The built environment contributes 20% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, making it a key player in tackling the ambitious challenges we face on the journey to a low or net zero society. How we heat (and cool) our buildings is a crucial element in reducing carbon emissions. But there is no single answer that will deliver the required emissions reductions to achieve government targets ...
With the purpose of promoting the development of clean energies, the Government is preparing new public tenders of State-owned land, to award lots in 20 different properties (see summary table at the end). This offering is significant because more than 40% of the installed capacity in renewable energy generation is on State-owned land. Currently, there are 200 executed contracts for about 80,000 hectares of land for this type of project ...
We are very excited to be supporting the UN Global Compact Network UK’s ‘Transitioning to a Net Zero’ webinar series. The opening webinar, ‘Business Transition to a Net Zero and Resilient World’ took place on Thursday, 1 July 2021 during London Climate Action Week. The webinar saw government representatives, experts and business leaders discuss their vision of a net zero, climate resilient world, and the actions they are taking to get there ...
Key Points In Martin v. California Coastal Commission, the Court of Appeal issued a rare opinion discussing local policies that are designed to manage and mitigate coastal bluff erosion. The court upheld a permit condition that required a new home to be set back 79 feet from the edge of a coastal bluff. The court reaffirmed that the policy at issue requires new development to be reasonably safe from failure and erosion over the entirety of the development’s lifetime ...
The ESG Disclosure Rules have been introduced in response to the increased investor appetite for socially and environmentally responsible investments and to ensure that Jersey maintains its high regulatory standards amid global concerns regarding ‘greenwashing’ (firms marketing investments which appear more environmentally and socially focussed than they are in reality) ...
Renewable energy is more popular than ever before. Regulators and ratepayers are demanding new or higher renewable portfolio standards, and investors are eager for opportunities with companies satisfying environmental, social and governance criteria. The energy transition is here, and the question is no longer if we will electrify, but how quickly. Significant challenges remain. As the U.S ...
In the recent case of Granton Central Developments Ltd v Len Lothian Ltd, a commercial landlord appealed successfully against a Sheriff’s decision that it was obliged to provide, and that its tenant was entitled to receive, a supply of water to leased subjects. Background to the utilities dispute Granton Central Developments Ltd and Len Lothian Ltd were the landlord and tenant respectively in terms of a lease of commercial premises in Granton, Edinburgh ...
In Thailand, each year, there are many projects developed by project developers, both governmental authorities and private entities. Before starting to develop a project, each project developer should not only be aware of commercial factors, but also be aware of the environmental factors of the project. One of the main environmental factors to be considered before starting the construction or operation of a project is the completion of an environmental impact assessment (“EIA“) ...
The cornerstone of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is access to information. CEQA generally requires local and state government agencies ("lead agencies") overseeing proposed projects to prepare project-related documents assessing potential environmental impacts. These documents inform decision-makers and the public of the project's potential environmental impacts ...
The Tokyo Olympic Games have been dubbed the greenest Games to date. Despite some criticism levelled against the claims of their eco-friendly nature, it is notable that the Tokyo Olympics Organising Committee has made significant strides to minimise the Games’ carbon footprint ...
Water Law Effective August 19, 2021, emergency regulations were approved for water curtailment orders and related reporting requirements in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed, defined as Hydrologic Unit Code level 4 Sacramento and level 4 San Joaquin subregions (Delta Watershed), as shown in the map below ...
As we approach COP26 in Glasgow in November, a vast amount of policy development is underway to help develop the strategies we need to address the global climate crisis. A central challenge is changing consumer behaviour, which is a complex and multi-faceted issue. It raises questions around affordability, such as changing heating systems, purchasing zero emissions vehicles and better insulating our homes ...
“We have to hurry, we have to get faster in the fight against climate change.” Those were the words of Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, after surveying the devastation caused by record floods in western Germany in early July. Private transport is one of the world’s biggest sources of greenhouse gases, with emissions rising every year, and the transition to electric vehicles is fundamental in the fight against climate change ...
The Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group co-chaired by the HKMA and the SFC (Steering Group) announced on 15 July 2021 the next steps to advance its strategy to bolster Hong Kong’s position as a leader in green and sustainable finance and help transition the financial ecosystem towards carbon neutrality ...
Water Law On August 20, 2021, the Deputy Director of the Division of Water Rights (Deputy Director) of the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) issued water curtailment orders for the remainder of August and for all of September to approximately 4,500 water right holders in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed (Delta Watershed). These curtailment orders affect post-1914, pre-1914, and riparian rights, though in different ways, as described further below ...
Key Points Ninth Circuit reaffirms the “significant nexus” test for determining whether filling certain wetlands in 2007 violates the Clean Water Act The narrower test for determining the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction under the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule did not apply since it postdated the 2007 filling of the wetlands ...
The objectives in brief The Government would like to see the aquaculture industry grow, provided that it can do so in a sustainable manner. Statistics produced by the Directorate of Fisheries show that Norway produced and sold a total of just under 1.5 million tonnes of rainbow trout, trout and Atlantic salmon in 2020 ...
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has announced details of requirements for fund managers to address climate change in their investment and risk management processes and make appropriate disclosures. Where are the requirements set out? On 20 August 2021, the SFC issued: Consultation Conclusions on the Management and Disclosure of Climate-related Risks by Fund Managers with amendments to the Fund Manager Code of Conduct (FMCC) set out in Appendix B and C ...
As consolidation in the domestic energy supply market continues, a new report has been commissioned by Shoosmiths and produced by Cornwall Insight. It considers what is driving the consolidation, whether this looks set to continue and the outlook for the market. Current situation At its peak in 2018, there were 62 suppliers of domestic energy in the UK market ...
Last night, only days ahead of a general election the minority Government in Norway is likely not to win, a proposal for dramatic changes to the upstream petroleum tax regime. It was announced at 18.00 hours Oslo time in a hastily called press conference by the Minister of Finance Mr Sanner (Conservative) and the Minister of Petroleum and Energy Ms Bru (Conservative) ...
