In McCann v. City of San Diego (2021) 70 Cal.App.5th 51, the Fourth District Court of Appeal found that the Plaintiff, Margaret McCann (McCann), was barred from bringing a judicial action challenging the City’s approval of projects for undergrounding utility lines because she failed to exhaust the City of San Diego’s (City’s) administrative appeal
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Part 2: Investing in Transmission
This is the second post in our series on the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, covering how the Act invests in strengthening our electric grid, which could better prepare us for the shift from fossil fuel generated electricity to renewable power.
To decarbonize our energy system, electrify transportation and buildings, and drastically
Infrastructure Package Makes New Investments in the Electric Transportation Future
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law today not only makes critical investments in our core infrastructure, it creates several new programs to support the increasing electrification of the transportation sector.
Especially notable in the $1.2 trillion package are the investments in electric vehicle charging stations, clean-powered buses, and electric-powered ferries. These investments
New EPA Nationwide Recycling Strategy Highlights “Extended Producer Responsibility” Programs in Advancing the “Circular Economy”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) final National Recycling Strategy, released yesterday, includes prominent mention of “extended producer responsibility” (EPR) as a prime example of programs that advance the “circular economy” by increasing “materials recovery at the state and local levels.” The inclusion is notable in that EPR was not mentioned in earlier drafts of
Comprehensive $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill to Provide Critical Support for Clean Energy
On November 15th, 2021, President Biden signed the highly anticipated $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Among other infrastructure-related incentives, the bill includes billions in funding to help fight climate change and support clean energy technologies. Specifically, the bill allocates approximately (1) $65 billion for power infrastructure, of which nearly $29 billion is devoted to bolstering the
Post-COP26: A follow-up briefing on key business issues
Prior to COP26, we published an article that identified several issues being discussed at COP26 that could be of critical importance to business.
During COP26, we followed the developments of these issues in a special Viewpoints series.
And now that COP26 is concluded, people are asking: What impact did it have? Where does the
New Global Initiatives Aim to Consolidate Climate and Sustainable Finance Standards
The SBTi’s standard aims to clarify the target for net zero emissions, whilst the Common Ground Taxonomy indicates China-EU cooperation on sustainable finance issues.
By Paul A. Davies, Michael D. Green, and James Bee
Last month, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) launched its Net Zero Standard, which aims to provide a globally
Revised Phase I ESA Standard Released – ASTM-E1527-21
On November 1, ASTM International (ASTM) released a revised standard for conducting Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (Phase I ESAs). The new standard – ASTM E1527-21 – establishes new requirements for complying with the “All Appropriate Inquiry” (AAI) rule in 40 CFR Part 312. The AAI is an essential element of environmental due diligence used
Concerns about NJ Bill S4058 which amends notification requirements and seizure of companion animals
Recently introduced Senate bill 4058 would reintroduce third parties into the enforcement, seizure and relocation of companion animals based on alleged acts of animal cruelty after the legislature successfully ousted the quasi-governmental entity, the New Jersey Society for the Protection of Animals from enforcing animal cruelty laws. Instead the legislators placed that authority squarely with
The CFA Institute releases Global ESG Disclosure Standards for Investment Products
The sheer volume of capital flows into sustainable, or ESG-focused, funds and products over recent months reflects the rapidly increasing number of investors with ESG-related preferences, or demands, when selecting those investments. Evaluating, and comparing, the ESG credentials of different investment products presents significant difficulties, however, in circumstances where information and disclosures about those products