New York City’s latest proposal to adjust its pension fund investment strategy reflects a broader institutional pivot toward long-term sustainability and climate resilience. Comptroller Brad Lander has introduced a measure...more
Welcome to the latest edition of the Sustainability Spotlight, your place to keep up with all the ESG action – federal and state enforcement, shareholder proposals and litigation, and state attorney general actions. This...more
Regulatory Updates - There have been a couple of noteworthy developments in recent weeks concerning the mandatory climate disclosure regime enacted by California. These developments relate to SB 253 and SB 261, which...more
The last several weeks of unexpected and unprecedented political events have thrown even more confusion into the presidential election. While the outcome of a now Harris-versus-Trump race is maybe even more uncertain, we do...more
Regulatory Updates - Governor Newsom (D-CA) recently proposed a two-year delay to California’s sweeping new mandatory climate disclosures, which apply to all large companies—public or private—doing business in California....more
Antitrust and Competition - The European Commission Approves Plan to Unwind a Completed Transaction in the Early Cancer Detection Sector - On 12 April 2024, the European Commission (Commission) approved the plan to unwind a...more
This month, we are excited to feature Quaise Energy and its recent success in closing a $21 million Series A1 financing to accelerate terawatt-scale geothermal energy! This financing round was led by Prelude Ventures and...more
The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently finalized a rule to significantly reduce on-site fossil fuel–generated energy consumption in federal buildings with a required reduction of 90% for new construction or major...more
The 28th United Nations (U.N.) Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) wrapped up in Dubai in mid-December 2023. This Article summarizes key takeaways and describes the potential implications for businesses and...more
COP28 - December 13, 2023 Recap - The COP28 Presidency announced early Wednesday that nearly 200 countries had reached an agreement on the text of the Global Stocktake (GST) after two weeks of contentious debate....more
COP28 - December 11, 2023 Recap - The COP28 Presidency released the draft text of the global stocktake (GST), the agreement that will establish a path for nations to meet Paris Agreement targets, as the COP28 conference...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
The Canadian Federal Government's Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, now entering its fifth year since enactment, presents unique challenges and opportunities for farmers, greenhouse operators, and fishermen. As key...more
Confusion persists among industry stakeholders regarding the correct structuring approach to renewables. The truth is that renewables traverse sectors and is not a sector itself. Electrical power generated through sustainable...more
House Approves Republican Energy Package - Four Democrats joined with all Republicans to approve, in a 225-204 vote, a massive House energy bill on March 30. While the bill will almost certainly not advance in the Senate,...more
In the closing weeks of 2022, the California Air Resources Board (“CARB” or “Board”) approved its final 2022 Scoping Plan, which sets forth a detailed roadmap to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions in...more
A Note from the Editors - Energy & Sustainability Connections brings the latest developments in energy investing, legal insights, company activity, and industry events straight to your inbox...more
Climate Change Litigation: Beginning in 2017, an array of state and local governments began pursuing claims against major fossil fuel producers — particularly the major oil companies (Chevron, Exxon, BP, Shell, and...more
As industries move toward cleaner energy sources, crucial sectors of the economy—notably aviation—cannot realistically be powered with electricity and must be powered by cleaner physical fuels, such as sustainable aviation...more
California air regulators voted unanimously last Thursday to approve an ambitious plan to drastically cut reliance on fossil fuels by changing practices in the energy, transportation, and agriculture sectors, but critics say...more
The first half of 2022 saw significant U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement and rulemaking activity around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. In its regulation of ESG investing, the...more
Climate Change Tort Litigation - Beginning in 2017, an array of state and local governments have pursued claims against major fossil fuel producers — particularly the major oil companies (Chevron, Exxon, BP, Shell, and...more
Introduction - The UK’s Energy Security Bill, first promised in 2021 and introduced to Parliament on 6 July 2022, contains a wide variety of measures which the UK Government claims will address the energy trilemma of...more
The European Parliament has now "endorsed labeling some gas and nuclear energy projects as 'green.'" This designation will now enable these energy projects to have "access to hundreds of billions of euros in cheap loans and...more
Divisional Court split on challenge against UK Export Finance’s decision to provide finance to the Mozambique LNG Project - In R (on the application of Friends of the Earth Limited) (the “Claimant”) v The Secretary of...more