Recent raging winter storms have caved in streets, wrecked piers, collapsed homes and apartment buildings, and submerged property up and down California’s coastline. As sea levels continue to rise from climate change,...more
This week, we discuss the first settlement between a state and a group of young plaintiffs who claimed that their government’s inadequate climate policies violated their constitutional right to a healthy environment. We...more
The ACOEL webpage “About Us” states that we are to be “Advocates for environmental law and process for a better environmental future.” Allow me to throw down this gauntlet to Members: What “better environmental future” is the...more
On April 25, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed four final rules representing multi-media regulation (air, water, waste, climate) for the utility sector. Individually, each rule would have been notable for...more
Following discussions during the 81st meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81), which took place March 18–22, 2024, member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) agreed on a draft...more
Beginning April 2024, companies registered in Brazil’s Federal Technical Registry of Potentially Polluting Activities (CTF/APP) will begin to pay the Environmental Control and Inspection Fee (TCFA) under a new calculation...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") announced new stringent emissions standards for automobiles, which the Biden administration has deemed the "strongest-ever vehicle pollution standards" in U.S. history....more
As discussed in our earlier Client Alerts, California recently passed several laws requiring certain climate-related corporate disclosures, including, for example, regarding emissions and climate-related financial risk. As...more
On September 27, 2023, six “Portuguese young people” were heard by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in a lawsuit against 32 European governments, including all EU member states, alleging that their failure to act...more
The fifth largest economy in the world just passed a law to require any business with over $1 billion in revenues to report their carbon emissions. Yes, California is leading the way, again, in greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction...more
On July 25, 2023, Representative Ted Lieu and 19 other Democratic lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting that the Department of Justice...more
The European Commission has launched a public consultation and a call for evidence seeking opinions on the EU’s intermediary climate targets for 2040. This is a scheduled step in the EU’s ambition to reach net-zero emissions...more
ESG is an acronym and importantly a movement with a viewpoint. It is also an evolving concept which uses the first letters of three words as its name. Those words are Environmental, Social and Governance. ESG is a concept...more
On February 17, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Luiz Alberto Figueiredo as the Brazilian Ambassador for Climate Change. Figueiredo is an experienced diplomat who previously served as Brazil’s permanent...more
The City of Boston is advancing three companion regulatory efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for medium-sized and large buildings. As addressed in our 2021 advisory, the Boston Emissions Reduction and Disclosure...more
As part of an effort to move towards global carbon neutrality, Canada published its 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan in March of 2022 which focuses on achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Working towards a strong economy...more
A recently-issued multi-agency report highlights a path for the U.S. government to replace fossil fuel-based jet fuel with renewable sources to address climate change and encourage infrastructure development. The U.S....more
A California bill requiring large U.S. companies doing business in California to publicly report all of their worldwide greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions moved one step closer to Governor Newsom's desk. If the bill becomes law,...more
As part of its legislative arsenal to combat climate change, France adopted the Climate and Resilience Law on August 22, 2021 ("Climate Law"), providing for a large number of binding measures against greenhouse gas ("GHG")...more
On March 10, 2022, the European Commission ("the Commission") adopted a decision on the award of grants under the Innovation Fund ("the Fund"). A total of seven projects obtained a grant after a first call for large-scale...more
On March 29, 2022, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, supported by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, tabled Canada’s new 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan describes the existing and new measures...more
After years of attempts with varying success to regulate methane emissions from new oil and gas wells, the Biden administration has shifted strategy in proposing a regulatory program covering both new and existing oil and...more
Furthering the aims of Boston’s 2019 Climate Action Plan, which identified large buildings as major carbon emitters, Boston City Council amended the Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to require all...more
The aviation industry, including air carriers and aircraft manufacturers, has taken significant steps toward increasing the environmental sustainability of the industry. Overall, many airlines have demonstrated a commitment...more
While the presidential transition has focused attention on the energy and environmental policy initiatives that likely will be undertaken by the Biden-Harris Administration, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts continues to...more