The 28th annual United Nations climate meeting in Dubai in December of 2023 led to several agreements aimed at phasing out fossil fuels, increasing renewable capacity, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050....more
In the recent case of Friends of the Earth v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities & others; South Lakeland Action on Climate Change v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities & others...more
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
In this Alert, we review the impact of the recent acceptance by the Japan Diet of the 2009 Amendment to the London Protocol. Acceptance of the Amendment provides a critical enabler for the export of CO2 from Japan for...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
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
The Situation: The Japanese Cabinet has approved a draft bill to financially incentivize the supply and utilization of low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives ("Hydrogen Bill") as part of its push to reach net zero by 2050....more
Replace, Reduce and Remove. The 3Rs that constitute the three-pronged approach espoused by PUB, the national water agency of Singapore, in its hefty goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2045....more
The U.S. Department of Energy recently released the first federal blueprint to decarbonize the building sector, which accounts for over a third of the nation’s planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. This plan, developed by...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
The Mintz Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Working Group developed this ESG primer to provide an overview of the current state of affairs in the United States with respect to the ESG issues that businesses...more
By now, followers of the debate over use of ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria in investing and business operations are well used to the “E” taking center stage. As we discussed two months ago in this space,...more
The UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently released its 2023 statutory report, evaluating the UK’s progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting carbon reduction targets. This report, mandated by the...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
Throughout the United States and globally there is an undisputed trend towards renewable energy as much of the world seeks to decarbonize in response to the risks of climate change. As the article, “Clean energy investment is...more
Transitioning the global economy out of its current reliance on fossil fuels is a massive, complex and nuanced undertaking. Fossil fuels represent 80% of current global energy consumption. The market for them is more than $6...more
Regulators at all levels – federal, state, and local – seek to address climate concerns. On July 27, Washington, DC, joined localities banning natural-gas hookups when Mayor Muriel Bowser signed an ordinance limiting use of...more
Blocking funding for gas energy projects in Africa may seem like sensible climate policy. But is it? Although the generally accepted ultimate goal is to replace fossil fuels entirely, there is a strong case for starting by...more
In 2019, New York City adopted the Climate Mobilization Act, which established carbon emissions caps for buildings larger than 25,000 square feet. More recently, New York became the largest U.S. city to enact a fossil fuel...more
The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) produced some breakthrough pledges, a draft rulebook for an international carbon market, and some big aspirations. The agreement reflects a much more robust approach...more
The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), wrapped up earlier this month in Glasgow, Scotland, after two weeks of negotiations. While attention was focused on national pledges to reduce...more
Much has been written about the role of hydrogen in the context of energy transition and the path to net zero. Putting aside for the moment the degree of investment and innovation required to get from where we are now to...more