Impacts of Emerging Regulations: Part 4- the Current State of Responsible Minerals
Southeast Asia’s electric vehicle (EV) market is booming. Since 2019, EV sales in the key markets of Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia have increased exponentially, reaching year-on-year growth rates of 300 – 400% in 2023....more
Welcome to the Edition 15 of P2N0 covering the drive to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net-zero (NZE). P2N0 identifies significant news items globally, reporting on them in short form, focusing on policy settings...more
In Ammonite Oil & Gas Corp. v. R.R. Comm’n of Tex., the Texas Supreme Court held that the Railroad Commission (the “RRC”) did not abuse its discretion in denying a “muscle in” application under the Texas Mineral Interest...more
Solar developers in the PJM region, particularly in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, often encounter land with a complex history of mineral development. This history can significantly impact solar projects, from site...more
Montgomery Trustee v. ES3 Minerals and Echo Minerals is another Texas fixed or floating royalty case. Before diving into the details, perhaps it’s best to describe the pattern the courts seem to fall into to resolve these...more
Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (Minister) recently issued a Ministerial Statement on Net Benefit Reviews of Canadian Critical Minerals Companies. Transactions involving important Canadian mining...more
Good afternoon! 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
With the rise of battery technologies in electric vehicles, electronics, utility-scale electrical energy storage and other industrial applications, there has been increased demand for lithium, cobalt, and other minerals. In...more
With the global surge in demand for critical minerals, the security of supply has become paramount. With its vast mineral reserves, Africa is poised to play a leading role in the energy transition. The continent’s potential...more
Deep-sea mining activities on the seabed and ocean floor beyond national waters are a risky and capital-intensive venture. The unpredictability of little-known ecosystems and environmental impacts translate into regulatory...more
Deep-sea mining activities in the seabed and ocean floor beyond national jurisdiction, including the collection of polymetallic nodules, are governed by the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the agreement...more
In part one of an explainer series about international deep-sea mining regulation, Louise Woods and Elena Guillet share advice for setting up sponsorship agreements between contractors and sponsoring states. The ISA has...more
Chris Taufatofua, Partner, Vinson & Elkins, explains how technology innovation to identify alternatives to critical minerals can accelerate the wider energy transition. The accelerating rate of climate change and the...more
Reliable supplies of critical raw materials are essential for the green transition and to ensure the competitiveness of key national industries. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the US and the European Union’s Critical...more
The IRA and CRMA are the clearest results of a race to reclaim control over critical raw materials following the global supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during the pandemic and exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,...more
In June 2024, China's premier Li Qiang (the head of government and the second most senior Chinese government official) visited Australia, marking the first time in seven years that a Chinese premier has visited the country....more
Australian Update - Australia and EU Enter Into Critical and Strategic Minerals Partnership - On 28 May 2024, Australia and the European Union (EU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a bilateral partnership to...more
During recent Senate hearings pertaining to energy and appointment made by the Biden administration to the United States Department of Energy, some of the most interesting questions have been asked by Senator John Kennedy of...more
In an era marked by the transition to greener energy sources, there is an intricate dance between achieving net-zero emissions and the critical role mining plays in this endeavor. This compilation of articles titled “Striking...more
If all goes as planned, solar, wind and other clean energy technologies will help us abandon carbon emissions for good. But many green power sources perform their best only when nature cooperates, so an important (and...more
Debate continues on whether the UAE Consensus achieved at COP28 represents a promising step forward or a missed opportunity in the drive towards climate neutral energy systems. However, the agreement that countries should...more
As reported in our previous client alert, on May 14, 2024, President Biden announced that he directed his Trade Representative to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Section 301) on a wide range of...more
May saw the long-awaited release of the USTR’s Section 301 review. USTR confirmed that the Trump-era tariffs will remain in place, and raised those tariffs by another $18 billion on manufacturing, critical minerals, solar...more
A recent decision by the Fourth Court of Appeals reiterates the Texas judiciary’s commitment to interpreting the four corners of a document where language is unambiguous, and to giving plain and ordinary meaning to the...more
With global oil and gas demand forecast to grow and huge exploration potential across and offshore the continent, Africa is an increasingly attractive destination for upstream investment. In this chapter for Upstream Oil and...more