California’s drive toward a net-zero carbon economy by 2045 is sparking innovative solutions to harmonize environmental conservation with infrastructure development. Assembly Bill (AB) 550, sponsored by Assembly Member...more
5/9/2025
/ Biodiversity ,
California ,
California Endangered Species Act ,
Clean Energy ,
Conservation ,
Endangered Species ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Policies ,
Housing Market ,
Infrastructure ,
Net Zero ,
Permits ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Renewable Energy ,
State Department of Fish and Wildlife ,
Wildlife Protection
On April 17, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (together Services) published a proposed rule to rescind the long-standing definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species...more
4/21/2025
/ Chevron Deference ,
Endangered Species ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Government Agencies ,
Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo ,
National Marine Fisheries Service ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Trump Administration ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Challenging a slew of state climate-related laws and programs, President Trump’s April 8, 2025 executive order (EO) set the stage for more legal fights between the federal government and states. In the new EO, “Protecting...more
4/14/2025
/ California ,
Climate Change ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Deregulation ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Executive Orders ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Land Use Restrictions ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Social Justice Issues ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration
The western burrowing owl was just recently elevated to a “candidate species” under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). As a candidate species, the owl now...more
11/12/2024
/ California ,
California Endangered Species Act ,
California Fish and Game Commission ,
Comment Period ,
Conservation ,
Critical Habitat ,
Endangered Species ,
Environmental Policies ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Infrastructure ,
Listing Standards ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Urban Planning & Development
What Happened -
On Monday, October 14, 2024, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecyle) opened a public comment period on changes to the previously proposed regulations implementing the...more
10/16/2024
/ California ,
Comment Period ,
Environmental Policies ,
Plastics ,
Pollution Control ,
Product Packaging ,
Public Comment ,
Recycling ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Waste Management
The march toward mandated corporate disclosures for climate-related risks continues. Despite significant pushback and substantial legal challenges, state legislatures and regulators are continuing to advance laws and rules...more
10/15/2024
/ California ,
CARB ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Legislation ,
Pollution Control ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On December 26, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published an Interim final rule updating its October final rule restricting the use of some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a key substance used in refrigeration...more
1/2/2024
/ Climate Action Plan ,
Comment Period ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Global Warming ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
HFC Emissions ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Manufacturers ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform