Today, the European Commission published the document “Questions and answers on importer requirements of EU Methane Regulation (EU) 2024/1787” (the “Methane Q&A”). In short, the Methane Q&A is an attempt, but an insufficient...more
World leaders, scientists, government decision-makers, private sector actors, climate actionists and other stakeholders have convened at 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on...more
One of the Bay Area’s largest reservoirs is about to get bigger thanks to a partnership between local water agencies and the federal government. The San Luis Reservoir Dam, between Los Banos and Gilroy, will be raised 10 feet...more
On November 12, 2024, the Biden administration announced a final rule to reduce methane emissions from high-emitting oil and gas producers. Enabled by the Inflation Reduction Act (the “Act”), EPA will now collect Waste...more
California officials have been working on a plan to preserve the state’s leading edge environmental and climate policies, in the event that former President Donald J. Trump returns to the White House and follows through on...more
At its October 10 meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission (the Commission) unanimously found that a petition to list the western burrowing owl as an endangered or threatened species in California provides sufficient...more
On October 4, 2024, without opinion and no recorded dissents, the United States Supreme Court handed the Biden Administration two wins on notable climate change regulations, denying emergency stay applications against...more
On 27 September 2024, the European Commission (“EC”) published draft rules defining “low-carbon hydrogen” and derivative “low-carbon fuels” in the EU (the “Draft Low-Carbon Hydrogen DA”). A public consultation is now open...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued an Enforcement Alert (“EA”) titled: EPA Finds MSW Landfills are Violating Monitoring and Maintenance Requirements....more
Good morning! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings...more
On 15 July 2024, “Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/942” (the “EU Methane...more
A California Superior Court judge ruled last week that Sonoma County must do more to ensure responsible groundwater pumping under the state’s Public Trust Doctrine, which holds that rivers, creeks, and other waterways are...more
The Environmental Protection Agency intends to issue a rule updating its Clean Air Act emission standards for new and existing municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills to cut methane and other harmful landfill gas emissions....more
On July 9, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) declined to stay a new Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) rule that seeks to limit methane emissions in the oil...more
Final Rules for Prevailing Wage & Registered Apprenticeships at Clean Energy Projects - The Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced final rules implementing the prevailing wage and...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on June 21, 2024, released a $850 million Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas...more
The Biden-Harris Administration recently issued a suite of new rules aimed at addressing water and air quality, reducing methane emissions, protecting environmental justice communities, and accelerating the nation’s...more
Antitrust and Competition - The European Commission Approves Plan to Unwind a Completed Transaction in the Early Cancer Detection Sector - On 12 April 2024, the European Commission (Commission) approved the plan to unwind a...more
The Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) gave the federal government new authority to “tackle” the problem of methane emissions. On May 6, 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued final revisions to...more
Recently, there’s been much discussion about the potential benefits that artificial intelligence can bring to climate change regulation. For example, advanced technology, such as satellite data, is being used to identify...more
The Council of the European Union adopted a regulation on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector (Regulation). Methane is the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide, and in the short term...more
On May 14, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the final Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule requirements for petroleum and natural gas systems under 40 C.F.R. Part 98, Subpart W in the Federal Register....more
This week, we discuss a downward revision to electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Inc.’s governance grade and the equally controversial topic of diverging ESG ratings methodologies. Investigative findings published in May this...more