AGG Talks: Cross-Border Business Podcast - Episode 21: The 2024 U.S. Election’s Impact on ESG Regulations
Business Better Podcast Episode: An Update on Environmental Justice Under the Biden Administration
On-Demand Webinar | Planning and Funding Climate Resilient California Coastal Infrastructure
Natural Resource Damages & Environmental Justice
Drinking Water on Tap: Money, Morality, and More with Tracy Mehan from the American Water Works Association - Reflections on Water Podcast
Williams Mullen Manufacturing Edge: Environmental Enforcement in the Current Regulatory Climate
On-Demand Webinar | Linear Infrastructure Redux: Adapting Your Projects to Meet the New Regulatory Climate
Trump Administration actions - Trump orders DOJ to stop states from enforcing unconstitutional or preempted climate laws. In a sweeping Executive Order (EO) issued on April 8, President Donald Trump has ordered Attorney...more
Challenging a slew of state climate-related laws and programs, President Trump’s April 8, 2025 executive order (EO) set the stage for more legal fights between the federal government and states. In the new EO, “Protecting...more
The 37 state and national organizations with interest in water and wastewater projects sent a letter to the Chairs of the House of Representatives and Senate Appropriation Committee addressing state revolving funds....more
Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va., Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) have reintroduced S. 347 as The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025. According to an...more
President Trump hit the ground running, issuing more executive orders, memoranda, and other actions on Inauguration Day than any previous president. Agencies are already working to implement those actions. Many of the actions...more
The United States Geological Survey (“USGS”) released on January 16th a document titled: The National Water Availability Assessment (“Assessment”)....more
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made a significant update to its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)1, automatically adding nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals subject to...more
In the environmental space, 2024 has been a memorable year with regulatory efforts and court decisions touching on every aspect of environmental and energy regulation, capped out by a closely divided election....more
Soon after taking office, President Biden issued Executive Order 14008, entitled, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.” This is an unusually long and complex executive order and includes many provisions relating...more
As the lead-up to the November 2024 election brings increased focus to issues that fall along partisan lines, we expect to see sustainability issues garner continued attention among investors and other stakeholders. We expect...more
As we move into 2024, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concepts continue to feature prominently in policy debates. While ESG still drives policy, the last year has seen “ESG” factors recast from being perceived as...more
Recently, the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") signed a final rule granting the State of Louisiana's request for primary responsibility for the permitting, compliance, and enforcement of Class VI (deep...more
The regulated community faces a complex and evolving landscape. As we head into 2024, our team of energy, environmental, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) attorneys provide insights and guidance on how to...more
On August 14, 2023, a Montana state court issued a first-of-its-kind judgment in the United States in favor of young plaintiffs in climate litigation. The action Held v. Montana featured 16 youth plaintiffs alleging that...more
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (“EGLE”) has issued a request for proposals (“RFP”) offering matching grants through its Retooling Program for small manufacturers to implement energy efficiency...more
Though environmental justice (EJ) has been a cornerstone of the Biden Administration, it lacks federal enforcement laws. Executive orders and responses from federal agencies have shaped U.S. enforcement of EJ issues....more
In July 2023, the European Commission published its annual Strategic Foresight Report (the Report), focusing on how sustainability and people’s wellbeing can help to achieve President von der Leyen’s six priorities for the...more
More so than any other issue, environmental justice (EJ) remains a central pillar of the Biden Administration’s regulatory agenda. Below, we’ll answer three EJ-related questions that the regulated community may struggle with...more
As so many of my professional circles eagerly awaited the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (the Harvard Decision), they wondered what it might mean for the Biden administration’s...more
What a difference a year makes. A highlight of the 2022 proxy season was the increased shareholder focus on a number of ESG topics, including more than 100 “E”-related shareholder proposals related to climate change,...more
Welcome to Vinson & Elkins’ Securities and ESG Updates. Our aim is to provide insights into notable developments in securities reporting and the environmental, social and governance space over the quarter and, where...more
Consider these three statements: I experience odor or discoloration in my tap water, English is not the primary language spoken in my home, and I live near industrial activity....more
On April 18, 2023, eight Greenpeace organizations (the organizations) filed a lawsuit against the European Commission at the European Court of Justice following the Commission’s inclusion of natural gas and nuclear energy in...more
Governor DeSantis has signed a law prohibiting reliance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) for Florida’s funds. Banks and financial institutions could face administrative sanctions if found to discriminate...more
On April 19, 2023, CDP launched a request for 7,000 companies to disclose on the production and use of the most environmentally problematic plastics, i.e., plastic polymers, durable plastics, and plastic packaging, through...more