Climate Law Blog

By Ifeoma Anunkor, Summer Legal Intern The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) recently amended its regulations to require the CBP to refuse imports of consumer products and industrial equipment found not to comply with energy conservation standards established by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), according to a notice published […]

By Allie Bollman, Summer Intern Just 5 days after President Obama announced his climate action plan for the United States, on June 30,the White House announced a new initiative that plans to double access to electricity in select countries of sub-Saharan Africa.  This initiative, Power Africa, states that it will build on the power potential […]

By Yan Gu, Summer Intern The United States and China agreed upon a multi-faceted climate plan to curb GHG emission at the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) on July 10, 2013. The plan was designed by the U.S.-China Working Group on Climate Change, which was established pursuant to a Joint Statement from both governments […]

By Ann Tran, Summer Intern Among the many negative impacts of climate change, rising temperatures are causing more frequent and intense heat waves in numerous regions.  As many news outlets recently reported, on the weekend of June 28th, a heat wave struck in the West, breaking various temperature records and affecting parts of Nevada, Arizona […]

By Yan Gu, Summer Intern The European Parliament recently voted through a temporary plan to delay the auction of hundreds of millions of EU emission allowances (EUAs) for several years, in order to avoid flooding the market with new allowances while prices are near historic lows.  This decision allows what is known as the “back-loading” […]

By Rachel Yalowitz, Summer Intern The most recent environmental case to be heard by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan; New Zealand intervening), Australia is challenging Japan’s whale hunting practices as an unlawful violation of the International Whaling Commission ban on commercial whaling. The hearing began on […]

By Stéphanie Chuffart, Visiting Fellow Switzerland will raise its CO2 tax as of January 1st, 2014. The decision implements the Swiss Federal Ordinance on CO2 (entered into force on January 1st 2013) and follows statistics published on July 3, 2013 by the federal agency for the environment which shows that Switzerland’s emissions for the year […]

By Allie Bollman, Summer Intern On June 13th, the Center for American Progress (CAP) issued a report titled, “300 Million Engines of Growth- A Middle-Out Plan for Jobs, Businesses, and a Growing Economy.” The report lays out a plan for economic progress, including investment and reform, and focuses on the necessity and importance of the […]