The RUPTL carries significant strategic implications and offers substantial opportunities for investment. As Indonesia advances its energy transition, the RUPTL will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of its national...more
New York City’s latest proposal to adjust its pension fund investment strategy reflects a broader institutional pivot toward long-term sustainability and climate resilience. Comptroller Brad Lander has introduced a measure...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
In March 2023, a small plane took a 15-minute flight around an airfield in the US state of Washington. Despite the size of the aircraft and its brief time in the air, the flight was momentous: one of the plane's engines was...more
Claudia Sheinbaum made history last week as Mexico’s first female president and laid out her vision to promote clean energy and increase investment in the infrastructure sector. In contrast to the previous administration,...more
The launch of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (the Kingdom) Vision 2030 Program preceded the announcement of numerous ground-breaking Mega and Giga-projects throughout the country. Eight years on, recent MEED data estimates...more
The energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are growing significantly, with the Department of Energy (DOE) forecasting a tenfold increase in data center energy demand due to the rise of AI applications and...more
Antitrust and Competition - The European Commission Approves Plan to Unwind a Completed Transaction in the Early Cancer Detection Sector - On 12 April 2024, the European Commission (Commission) approved the plan to unwind a...more
On 22 February 2024, the UK announced it is withdrawing from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) on the basis that it is incompatible with the energy transition, being the 11th state to do so. However, ECT protections for...more
Africa’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels for economic growth, set against the backdrop of strict environmental regulations and emissions-reduction targets, creates a perfect storm of factors that could give rise to climate...more
COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, came to an end in Dubai on December 13, 2023. The nearly 200 states reached what has been labelled a “historic” agreement...more
As the world focuses on energy transition and decarbonisation, there is clearly no shortage of bold ambition on the part of many African governments to play a key role in global efforts to tackle climate change. Meanwhile,...more
Geography—as much as geology—is driving commercial activity and opportunities for mining & metals firms as decarbonization accelerates - The old adage—credited to J. Paul Getty—goes, "The meek shall inherit the Earth, but...more
In a civil suit filed in Oregon state court in June 2023, an Oregon county is suing more than a dozen large oil, gas and coal companies, seeking more than $50 million in damages, in connection with a 2021 “heat dome” and...more
Throughout the United States and globally there is an undisputed trend towards renewable energy as much of the world seeks to decarbonize in response to the risks of climate change. As the article, “Clean energy investment is...more
In early April, the climate activist shareholder group, Follow This, filed shareholder resolutions seeking stronger energy transition strategies from several oil “super-majors.” The resolutions have been filed in advance of...more
Today, President Biden issued the first veto of his presidency. This action had been heavily telegraphed in advance and was widely expected. Nonetheless, this veto is extraordinarily significant....more
Community Banks Renew Fight Against ILCs - “ICBA reiterates opposition to non-bank-owned lenders’ applications to the FDIC, naming GM, Ford, Rakuten.” Why this is important: The Independent Community Bankers of...more
In June 2022, the Contracting Parties to the Energy Charter Treaty ("ECT") announced an agreement in principle on the text of a modernized treaty. This modernization may have material consequences for state regulation and...more
The first half of 2022 saw significant U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement and rulemaking activity around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. In its regulation of ESG investing, the...more
Past and current investor-state disputes relating to the energy transition may provide valuable lessons for what lies ahead. The global energy sector is transitioning from fossil fuels to increased use of renewable energy....more
On 15 March 2022, the EU expanded its asset freeze list, adding fifteen individuals and nine entities. It prohibits investments into the Russian energy sector, while carving out activities necessary for essential supplies to...more
Last week, AIG significantly restricted its underwriting of and investment in fossil fuel projects. Specifically, it announced the following actions: With immediate effect, committed to no longer invest in or provide...more
A number of conservative-leaning states, particularly those with a significant fossil fuel industry (e.g., Texas, West Virginia), have begun implementing polices and enacting laws that penalize companies which "pull away from...more