The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) recently announced its intent to promulgate regulations to reduce “criteria” air pollutants in “overburdened communities” that the agency has determined are highly impacted by...more
Two developments toward the end of 2023 have clouded the future of climate policy in the Pacific Northwest. First, on November 21, 2023, opponents of Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA) submitted more than 400,000...more
On July 13, 2023, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) published proposed amendments to Chapter 173-443 WAC, Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Key provisions of the Proposed Rule include...more
On July 13, 2023, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) published proposed amendments to Chapter 173-443 WAC, Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Key provisions of the Proposed Rule include...more
On May 7, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) adopted Rule 2305 (the “Rule”) aimed at regulating nitrogen oxide (NOx) and diesel particulate matter emissions associated with truck traffic at...more
On May 17, 2021, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the Washington Climate Commitment Act (CCA), which will create an economy-wide cap on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and create a system in which GHG credits are auctioned...more
On May 3, 2021, EPA announced its first major climate change rule under the Biden Administration, proposing to phase down the manufacture and import of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are potent greenhouse gases. EPA...more
In an address from Pittsburgh, “the City of Bridges,” President Biden on March 31, 2021, proposed the “American Jobs Plan,” which would spend approximately $2 trillion over the next ten years on a wide variety of...more
On October 22, 2020, the Oregon Supreme Court rejected claims by youth climate activists seeking to expand the state’s public trust doctrine to address climate change. The court ruled that the state did not have an...more
In a much-anticipated 5-4 decision on January 16, 2020, the Washington Supreme Court decided the fate of the state’s Clean Air Rule (CAR). The Clean Air Rule, which created a cap-and-trade system for regulating greenhouse gas...more
A recent lawsuit filed by the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice seeks to block a six-year-old agreement between California and Québec that “links” their respective cap-and-trade programs....more
Q2 was a busy one for carbon markets. On the international front, talks to develop the Paris Rulebook advanced, but progress was slower than hoped. Ontario announced withdrawal from the Western Climate Initiative, while...more
The first quarter of 2018 has been a busy one for efforts to put a price on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both in the United States and abroad. In February, the European Union (EU) approved reforms to the EU Emissions...more