Global Scans · Standards · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Improving standards are likely to be driven more by business and technological improvement than governments in the future. The latter will be under severe pressure to cut bureaucracy, speed policy making and improve their nation's productivity performance.

• [New] The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has unveiled its regulatory agenda for 2026, outlining plans for new rules that could shape the future of cryptocurrency as well as public and private investments in the United States. The Crypto Times
• [New] SEC plans clearer crypto rules to support digital assets while continuing to protect investors and enforce securities laws. The Crypto Times
• [New] Electric-Driven (Oil-Free) is the fastest-growing category, registering a 4.4% CAGR from 2026 to 2035, as pharma, food, and energy end users increasingly specify oil-free electric platforms to meet air-purity and emissions standards. / Germany Next Move Strategy Consulting
• [New] The FDA plans to conduct further testing, including for additional contaminants; to continue to engage with manufacturers on measures to reduce the levels of contaminants to as low as possible; and to work to establish action levels for contaminants in infant formula. FDA
• [New] Without strong, legislated standards, we risk replicating the disastrous US pattern, where Big Tech corporations have carte blanche to drain energy and water, and build new, polluting gas and diesel-powered plants to fuel their operations. Greenpeace Australia Pacific
• [New] The UK Sustainability Reporting Standards, due to be phased in by the Financial Conduct Authority from 2027, will fortify existing requirements for a range of public and private actors to identify and manage physical climate risks. GOV.UK
• [New] OpenAI and Anthropic have publicly supported Australia's proposed AI regulatory framework, arguing that clearer rules could encourage investment and provide greater certainty for developers. MarketingProfs
• [New] Chinese open-source models are winning U.S. business by being cheaper and nearly as capable as American alternatives, with the Trump administration now leaning toward subtler pressure tactics - procurement rules, Entity List threats, and public pressure campaigns - rather than outright bans. The Brief - Superculture
• [New] In South America, Brazil is expected to phase out IPI exemptions by 2028 unless vehicles meet strict local content rules. Tianjin Yigang Automobile Sales Co.,Ltd.
• [New] Stricter rules-of-origin requirements, such as mandating that 45% of a BEV value must originate from the UK or EU, have been postponed to 2027. atradius
• [New] New Jersey is modernizing its land use rules to respond to climate change risks, such as sea level rise and chronic flooding. Northern Trust
• [New] New York will block the construction of new large data centers for up to a year as it creates rules to protect the environment and energy grid from facilities that fuel artificial intelligence technology. 10 Things Global News
• [New] If utilities sign on, it could become the template other states point to when writing their own data center cost allocation rules, including New York's new moratorium above. AI Power Weekly
• [New] In the medium term, the UK will need a bespoke deal, probably closer to Switzerland than to Norway, since Britain is unlikely to accept EU rules wholesale in services sectors where it has a comparative advantage, from the City of London to technology and AI. Centre for European Reform
• [New] Singapore's Smart Nation 2.0 Digital Infrastructure Act's mandatory interoperability standards could set a regional precedent, shaping how ASEAN-wide data governance architecture evolves in the second half of the decade. KBA13 INSIGHT
• [New] The Small and Medium Enterprises segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR from 2026 to 2034 due to the democratization of technology and the availability of affordable cloud-based Internet of Behaviour solutions tailored for smaller businesses. Market Data Forecast
• [New] The White House voluntary AI standards framework announcement, expected within days per the Financial Times, is the most likely trigger for OpenAI to expand access. Unrot
• [New] Albania will repeal the controversial Strategic Investments Law, while the Law on Protected Areas will be revised and brought into line with European Union standards. Center for Western Balkans Studies
• The QSN will coordinate standards across quantum computing, sensing, and related technologies, with the goal of helping U.K. companies develop products that meet internationally recognized standards and strengthening the United Kingdom's influence in global quantum standard-setting. QED-C
• The QSN will help UK companies develop products to internationally recognised standards, accelerating adoption and supporting sectors such as healthcare, transport, and finance. UKAuthority
• In 2026, trading carbon credits between countries will get easier because new international rules under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement will introduce common standards for how credits are created, tracked, and exchanged. ""
• The costs of administering complex data-protection rules, say, could easily be absorbed by a Google or OpenAI, with their hordes of compliance staff. Techdirt

Last updated: 30 July 2026