July 2013
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New Report Examines How U.S. Businesses View Climate Change
A recent report by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (CZES), Weathering the Storm: Building Business Resilience to Climate Change, evaluates how companies view risks posed by climate change. CZES, formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, found that 90 percent of companies in Standard and Poor’s Global 100 Index identified extreme weather… Continue reading
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Report Examines How Small Businesses Can Weather Impacts of Climate Change
By Genevieve J. Essig In a recent report, Climate Change Preparedness and the Small Business Sector,Small Business Majority and the American Sustainable Business Council analyze how small businesses, which can be particularly at risk during the extreme weather events related to climate change, can not only survive the increasing impacts of climate change but… Continue reading
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Louisiana Flood Protection Board Sues Energy Companies For Damage To Wetlands
On July 24, 2013, the Board of Commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Agency – East, sued approximately 100 oil and gas production and pipeline companies in state court. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants have been using Louisiana’s coastal zone for over 100 years to extract oil and gas products. As part of… Continue reading
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Nominate Corporate Environmental Lawyer for the ABA Journal’s 2013 Blawg 100!
By Steven M. Siros and Genevieve J. Essig Thank you very much for your support of our blog, Corporate Environmental Lawyer, over the past three years. We hope that you have found our efforts to bring you updates and insights on critical environmental, health & safety developments to be helpful and informative. Recent highlights include week-long, focused series of… Continue reading
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More Progress From DHS On Security Plan Approvals
As previously reported here on July 2, 2013, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to make progress in managing its Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program. The CFATS program identifies and regulates high-risk chemical facilities to ensure they have security measures in place to reduce the risks associated with these chemicals. Continue reading
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Energy and Water in a Warming World Initiative Releases Report on Intersection of Electricity Production and Water
A recent report by the Energy and Water in a Warming World Initiative (“EW3”), entitled Water-Smart Power: Strengthening the U.S. Electricity System in a Warming World, examines the issue of water stress/scarcity with a focus on the interaction between electricity production choices and water resources. Continue reading
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Hearing Updates On The Social Cost Of Carbon
Earlier today the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee conducted a hearing on the White House’s recently revised social cost of carbon (SCC). The White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Administrator, Howard Shelanski, defended the SCC increases saying “Entities outside of the Federal government are using estimates that are similar to the updated… Continue reading
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Coal Ash Ponds And Coal-Related Financing News
A new report recently released by the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) Dump Now, Pay Later: Coal Ash Disposal Risk for the U.S. Electric Power Sector concludes that investors may be liable for cleanup and litigation costs associated with certain coal ash ponds. RAN suggests that forthcoming EPA regulations may require closure of coal ash ponds… Continue reading
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CEC Approves New Operational Plan For 2013-2014
Last week the Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) agreed to a new Operational Plan for 2013-2014 that focuses on collaborative actions in three strategic areas to maximize our impact: greening transportation, tackling climate change while improving air quality, and addressing waste in trade. Continue reading
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New Climate Change Data Available
The World Resource Institute (WRI) has launched an online initiative to make global greenhouse gas emissions data more accessible and easier to understand. The free, online portal, referred to as Climate Analysis Indicators Tool or CAIT 2.0, provides data on GHG emissions from 186 countries and all 50 U.S. states, as well as other climate… Continue reading