A Greener Life

JULY 6, 2025

By Amber Brady Ahead of the pivotal 2025 COP30 summit, which will take place in November and December, Amber Brady provides an updated version of our 2014 piece on Brazil’s environmental facts. COP30 in Belém The COP30 summit is set to take place in Belém, Pará, Brazil, from November 30 to December 12, 2025.

2025

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

CEJA also expanded incentives for wind and solar power; however, the law did not include significant provisions for energy storage deployment. 2025 is also a pivotal year for CEJA implementation in Illinois. Illinois needs policies in place now to jump-start development for our 2030 needs.

Fossil Fuels

Legal Planet

JULY 31, 2025

This official also pointed out that 11 contributors to the upcoming 2025 FAO report work for the International Animal Agriculture Research Institute, a group that, according to the former official, has been ideologically captured by the animal agriculture industry. Guest Contributor Alexander Wood is a rising 2L at UCLA School of Law.

Fossil Fuels

Law Columbia

MARCH 27, 2025

City of New York , plumbing and building trade groups challenged New York Citys Local Law 154 of 2021 , a piece of legislation that prohibits fossil fuel combustion in most new buildings. This blog post discusses Local Law 154, unpacks Judge Abrams decision, and ends with a refresher on California Restaurant Association v.

Law

Law Columbia

JUNE 19, 2025

On May 28, 2025, the Higher Regional Court of Hamm issued its ruling in what has become Germany’s most high-profile climate lawsuit — Lliuya v. A judicial site visit to Huaraz took place in 2022, and evidentiary hearings were held in 2025. A plaintiff from the Global South. A carbon giant from the Global North.

Climate Change

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 14, 2025

Merners research and expertise has informed climate litigation across the globe, as she connects legal teams with technical experts and leads trainings for scientists working at the intersection of climate science and law. That intersection between science and law is what makes this work so fascinating and impactful.

Fossil Fuels

Law Columbia

MAY 23, 2025

As such, although EU and EEA law are distinct, their substance is identical with respect to the core rules of the internal market. In this sense, the EFTA Court also provides for an authoritative judicial clarification of EU law. The EEA Agreement aims to extend the core of the EU internal market to EEA/EFTA States (art.

Fossil Fuels

A Greener Life

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

By Liu Lican On November 8, China issued its first Energy Law , which aims to support the development and utilisation of renewable energy and increase the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption. However, the law also states that there will be “rational development and clean and efficient use” of fossil fuels.

Law

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 30, 2024

In this vein, 2024 included advances like Massachusettss new clean energy law , which will streamline equitable siting for clean energy projects. Looking ahead The future is hard to predict, but I can say with certainty that 2025 will be different from 2024 in some ways, and similar in others.

Clean Energy

Legal Planet

JUNE 23, 2025

The January 2025 Los Angeles fires were one of the most expensive climate disasters in our country’s history. Drawing on historical models for disaster recovery and principles already embodied in state law and disaster planning guidance, a Resilient Rebuilding Authority would serve as a one-stop shop to centralize recovery efforts.

Climate Change

Scientific American

JUNE 19, 2025

Skip to main content Scientific American June 19, 2025 4 min read Here’s How Plastic Bag Bans Are Working Data from beach cleanups show that banning or taxing single-use plastic bags makes a difference in ecosystems By Meghan Bartels edited by Allison Parshall Bilanol/Getty Images For one in three U.S. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Law

Enviromental Defense

JUNE 24, 2025

Canada’s leading environmental law and policy organizations are calling on the Senate to make essential amendments to Bill C-5 before it becomes law. We support responsible national interest projects,” said Theresa McClenaghan, Executive Director and Counsel, Canadian Environmental Law Association.

Law

Legal Planet

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

Guest contributors Mayahuel Hernandez and Ian Bertrando are UCLA Law students (2L). This proposed legislation aims to curb dangerous dust emissions from aggregate facilities in the South Coast Air Basin, where industrial pollution has long threatened public health and the environment. Download as PDF

Recycling

Law Columbia

JUNE 27, 2025

Photo by Steve Matthews on Unsplash Earlier this month, on June 2, 2025, Atlanta’s City Council unanimously passed a state-of-the-art ordinance to require cool roofs throughout the whole city, immediately propelling Atlanta to the forefront of local climate adaptation measures. Local control of building codes varies significantly.

Cooling

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 15, 2025

Azari was sentenced to over six years in prison for his part in the conspiracy but was released from prison on January 3, 2025, after serving only a portion of his sentence. According to the US governments sentencing memo, clients of Azaris firm paid him approximately $4.8

Fossil Fuels

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 5, 2024

He will describe how the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, new programs have been established to inventory and properly close orphaned wells. The law allocates $4.7 billion for plugging, remediation, and restoration activities on federal, Tribal, state, and private lands.

Natural Gas

A Greener Life

JULY 27, 2025

In March 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution requesting an advisory opinion on the following two questions: What are states’ obligations under international law to ensure the protection of the environment, and what are the legal consequences for countries under these obligations?

Paris Agreement

Legal Planet

APRIL 14, 2025

As part of this process, the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) at UC Berkeley Law is leading the development of the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Report which will help guide climate adaptation and mitigation efforts throughout the region. The survey closes on May 15, 2025.

Climate Change

Enviromental Defense

APRIL 23, 2025

About the poll: The survey was conducted with 1,200 adult Canadians over the age of 18 from April 14 to 16, 2025. Nearly 90 per cent of respondents want the federal government to get toxic chemicals out of products, while 86 per cent support federal action on plastic pollution.

Government

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 25, 2025

Department of Energys State Energy Program Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Visit the PA Industrial Energy Assessment Program webpage for all the details. Posted: March 25, 2025] PA Environment Digest The program is delivered by DEPs selected contractor, Cadmus, and their partners. This program is funded through the U.S.

Environmental Protection

Law Columbia

JANUARY 24, 2025

Planning law has proven to be a useful tool for climate activists seeking to block or challenge new fossil fuel developments. Ireland has been a particular victim of this latter problem, with developers citing concerns over current planning laws as a reason for delays in constructing onshore wind farms, among other facilities.

Renewable Energy

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 21, 2024

UCLA Law students in the California Environmental Legislation Clinic were fortunate to get to do some research work to assist in the development of the bill.) PROs are industry organizations, and PRO-based EPR laws task industry with coming up with their own plans to manage waste, subject to certain conditions and state oversight.

Waste

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 7, 2025

This solution was a key recommendation of testimony filed by Saad Siddique , an economist and analyst with our partner, the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC). Siddique opened by explaining Michigan’s climate law passed in 2023. UCS agrees with all of Siddique’s testimony.

Clean Energy

Ocean Conservancy

JUNE 27, 2025

These laws established new gold standards for bag bans by finally getting rid of all plastic bags at check-out, including thicker plastic bags that had previously been allowed under the guise that they were “reusable.” Vermont’s new law is a commonsense approach to keeping plastic foam pollution out of the environment.

Ocean

National Law Center

JULY 29, 2025

23-975 (2025) , a lawsuit concerning the scope of review under the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). Additionally, the Supreme Court found that when considering whether an agency’s NEPA report complies with the law, reviewing courts should grant “substantial deference” to the agency. Infrastructure Coal. Eagle Cty. ,

2013

Law Columbia

JULY 21, 2025

At a July 10, 2025 meeting , Commissioner Judy Chang of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) argued that the United States needs to rapidly build more transmission capacity to bring new sources of electricity online. It’s not all bad news, though. The Bill (S6570) remains in the Senate Finance Committee as of this writing.

Renewable Energy

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 2, 2025

Department of Environmental Protection found that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) was not doing enough to attain the “actual, measurable, and permanent emissions reductions” of the state climate law. The catch – these limits were not enforceable , and the state quietly blew past them in 2018 and 2019.

2018

Vermont Law

MAY 13, 2025

Published: Volume 26, Issue 3 of the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law By VJEL Spring 2025 The Vermont Journal of Environmental Law (VJEL) is pleased to announce the publication of Volume 26, Issue 3.

Law

PA Environment Daily

JANUARY 4, 2025

13 -- Pike Conservation District: Pike/Wayne Counties Contractors Workshop Feb. 13 -- Pike Conservation District: Pike/Wayne Counties Contractors Workshop Feb.

Conservation

Law Columbia

JUNE 27, 2025

Although operators are legally required under state and federal laws to decommission wells and restore sites, enforcement has been inconsistent. The overarching goal of the workshop was to bring together offshore law and policy experts to outline a research and policy agenda for offshore decommissioning.

Law

Law Columbia

APRIL 10, 2025

This follows a decade of record-breaking temperatures, with the World Meteorological Organization concluding that the past ten years 2025-2024 are the ten warmest years on record. A new Sabin Center report explores the laws governing seaweed cultivation and sinking for CDR in Alaska. o C above pre-industrial levels.

Carbon Dioxide

Vermont Law

DECEMBER 24, 2024

asylum law, and the broader international community’s responsibilities. History of Asylum Law in the United States U.S. asylum law has evolved since the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. asylum law regarding climate refugees. The recent case of Cruz Galicia v.

Climate Change

PA Environment Daily

JANUARY 7, 2025

DEP inspections include both scheduled and unscheduled on-site visits to permitted facilities, as well as document reviews to verify compliance with environmental laws and regulations. Posted: January 7, 2025] PA Environment Digest

2024

Law Columbia

APRIL 24, 2025

Credit: Christine Olsson/TT On February 19, 2025, the Swedish Supreme Court dismissed the Aurora case ( Anton Foley and others v Sweden ), the first systemic climate change case brought in Sweden. That said, Swedish courts may soon be called upon to interpret and apply the ECtHRs standing test more directly.

Climate Change

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 19, 2025

Because the whole of the Earth’s climate system is subject to the laws of thermodynamics: energy in = energy out. Theyre also incredibly accuratemodel simulations run in the 1990s predicted how much the Earth would warm by 2025, which matches our current observations.

Atmosphere

Law Columbia

JULY 2, 2025

On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Most of these NEPA decisions entail mixed questions of law and fact. That framework is consistent with the tort law principles noted above; however, as other legal scholars have noted , the majority’s application of those principles is somewhat incoherent and inconsistent with tort law application.

Fossil Fuels

PA Environment Daily

AUGUST 12, 2025

Environmental Approvals "Data center development in Pennsylvania typically requires a range of environmental authorizations from the Department of Environmental Protection to be compliant with state and federal laws and regulations. Data Centers In NE PA Are ‘4th Industrial Revolution’ [Posted: August 12, 2025] PA Environment Digest

Cooling