Green bonds, which tie the proceeds of the issuance to investments that have positive environmental and/or climate benefits, are a rapidly growing asset class. Recent figures have corroborated the narrative of growth...more
China has made notable strides to transition towards a lower-carbon economy. Most recently, local authorities were ordered to halt construction of coal-fired power plants in 13 provinces where capacity already outstrips...more
The Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress has released the revised Shanghai Environmental Protection Regulations (in Chinese only) for public comment. The revised Regulations, which first came into force in 1997, apply...more
5/19/2016
/ Amended Regulation ,
China ,
Comment Period ,
Emissions Trading System ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
NGOs ,
Pollution Control ,
Public Interest ,
Sanctions ,
Site Remediation
China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA) have ordered local authorities to stop construction of coal-fired power plants in 13 provinces where capacity already...more
China, along with leaders from more than 150 countries, signed the Paris Climate Change Agreement in New York on April 22, 2016.
New York Signing Update -
Following final negotiation on December 12, 2015, April 22,...more
On April 17, 2016, China Central Television (CCTV), the country’s state-run broadcast network, aired a report claiming that nearly 500 students apparently developed illnesses (including leukemia) at a school built on...more
4/21/2016
/ CERCLA ,
China ,
Chinese Environmental Protection Laws ,
Contaminated Properties ,
EU ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Netherlands ,
Pollution Control ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Soil ,
Toxic Chemicals
In December 2015, world leaders met to negotiate the Paris Agreement. Setting aside whether the Paris Agreement goes too far, not far enough or is just right, one cannot dispute that government commitments to limit an...more
4/20/2016
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Emissions Trading System ,
Energy Market ,
EU ,
Financial Markets ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Paris Agreement ,
Popular ,
Private Equity ,
Socially Responsible Investments ,
UK ,
World Bank
The Paris Agreement, adopted by 195 countries following the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP 21), is the first multilateral agreement on climate change that covers almost all of the world’s emissions. The Paris...more
4/18/2016
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Emissions Trading System ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Energy Policy ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) ,
Investors ,
Paris Agreement ,
Popular ,
Renewable Energy
China’s 13th Five-Year Plan – Planning for a Greener Economy -
Last month China’s thirteenth “Five-Year Plan” (FYP13) was approved, setting out a social and economic development blueprint for the country for the next...more
4/14/2016
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Emissions Trading System ,
Green Bonds ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) ,
Paris Agreement ,
Popular ,
Renewable Energy ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Shanghai Stock Exchange ,
Solar Energy ,
Subsidies ,
Transportation Industry ,
Wind Power
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has recently announced a revised version of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS 1), which will come into effect on July 1, 2016.
The revised...more
4/8/2016
/ Amended Legislation ,
China ,
Electronics ,
EU ,
Exemptions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
MIIT Provisions ,
New Guidance ,
Product Labels ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
RoHS 2
China launched a green bond pilot initiative via the Shanghai Stock Exchange, encouraging further foreign investment in a rapidly growing asset class and paving the way for issuances by non-financial institutions....more
4/6/2016
/ Bonds ,
Capital Markets ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Issuers ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Green Bonds ,
Renewable Energy ,
Shanghai Stock Exchange ,
Sustainability
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s central economic planning agency, issued several guidance documents relating to the upcoming national Emissions Trading System (ETS) in January this year. The...more
This January, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP), the country’s most senior prosecution and investigation authority, issued a statement analysing the initial six months of its pilot programme launched in July 2015,...more
6 Answers From Around the Globe -
The historic COP-21 Paris Agreement on climate change is the first major development in the climate area at the international level since adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in...more
2/2/2016
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Emissions Trading System ,
EU ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) ,
Investors ,
Paris Agreement ,
Renewable Energy ,
Spain ,
UK
Article 1 - The purpose of these measures is to ensure the rights of citizens, legal persons and other organizations to access environmental information, participate in and supervise environmental protection, to smooth...more
The Supreme People’s Court has set up an environmental tribunal and clarified in its new Opinions which parties are able to pursue cases, the courts of first instance and the rules on litigation fees and funds.
In...more