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] International regulatory harmonization through FATF and IOSCO reduces arbitrage opportunities and strengthens global standards. MEXC
• [New] Voluntary carbon markets will undergo a rapid transformation that includes adhering to minimum global standards, primarily to enhance carbon credit integrity. The Conference Board
• [New] By 2030, 50% of organizations will use autonomous AI agents to interpret governance policies and technical standards into machine-verifiable data contracts, automating compliance and governance policy enforcement. Gartner
• [New] The USEPA has announced that it will delay enforcement of two Biden-era vehicle emission rules (covering light - and medium-duty vehicles and the Clean Trucks Plan for heavy-duty engines). JD Supra
• [New] Expect new governance standards specifically for agentic systems to emerge in late 2026. GuruSup
• [New] A new collaboration between the Alan Turing Institute, Lloyd's Register and Lloyd's Register Foundation aims to advance research which could speed up autonomous shipping adoption, by helping to develop reliable standards which benefit the wider maritime sector. SAFETY4SEA
• [New] Fortunately, Australia's mandatory cybersecurity standards for consumer smart devices are now actively enforced, outright banning universal default passwords and mandating vulnerability reporting to help neutralise IoT botnet risks. Lean Security
• [New] US Senate approves ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot for official use under new rules Reuters reported that the U.S. Senate approved the use of major AI assistants-ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot - for official work, under a policy framework managing privacy and operational risk. Prompt Injection
• [New] The UK AI Security Institute has assessed over 30 frontier models, and the first industry-standard AI safety benchmark now measures model behaviour across twelve hazard categories aligned with ISO/IEC 42001. JD Supra
• [New] Interconnection standards are evolving to address distributed resource participation in wholesale electricity markets, with FERC Order 2222 enabling aggregated distributed energy resources to compete alongside traditional generation resources. Discovery Alert
• [New] Member States will have to comply with the new standards for surface water and groundwater by 2039, with a 2033 deadline for substances subject to more stringent environmental quality standards in surface water. NautaDutilh
• [New] The weakening of IP protections in traditionally strong economies risks setting a precedent that could undermine global IP standards. U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• [New] UK financial institutions operate under a dual framework: prudential risk expectations from the PRA and consumer-facing sustainability standards from the FCA. Generation Impact Global
• [New] The UK Financial Conduct Authority has launched a consultation on how its existing Handbook rules will apply to regulated cryptoasset activities. FinScan
• [New] As the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures moves from voluntary pilot programs to rigorous integration with International Sustainability Standards Board requirements, the window for ignoring biodiversity risk is officially closing. Finance
• [New] Without global coordination, fragmented technical standards risk creating silos, undermining the decentralized ethos and user accessibility. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] There's an explicit push to consider quantum-resistant cryptography early, on the assumption that networks deployed in the 2030s will still be running when today's encryption standards start to look dated. The Register
• [New] New circular fashion rules and California's climate-risk disclosures signal expanding oversight, as AI begins reshaping how major investors conduct proxy voting. FTI Strategic Communications
• [New] Europe maintains a large inventory of military aircraft, many of which are undergoing extensive retrofitting to meet current threat standards. Market Data Forecast
• By 2030, the workforce will be a fluid mesh of human creativity and digital intelligence, governed by standards like MCP and secured by SPIFFE identities. MEXC
• In the absence of consistent global standards, some major AI companies have introduced their own safety guardrails to prevent deepfakes, curb harmful uses, and reduce security risks. The Cool Down
• DISPUTES As influencer marketing continues to shape consumer behaviour, particularly in the beauty sector, companies are entering 2026 facing heightened scrutiny of influencer claims, disclosures, and emerging litigation risks tied to social media-driven advertising strategies. / UK JD Supra
• Looking to 2035, key indicators will be production volumes of premium products (plant-based proteins, functional beverages), stringent food safety standards, and sustainability targets for water and waste. IndexBox Inc.

Last updated: 19 March 2026