During the 2021 Texas Energy Day, hosted by Todd Staples of the Texas Oil and Gas Association at the Texas state capitol, event speakers aimed to strengthen support for the oil and gas industry and impart a message of...more
On March 8, the DOI announced its plans to hold a virtual forum on Thursday, March 25, to discuss the federal oil and gas leasing and permitting program. The forum is the latest step in DOI’s ongoing review following...more
Key Points
- On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, the U.S. Senate confirmed Michael Regan as the next EPA Administrator.
- Although Regan and most of the Biden-Harris administration’s other high-level EPA officials have fairly...more
The Biden administration’s Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases (the “Working Group”) took its first step to update the costs to society from carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide pollution....more
Many investors and other stakeholders have long sought universal requirements for public companies to disclose the social and climate impacts of their operations. If recent developments at the United States Securities and...more
On February 24, 2021, Acting Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Allison Herren Lee issued a statement directing the Division of Corporation Finance to “enhance its focus on climate-related disclosure in public...more
On Tuesday, March 2, Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee introduced a sweeping climate proposal—the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act—an amended version of...more
Late last week, the Justice Department withdrew nine Trump-era policy and guidance documents that shaped how the Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) enforced environmental law during the past...more
A number of President Biden’s early climate and environmental policies direct federal funding, research and procurement decisions toward infrastructure. In this installment of our series on President Biden’s “Climate Day”...more
Yesterday, we wrote about the potential impact of the nomination of so-called “Money Cop” Gary Gensler to chair the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Well, now it appears that Gensler will have a new sheriff on...more
Last week’s “Climate Day” actions grabbed headlines primarily for how they respond to climate risk through increased federal coordination. Equally important may be the actions the Biden administration took that day to combat...more
Key Points
- Mandatory ESG requirements could be an early priority for SEC chair nominee Gary Gensler, with increasing calls from within the SEC to require material ESG risk disclosures.
- The EU recently implemented...more
2/3/2021
/ Business Strategies ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Sustainability ,
UK
As we previewed yesterday morning, January 27 was the Biden administration’s “Climate Day.”
Yesterday’s actions—two executive orders and a presidential memorandum—provided further detail on the President’s roadmap for...more
Key Points
- President Biden’s Day One Executive Order on climate action reconvenes an interagency working group to establish interim and final social costs of three GHGs: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane.
-...more
1/28/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Department of the Interior ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
FERC ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Legislative Agendas ,
NEPA ,
Net Zero ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Working Groups
Key Points
- The Biden administration’s Day One climate actions have put traditional energy sources squarely in its crosshairs. In addition to rejoining the Paris Agreement, the administration paused the issuance of oil...more
Key Points
- President Biden signed an Executive Order to rejoin the Paris Agreement on Day One of his administration.
- This action underscores that climate change is one of President Biden’s highest priorities and...more
With Democrats now in control of both houses of Congress, environmental and climate change issues will play a more prominent role in legislative deliberations in the United States over the next two years, and beyond. The...more
Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote to advance to the full Senate the Supreme Court confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett portends an arduous future for both legislative and regulatory efforts to address climate...more
- It is apparent that former Vice President Joe Biden’s “clean energy revolution” and climate goals stand in stark contrast with the policies the Trump Administration has pursued during its first term, underscoring the...more
9/29/2020
/ Air Pollution ,
Air Quality Standards ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Congressional Review Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Energy Market ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Federal Land ,
Joe Biden ,
Oil & Gas ,
Political Campaigns ,
Political Candidates ,
Popular ,
Presidential Elections ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Rollbacks ,
Trump Administration ,
Water Quality
Following years of litigation and a segmented rulemaking process, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized revisions to portions of its coal combustion residuals (CCR) regulations governing, among other...more
- Democrats in the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis have released a Climate Crisis Action Plan that aims to achieve net-zero emissions throughout the United States by 2050 and “net-negative” emissions by 2100,...more
President Trump issued an Executive Order on Regulatory Relief to Support Economic Recovery on May 19. Generally, the Order directs federal agencies to respond to the COVID-19 crisis by “rescinding, modifying, waiving, or...more
The U.S. Supreme Court clarified that the scope of federal protection under the Clean Water Act includes any “functional equivalent” of a direct discharge to navigable waters from a point source. The Court’s decision is the...more
4/27/2020
/ Appeals ,
Clean Water Act ,
Direct Discharge ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Functional Equivalent ,
Groundwater ,
Hawaii Wildlife Fund v County of Maui ,
Navigable Waters ,
Permits ,
Point Sources ,
Remand ,
SCOTUS ,
Vacated ,
Waters of the United States
On April 10, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA or the Agency) Office of Land and Emergency Management and Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance issued Interim Guidance to EPA’s Regional Offices...more
- The COVID-19 crisis has left consultants, lenders, servicers, investors and other users struggling to assess environmental conditions of assets as they question the ability to conduct, and the utility of, phase I...more