Podcast - Carbon Markets Lightning Round: State and Federal Updates
A Discussion on Environmental Commodities with Bill Flederbach, President and CEO at ClimeCo
Nota Bene Episode 101: Catching up with Global Climate Regulation with Nico van Aelstyn
In a partially published 102-page opinion filed June 26, 2025, the Second District Court of Appeal (Div. 7) resolved cross-appeals by affirming the trial court’s judgment invalidating Los Angeles County’s 2019 EIR...more
In early April, President Trump issued several energy-related presidential actions aimed at reviving the coal industry. These actions could boost the domestic coal industry, including by rolling back environmental regulations...more
On May 29, 2025, a virtual public workshop held by the California Air Resources Board ("CARB") offered direction on how it interprets certain elements of California's climate disclosure laws. While CARB has a July 1, 2025,...more
In the complex world of “cap and trade” emissions regimes, acquiring credits to offset a company’s pollution portfolio requires decision makers to see the forest for the trees. And sometimes to buy the forest....more
This week, we discuss the first settlement between a state and a group of young plaintiffs who claimed that their government’s inadequate climate policies violated their constitutional right to a healthy environment. We...more
On December 20, 2023, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) released a pre-proposal outline of New York State’s...more
Under the European Climate Law, European Union (EU) Member States are working collectively to reach net zero – cutting greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible – by 2050. As a first milestone, the EU is aiming to...more
On November 1, 2023, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court held that the rulemaking entering Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ("RGGI") violated the state constitution. The decision upends regulatory...more
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) recently announced rulemaking intended to clarify a key cost containment provision of the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), the state’s carbon emissions cap-and-trade program. The...more
Happy Earth Month! In today’s blog, we observe the historic investment opportunity presented by the convergence of efforts to address climate change and spur the energy transition, such as public grant programs, regulatory...more
Options to cap and cut emissions from the Canadian oil and gas sector were proposed by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in July 2022. Reducing oil and gas sector emissions is necessary for Canada to achieve its...more
In November 2022, the International Organization of Securities Commissions (“IOSCO”) published two reports − one on Compliance Carbon Markets (“CCMs”) and one on Voluntary Carbon Markets (“VCMs”). IOSCO continues to seek...more
The plan accelerates already ambitious climate goals for California and charts a course to carbon neutrality by 2045. On December 15, 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted its Final 2022 Scoping Plan...more
Many have characterized West Virginia v. EPA as a decision depriving EPA of an important tool to address climate change under the Clean Air Act. The decision is better viewed as steering EPA away from a flawed regulatory...more
CARB opts to stay the course on Cap-and-Trade Program. On May 10, 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released its Draft 2022 Scoping Plan Update for public review and comment. Assembly Bill (AB) 32, the...more
On Monday, December 20, 2021, for the second time in three years, the Washington State Legislature sued Governor Inslee over his line-item vetoes related to climate change policy. ...more
The triggering of the CCM under the UK ETS and ongoing consultations under UK Reach signal speedbumps in the transition process. On 30 November 2021, the UK government’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial...more
In the past several months, lawmakers in both the United States and the European Union have introduced legislation to enact carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAMs) in their respective jurisdictions. Also known as a...more
Climate Change Regulatory Issues & Updates - European Climate Law Sets a Binding Objective of Climate Neutrality by 2050 - The recently adopted European Climate Law calls for the necessity to address "the growing...more
On June 10, 2021, the Transportation Climate Initiative Program (TCI-P) states released a final model rule creating a regional cap-and-trade-program to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector. We wrote about...more
On May 17, 2021, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law the Climate Commitment Act. The legislation creates a market-based, economy-wide cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state. The...more
The Biden Administration has pledged to put the nation on track to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and simultaneously to promote environmental justice. Both goals are achievable and, indeed, are complementary. Their...more
The Washington Legislature passed Senate Bill 5126, the Climate Commitment Act, on April 24, 2021, which establishes a greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-invest program for utilities, industrial facilities, and other operations...more
The program will include a multi-jurisdictional cap-and-invest program and aims to address environmental justice and equity concerns. On December 21, 2020, the Governors of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut,...more
CME Group has announced plans to launch a carbon futures contract intended to offer a transparent, standardised and market-based solution to manage global emissions risk. ...more