On July 4, 2024, the UK general election took place, and the Labour Party won with a significant majority. After 14 years of Conservative Party rule, a number of changes are now expected in respect of the UK's position on...more
Good morning! 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
On July 17, 2024, Pennsylvania joined a growing number of states establishing a legal framework for the underground storage of carbon dioxide. Carbon capture and underground sequestration (“CCUS”) is promoted as a technology...more
After two years of continuous behind-the-scenes work, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va), who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, joined by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), released S. 4753, the Energy...more
In City of Baltimore v. BP, et al., court holds that nuisance and tort claims are preempted by federal law and beyond the limits of state law....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
In a highly anticipated judgment, a 3:2 majority of the UK Supreme Court ruled in R (Finch) v Surrey County Council and others [2024] UKSC 20 that environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for fossil-fuel projects must include...more
States are increasingly holding the fossil fuel sector liable for costs related to climate change. Our Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group unpacks what companies need to know about these new state “superfund”...more
Our national climate goals of net zero emissions, renewable energy transition, electrified vehicle fleets, clean steel, green hydrogen, and the rest of the package focus on the ramp-up of clean energy sources and end uses. As...more
Finch v. Surrey calls for assessment of all likely direct and indirect environmental effects in EIAs, including certain Scope 3 emissions if a reasonable estimate is feasible. On 20 June 2024, the UK Supreme Court (the...more
The 2024 General Election is imminent and all four of the biggest political parties have now released their election manifestos. With the push to net zero remaining critical in accordance with the UK’s domestic and...more
In a significant legal maneuver with potentially far-reaching implications, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an amended complaint on June 10, 2024, to California’s high-profile lawsuit targeting five of the world’s...more
The Council of the European Union adopted a regulation on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector (Regulation). Methane is the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide, and in the short term...more
This week, “BNP Paribas SA, the European Union's biggest bank” stated that it “is no longer participating in conventional bond issuance for” “oil and gas producers.” In essence, BNP Paribas has announced that it will cease...more
Earlier this week, a state court judge in Oklahoma issued a temporary restraining order that blocks--for now--enforcement of an Oklahoma law that deprives companies deemed to boycott the fossil fuel industry of the ability to...more
On April 25, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") finalized four rules to regulate pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants. EPA's stated goal was to provide a framework on which power plants can rely for...more
Greenwashing Beef Production - On February 28, New York State Attorney General (NYAG) Letitia James filed a lawsuit with the New York Supreme Court against meat processing company JBS USA for misleading the public about its...more
A new report by the International Energy Agency, released on March 13, found that for the third year in a row, methane released by the fossil fuel industry rose to an almost record high in 2023. Methane emissions are a...more
Climate litigation against companies is increasing and the stakes are getting higher. Last year saw more headline-making claims being brought against corporations and a slew of important decisions from courts in...more
About the same as what happened at COP27. The 70,000+ fabulists, opportunists, and assorted acolytes comprising the congregation of the Church of Our Holy Mother of the Suffering Planet celebrated another high mass in,...more
COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, came to an end in Dubai on December 13, 2023. The nearly 200 states reached what has been labelled a “historic” agreement...more
COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber convened a small group discussion on Sunday to discuss outstanding issues on adaptation and equitable transitions ahead of updated draft texts. A new round of draft texts is expected on Monday...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 few weeks and forthcoming climate-related events and...more
On September 16, 2023, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against five of the world’s largest oil and gas companies for allegedly denying or downplaying the harm caused by fossil fuels on climate change....more
Geography—as much as geology—is driving commercial activity and opportunities for mining & metals firms as decarbonization accelerates - The old adage—credited to J. Paul Getty—goes, "The meek shall inherit the Earth, but...more