The lack of detail in the Budget speech on investment in renewable energy (nothing on hydrogen for example) was disappointing, and surprising to many given the timing of the Autumn Budget with COP26. However, the Comprehensive Spending Review did give a bit more detail. Whether it goes far enough or fast enough to meet ambitious targets is still up for debate ...
With COP26 now upon us, all eyes are on Glasgow! As we continue to explore the various routes to net zero, there is no doubt that the Scottish Government's recently published "Heat in Buildings Strategy" will have a key play to role to play. Never in recent history has there been so much focus on how we use space that was once the reserve of our personal and family lives for working…but also on how our homes work for us ...
Over the past couple decades, building codes have responded to disasters, rather than averting them. Resilience is now an essential design element needed to withstand our changing climate. In the immortal words of Bob Dylan, “the times, they are a-changin’.” Intensified and more frequent hurricanes on the East and Gulf Coasts, more devastating wildfires on the West Coast and more frequent, powerful tornados in the heartland ...
When a patent is issued under the seal of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, it is signed by the Director of the USPTO or an Office official. The patent contains a grant to the patentee, and a printed copy of the specification and drawing is annexed to the patent and forms a part of it ...
Two recent articles in The Times and The Sunday Times highlighted the attractiveness of the affordable housing sector to investors keen to promote their ESG credentials. During the pandemic, ESG has gone from being a niche term used mainly by private equity funds and their investors to being a mainstream term used across a range of sectors and industries ...
The home of Robin Hood, Lord Byron and Boots, Nottingham is a city with a rich history and cultural heritage. It is also ambitious, forward looking and has a bright future. With a plan to become the UK's first carbon neutral city, it also has a unique opportunity to reimagine large swathes of the city with the following developments ...
The Tenant Farming Commissioner’s Code of Practice on the Conduct of Rent Reviews contains a useful summary of the law applicable to rent reviews and provides recommended steps for the conduct of the rent review itself. If the rent can’t be agreed by simple discussion or exchange of letters then the Code of Practice sets out a timetable that the parties should follow unless both parties have agreed otherwise ...
October 19, 2021 By: John Epperson EPA released its plan for actions to address PFAS contamination on October 18, 2021. This is an aggressive and wide-sweeping plan that reaches across multiple statutory authorities. Much of the Roadmap will require regulatory rulemaking to implement, providing the regulated community an opportunity to get involved and shape the final rules ...
Ryen Godwin, Environmental and Natural Resources Lawyer for Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, kicked things off and provided closing commentary on the discussion at the end of the event ...
Background: Article 10 of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (“CSC”) (which India ratified in 2016) allows ratifying states, through domestic legislation, to provide that in the even of a nuclear incident, the operator shall have a right of recourse against the supplier only if: (a) it is expressly provided for by a written contract; or (b) if the nuclear incident results from an act or omission done with intent to cause damage, against the indiv
Under the patent statute, any person who “invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent,” subject to the conditions and requirements of the law. The word “process” is defined by law as a process, act, or method, and primarily includes industrial or technical processes. The term “machine” used in the statute is self-explanatory ...
The Fit for 55-package To achieve EU’s Paris climate goals, the EU Commission presented in December 2019 the European Green Deal, including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels) and become carbon neutral by 2050 ...
Ships, Spitfires and Shoosmiths’ Solent planning team, Southampton is home to them all. Previously known as ‘The Gateway to the World’, for years people have visited Southampton to reach distant and exotic locations. As one of England’s foremost commercial ports, Southampton has a unique cultural heritage, a thriving commercial centre, and a bright future ...
In late September, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance continued signaling the increased importance of ESG initiatives in its mission by publishing a sample comment letter similar to what it may provide to issuers when reviewing their filings ...
Developments on hold, trips to the High Court, nutrient credit schemes... Ever since a European Court of Justice ruling in November 2018, being nitrate neutral has caused headaches and blockages for developers and planners. Shoosmiths partnered with Planning magazine on a virtual roundtable discussion which examined nitrate / nutrient neutrality, the rules and how developers and authorities can work within them to deliver the right kind of development ...
Water and wastewater agencies gained an important new protection from lawsuits challenging their rates on Wednesday, when Governor Newsom signed SB 323 (Caballero). For water or sewer service fees or charges adopted after January 1, 2022, this new law requires any lawsuits challenging those fees or charges to be commenced within 120 days of the effective date ...
Decree No 131 of the Ministry of Public Works, published in the Official Gazette on September 15, 2021 (the "Decree No 131"), comes to amend DS No 50 / 2015 (the "Decree No 50"), Regulation of Article 295 paragraph 2° of the Water Code, which establishes technical conditions to be met in the design, construction and operation of hydraulic works of Article 294, consisting, among others, in dams or reservoirs with a capacity greater than 50 thousand m3 or whose wall is more than 5 mete
The Fit for 55-package To achieve EU’s Paris climate goals, the EU Commission presented in December 2019 the European Green Deal, including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels) and become carbon neutral by 2050 ...
On 29 June 2021, the Ministry of the Environment (“MOE”) issued five new Prakas pursuant to Prakas No. 021 dated 3 February 2020 on the Classification of Environmental Impact Assessments (“EIA”) for Development Projects. These new Prakas determine the procedures and implementation guidelines for checklists used to prepare initial environmental and social impact assessment (“IEIA”) reports ...
In seeking to address the impact of climate change within Hong Kong’s fund management industry, the SFC has introduced new climate-related regulatory requirements for fund managers in relation to disclosures and to their investment risk and management processes. In this ten-minute podcast, Jeremy Lam outlines key features of the new regime, the timeframe for implementation and how best to plan ahead ...
Key Points As litigation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) continues to drive lengthier and costlier environmental reviews, the use of "categorical exemptions" can provide a quick and efficient path towards CEQA compliance – but only if the exemption is legally sound and defensible. California's Fifth District Court of Appeal recently published Los Angeles Department of Water and Power v. County of Inyo (Cal. Ct. App., Aug. 17, 2021, No ...
