations. Default
• [New] Declares a national policy: The U.S. will pursue minimally burdensome AI regulation to sustain and enhance global AI dominance. Aon
• [New] US lawmakers are preparing renewed discussions on comprehensive crypto legislation, with a major markup session scheduled for mid-January that could reshape the regulatory landscape in 2026. MEXC
• [New] The SEC is expected to grant exemptive relief for tokenized securities in DeFi, paving the way for legal onchain securities and starting formal rulemaking in late 2026. Piper Alderman
• [New] The implementation of the Environmental Crime Directive will lead to an expansion of corporate liability under German law. www.hoganlovells.com
• [New] Formal AI risk management, stricter transparency and safety requirements, and expanding data and cybersecurity risks are some of the issues businesses should prioritise in 2026, as major AI laws begin to take effect. Lexology PRO
• [New] If the Supreme Court finds that federal labeling requirements preempt state-law failure-to-warn claims, it could effectively end thousands of pending Roundup lawsuits nationwide, removing the existential threat of litigation for Bayer (at least regarding their labels). The Ecomodernist
• [New] UK regulators are expected to continue supervising AI in financial services through existing FCA, PRA and BoE frameworks rather than a single AI law. Mondaq

Last updated: 27 January 2026