The Climate Report Winter 2019
Climate Change Regulatory Issues & Updates
California Air Resources Board Amends Cap-and-Trade Regulations
On December 13, 2018, the California Air Resources Board ("CARB") adopted amendments to California's cap-and-trade regulations to implement statutory directives under Assembly Bill 398 (2017) ("AB 398").
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UN COP24 Climate Talks: "Paris Rulebook" Adopted
Presided over by the Polish government, the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change ("UNFCCC"), or "COP24," was held in Katowice, Poland, from December 2-14, 2018. Stakeholder representatives, government officials, and ministers engaged in intense discussions, leading to a package of decisions to ensure the full implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.
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Climate Change Litigation Issues & Updates
Climate Change Litigation Reaches France
Building on the Hague Court of Appeals decision of October 9, 2018, which ordered the Dutch government to take more effective actions to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, French non-governmental organizations (NGOs) likewise intend to hold the French state liable for its alleged failure to effectively combat climate change.
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Juliana v. United States – Kids' Climate Change Suit Avoids Government's Attempt at Summary Judgment, but Case Ultimately Stayed
This fall and winter have seen a number of developments in Juliana v. United States, the kids' climate change lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. The lawsuit, brought by 21 children, accuses the federal government of action and inaction that allegedly worsens climate change-related dangers and thereby fails to protect future generations.
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Climate Change Transactional Issues & Updates
Middle East Touts Aggressive Renewables Strategy
Although the Middle East is home to some of the largest exports of oil and gas in the world, with a rising population and an 85 percent predicted increase in energy consumption over the next two decades, the region has started to embrace the development of renewable energy.
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Governmental Policies, Corporate Involvement, and Utility Focus Will Play Critical Role in Overcoming Increase in CO2 Emissions
A January 8, 2019, report released by the Rhodium Group, an energy-research firm, shows that the renewable energy industry still has not reached its full potential, as it reflected that carbon dioxide ("CO2") emissions in the U.S. increased 3.4 percent in 2018 after declining the three prior years.
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