This series of posts seeks to identify legal questions that can add definition and value to the good work that sustainability teams are doing. Our last post focused on the applicability of the climate-related financial...more
On July 9, 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to its efforts to implement California’s landmark climate disclosure laws, SB 253 (requiring reporting...more
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has published seven pages of FAQs on California’s corporate greenhouse gas reporting and climate-related financial risk disclosure programs. These disclosure requirements are...more
California is often the vanguard of climate-related policies and programs. From legislation requiring the state to reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and procure electricity from renewable and carbon-free sources...more
President Trump took steps to dismantle California’s vehicle emissions standards on June 12, 2025, by signing three Congressional Review Act (“CRA”) resolutions revoking California’s waiver under the Clean Air Act. The waiver...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
California enacted two major laws related to climate change in 2023 and both have 2026 deadlines looming: SB 253, the California Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, requires businesses with total annual revenue...more
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will host a virtual public workshop on May 29, 2025, to begin formal discussions on developing the state's new Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting and Climate-Related Financial Risk...more
Paramount to the ruling in the upcoming May 5, 2025, hearing is the likelihood that strict scrutiny will apply to the plaintiffs’ First Amendment claims against SB 253 and SB 261....more
In the face of the Trump administration’s hostility toward California’s Clean Air Act waivers in general, CARB withdrew its request to EPA for a waiver for the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation on January 13, 2025....more
Stakeholders should anticipate potential delays and market impacts amid the ongoing legal challenges and the Office of Administrative Law’s recent disapproval....more
On February 13, 2025, the Second District Court of Appeal (Div. 7) filed its 71-page published opinion affirming the trial court’s judgment rejecting CEQA safety hazard and cumulative impacts analysis challenges – as well as...more
Los Angeles County - Executive Order Streamlines Path to Rebuild Homes, Businesses, and Communities Destroyed by Los Angeles Firestorms - In response to the multiple firestorms in Los Angeles County that started on January 7,...more
Companies following the ongoing legal challenge to California’s climate disclosure laws in hopes that the court would strike down or limit the scope of these laws will be disappointed by the order issued by the U.S. District...more
Within hours of his inauguration, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Unleashing American Energy.” This Executive Order contained several provisions that significantly shift current policies and...more
In yet another example of the United States' federal pull back on climate change disclosure laws, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council on Monday withdrew a proposed rule titled “Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions...more
In December, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) took noteworthy steps to implement California legislation requiring large companies that “do business in California” to report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and disclose...more
On December 16, 2024, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) requested public feedback to “help inform its work to implement” the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and the Climate-Related Financial Risk...more
Good morning! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings...more
On December 5, 2024, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued an Enforcement Notice regarding the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253), which will require companies “doing business” in California to...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: As discussed in our prior legal update available here, in 2023, California enacted two laws that mandate certain climate-related emissions disclosures and financial risk reporting for thousands of public...more
The California legislature continues to press forward with the implementation of two of the state's sweeping climate disclosure laws after a proposal to delay the implementation dates by the governor failed to be considered...more
On Aug. 31, the California legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 219, making targeted changes to SB253, the landmark California law that requires firms to report Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions beginning in 2026 and Scope 3...more
Our Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group explains how – if approved by the governor – the deadline to set precise compliance dates for the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (CCDAA) and Climate-Related...more
Less than a month after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published environmental operational standards and greenhouse gas emission regulations for owners and operators of heavy-duty vehicles, including major freight...more