As part of the Center for Climate Change Law’s efforts to continually improve its model municipal green building ordinance, CCCL has been tracking legal issues relevant to municipal green building ordinances. One major potential impediment to the successful implementation of a green building ordinance is preemption under federal law. While […]
Despite passage of Waxman-Markey in the House on June 26, 2009, failure of Kerry-Lieberman in the Senate and likely Republican gains in the upcoming elections means climate legislation is on hold until 2013 at the earliest. In response, proponents of climate regulation have largely turned to the EPA, the courts and […]
Responding to widespread frustration with gridlock in the United States Senate, Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) introduced a Senate Resolution on September 30 that proposed a series of rule changes designed to reform, but not eliminate, the use of the filibuster in Senate proceedings.
Daniel Firger Associate Director and Fellow In response to persistent concerns that China intentionally undervalues its currency, the renminbi, the U.S. House of Representatives voted September 29 to give the Obama administration sweeping new authority to impose retaliatory tariffs on Chinese imports. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) indicated he would press […]
Gregory E. Wannier Deputy Director and Fellow In the absence of major climate legislation in the U.S. Senate, parties in the United States seeking meaningful action on climate change mitigation have turned to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for action. However, despite authorization from the Supreme Court’s seminal Massachusetts v. […]
Daniel Firger Associate Director and Fellow In what may be an ominous shot across the bow for green jobs advocates, Japan on September 13 submitted a complaint to the World Trade Organization alleging that a Canadian renewable energy law violates WTO non-discrimination rules. [1] At issue are a set of […]
Much of the public debate relating to climate change has focused on the validity of the underlying science. In order to bring their investors clarity regarding these issues, Deutsche Bank recently released a research paper prepared by the Columbia Climate Center at the Earth Institute that assesses climate skeptics’ various […]
by Brenden Cline The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) submitted comments on the “Draft NEPA Guidance on the Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions” (the Guidance) issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in February 2010. EEA’s comments provide suggestive information […]