After the opening two days of COP27 – which were focused on the High Level Segment (HLS) dedicated to Heads of State and Government – today, November 9, was the first day of the ‘main COP’ with the opening of negotiations on official texts and agreements. Reports are that the opening phases of the talks
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Highlights from COP 27: Financing Takes Center Stage
Yesterday, November 8th, was the second day of the ‘High Level Segment for Heads of State and Government’ with a focus on their speeches and declarations. The real business of COP will begin in earnest today when most of the senior politicians have departed.
Financing for Climate Loss and Damage in Vulnerable Countries
Climate loss…
What to Expect from COP 27
COP 27 began in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, yesterday. It begins inauspiciously, set against the global impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting food and energy insecurity and dramatic price rises which have pushed climate change down domestic political agendas across the world and increased demand for new sources of fossil fuel to…
International Sustainability Standards Board Updates: Progress Towards A Global Baseline
In October 2022, the International Sustainability Standards Board (“ISSB”) met to discuss comments received and future work pertaining to the ISSB’s proposed disclosure standards for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information (“Draft S1”) and Climate-related Disclosures (“Draft S2”).
The ISSB’s reconsideration of topics addressed in its proposed disclosure standards provides insight into the progress the…
EPA Provides Guidance Regarding Novel Antimicrobial Pesticides and Seeks Comment on Indoor Air Quality Issues
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) recently made two announcements regarding antimicrobial pesticides. First, EPA released guidance regarding residual efficacy claims for antimicrobials applied to surfaces. Second, EPA announced that it has registered the first product approved to make claims to kill viruses in the air. EPA has also sought comment on strategies…
EU Emergency Action on Energy
On 6 October 2022, the Council of the European Union adopted a Regulation on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices (the “Regulation”). The Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 7 October. The Regulation has three main elements:
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IRS issues notices requesting comments on IRA clean energy tax credits
On October 5, 2022, the Treasury Department and the IRS issued notices requesting comments on different aspects of the energy tax benefits in the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”). All comments are due by Friday, November 4, either electronically on www.regulations.gov or alternatively by mail to the IRS. Written comments submitted after that date will be…
EPA to Streamline the Review Process for Certain EV and Clean Energy Chemicals
On October 5, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced its plan to streamline the typical review process for Mixed Metal Oxides (“MMOs”), including certain cathode active materials, which are key components in electric vehicles’ lithium-ion batteries, as well as clean energy generation and storage technology, including wind turbines and solar cells. MMOs can…
DOE Requested Information on How Defense Production Act Could Support National Security and Grid Resiliency
The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a request for information (RFI) from the public on how the Defense Production Act (DPA) could best be used to accelerate domestic manufacturing and deployment of key technologies, strengthen U.S. power grid reliability, and deploy clean energy. This input will help DOE design DPA actions that scale up clean…
House Passes Inflation Reduction Act, Marks a New Era for Climate Policy
In a series of prior blog posts, we previously highlighted the historic implications of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for the U.S.’s international climate commitments, as well as for private companies navigating the energy transition. Shortly after our series published, the Senate passed the IRA on Sunday August 7th with only minor modifications to…