Earlier this Month, The Boston Foundation released its “Inaugural Boston Climate Progress Report.” Suffice it to say, there’s a lot to do. The Report identifies four “Big Lifts” necessary to attaining our climate goals. It defines a Big Lift as:
a multidecade mega-project that seeks to improve the city to align with its
Climate Disclosure: the UK’s Transition Plan Taskforce launches ‘gold standard’ for climate transition plans
During last year’s COP26, the UK Government announced that it would mandate the disclosure of listed companies’ and financial institutions’ net zero transition plan, and that it would form a taskforce to assist private sector actors in doing so.
Coinciding with the start of COP27, the UK’s Transition Plan Taskforce (“TPT”) – a taskforce with a mandate from His Majesty’s Treasury to help enable private sector actors in the UK create robust climate transition plans to fulfil their net zero commitments – on 8 November 2022, published, for consultation, its new Disclosure Framework for companies to disclose their climate transition plans.
Importantly, the Disclosure Framework draws on existing and emerging disclosure regimes, such as the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (“TCFD”) Recommendations and the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (“ISSB”) Sustainability Disclosure Standards (for more information on the TCFD and ISSB regimes, read our previous blog posts here, here, here and here).
The TPT’s publication of its Disclosure Framework recommendations is supplemented by the TPT’s Implementation Guidance. The Implementation Guidance sets out practical steps to help private sector actors develop climate transition plans, as well as information on when, where and how to disclose such plans.
Green Hushing versus Confidentiality
Companies with environmental successes choosing to stay quiet and not publicize them
Highlights from COP 27: Decarbonization Day
The day started with the gloomy release of the Global Carbon Project Report which concluded that 2022 was the highest ever emitting year, with increased coal use in India and increased airline use in the U.S. as the main culprits. UN projections are that global emissions must peak by 2025 and halve by 2030 if the world is to meet the 1.5 degree ambition agreed at the Paris COP in 2015 (emissions in 2022 are more than 5% higher than in 2015).
The Broken Record Department: PM2.5 Is Bad For Your Health (and EVs can help)
I’ve written before about the developing science regarding the impacts of PM2.5 emissions. Short version – they’re bad for you. They’re even worse than we thought, and there’s increasing evidence that they cause a lot of harm at concentrations below the National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 12 ug/m3.
The most recent report comes from
Highlights from COP 27: Youth and Science Day
Some frustrations emerged Thursday as it became clear that negotiations on the ‘Cover Text’ for COP27 would not begin until Saturday 12 November. In previous COPs, the text has been almost finalized in negotiations before the meetings started.
GFANZ Issues Guidance on Net Zero Plans for Financial Institutions
The Final Report recommends five themes that financial institutions should incorporate into their net zero transition strategies.
By Paul A. Davies, Michael D. Green, and James Bee
On 1 November 2022, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) issued its Final Report on the Fundamentals, Recommendations, and Guidance for Financial Institution Net Zero Transition Plans (the Report). The Report sets out a framework for transition planning, identifying financing strategies for financial institutions to effectively transition to net zero, and makes recommendations for implementing these strategies.
West Virginia, et al. v EPA – What It Is and What It Means for Continued Coal-Based Electrical Generation in the U.S.
On June 30, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in West Virginia, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency.
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—Week Ending November 4, 2022
Animal Health: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Update
As of November 8, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) HPAI 2022 Confirmed Detections database has confirmed a total of 604 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detections in 46 states (259 commercial flocks and 345 backyard flocks), resulting in 50.12
Use of the Access Statute Not a Slam Dunk
While the Access Statute is a powerful tool in an environmental attorney’s toolbox, a recent court ruling by the New Jersey Appellate Division has restricted when that tool can be wielded.
The New Jersey Appellate Division, in Solvay Specialty Polymers USA LLC v. Paulsboro Refining Company LLC “(Solvay v. PRC”), has confirmed that a party