The ESG Report - From Sustainability to ESG in Construction with Tommy Linstroth
Law School Toolbox Podcast Episode 225: Sustainable Living and Emergency Preparedness (w/Friday Apaliski)
With terms like “net zero” and “carbon positive” proliferating in marketing jargon across industries, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has recently stepped in to clarify what constitutes a “zero emissions” building....more
With an unprecedented momentum for the construction of new major projects linked to the shift away from fossil fuels and the development of a low-carbon economy, there is a real focus on construction law issues relevant to...more
Regulators at all levels are seeking to advance climate-change related policies. Of late, municipalities have increasingly sought to “decarbonize” buildings and related infrastructure through changes to building codes and...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted much anticipated climate-related disclosure rules....more
As part of the 2022 French Climate & Resilience Law, the French legislature decided to strengthen the greening and solarization requirements on certain buildings and parking lots. These obligations came into force on January...more
Recognising the threat of climate change and the importance of sustainable development, Singapore has made a commitment to establishing a robust framework of environmental and climate change laws and regulations – an...more
In this Insight, first published in PLC, Freya Scott discusses the RICS Sustainability Report 2023, considers some of the barriers to achieving the carbon net zero goal by 2050 and what can be done to overcome these. ...more
The UAE is leading the way in the Middle East in incorporating sustainability and environmental standards in construction and real estate. Ian Bevan and Ejiro Otu discuss that there is still more to be done to incentivise...more
In September, ahead of the Conservative party conference, Rishi Sunak announced a step back from the Government’s net zero policy and targets. This was followed up last week by the Government’s formal response to the Climate...more
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), through its Contaminated Site Remediation and Redevelopment (CSRR) program, recently published new administrative guidance to “formally encourage” the use of green...more
On July 31, 2023, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an executive order ending the use of fossil fuels in new construction and major renovations of city-owned buildings. Although city buildings comprise a small percentage of...more
One year after the adoption of New York’s Advanced Building Codes, Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards Act, New York has new minimum energy efficiency standards for products and appliances. The standards, which apply...more
According to the Pew Research Center, the majority of Americans view climate change as a major threat and two-thirds believe that the government and corporations should be doing more to address climate change. Young...more
Nach der Entscheidung des Bundesverfassungsgerichts soll der Bundestag nun nach der parlamentarischen Sommerpause im September über das auch als Heizungsgesetz bezeichnete Gesetz “zur Änderung des Gebäudeenergiegesetzes, zur...more
The City of Paris launched the general revision of its local urban planning scheme – called PLU (plan local d’urbanisme) – in December 2020. After two years of public consultation, the draft new PLU is almost ready for...more
In our preceding articles for the Energy Efficiency series, our team examined the opportunities and risks in the context of greening existing real estate. This was linked to...more
The IRS is currently in the process of implementing the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), which addresses energy, tax and health policy. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "The Inflation...more
Since retiring from environmental leadership positions at the World Bank, I have taken on teaching assignments including a course entitled “Circular Economy in the Construction Sector”. The students taking this course are...more
Across the real estate sector, the discussion has often focused on “green” development such as building carbon neutral real estate. Many traditional lenders have also focused their sustainability initiatives on financing...more
Individual property owners are not alone in their ability to develop sustainable real estate. Community-driven green initiatives seek to improve the health of both the planet and its inhabitants. The United Nation's (U.N.)...more
In order to obtain and maintain a green real estate loan, the loan recipient must construct or renovate existing buildings to have minimal impact on the environment. The ultimate goal for green architecture is to achieve a...more
Against the ambitious backdrop set by the Paris Climate Agreement to reach net-0 by 2050, there is a clear drive by corporations to move forward on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) or sustainability...more
In recent years there has been recognition within the UK construction industry of the importance of the reduction of carbon emissions. Major standard forms have responded to market demand and made provision for carbon...more
On October 5, 2022, the Department of the Treasury released six requests for comments regarding certain clean energy tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022....more
With a huge influx of students this year, both from the UK and abroad, there is high demand for purpose built student accommodation (PBSA). Yet, while there is a lot of willing capital looking to enter this market, as with...more