Alberta invokes controversial Sovereignty Act over federal environmental regulations
The legislature of the Canadian province of Alberta invoked the controversial Alberta Sovereignty Act on Monday in response to Canada’s federal clean energy initiatives. Alberta’s legislature passed a resolution which resolved to “urge the Government to use all legal means necessary to oppose the implementation and enforcement of the Federal Initiative in Alberta.” The federal [...]
Portugal sued by environmental groups over failure to fulfill legislation tackling climate change
Three Portuguese environmental groups, Ultimo Recurso, Quercus and Sciaeno, filed a legal action in court Monday against the Portuguese government in response to the perceived lack of effort to enact legislation created to tackle climate change. According to the National Energy and Climate Plan 2030, Portugal was to decarbonize the economy, promote sustainable mobility and [...]
Joshua Villanueva is a JURIST Assistant Editor and a 2L at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), He files this dispatch from San Francisco. The recently-concluded Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit, originally designed to address economic challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, found itself overshadowed by the unfolding drama of the US-China relationship. As [...]
The European Union reached an agreement on landmark rules to curb methane emissions across major industries on Wednesday, delivering a major boost to the EU’s pioneering Green Deal climate strategy. The proposal was initially tabled by the European Commission last December as a central part of the EU’s methane strategy and 2030 climate plan. The [...]
US government climate report urges action as extreme weather worsens
A comprehensive US government climate report released Tuesday confirmed that extreme weather linked to climate change is worsening despite drops in US greenhouse gas emissions. The report urged further action to mitigate potentially catastrophic consequences across the country. The Fifth National Climate Assessment report comes amid a rash of extreme weather events that have affected [...]
Joshua Villanueva is a JURIST Assistant Editor and a 2L at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), He files this dispatch from San Francisco. Beginning this weekend, world leaders will gather in San Francisco for the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week, the largest international event this vibrant city will have witnessed since [...]
Pennsylvania court rules state cannot tax carbon without legislative approval
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court found Wednesday in two rulings that the state cannot enforce a regulation directed by executive order to make power plant owners pay for their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions because it was created without legislative approval, dealing another setback to the centerpiece of former Governor Tom Wolf’s plan to fight global warming. [...]
UK High Court dismisses legal challenge to expansion of new licenses for oil and gas exploration
The UK High Court in London ruled Thursday that the UK North Sea Transition Authority’s decision to authorize exploration of the North Sea for more sources of oil and gas was legal. Greenpeace and Uplift, two UK non-governmental organizations (NGOs), filed an appeal of the authority’s decision, arguing that the failure to fully examine its [...]
The High Court of Australia ruled against the Victorian Government’s electric vehicle tax under section 7(1) of the Zero and Low Emission Vehicle Distance-based Charge Act 2021 (“the ZLEV Charge Act”) Wednesday, which required registered operators of zero or low emission vehicles to “pay a charge for use of the ZLEV on specified roads.” The [...]
Canada Supreme Court rules environmental impact act is partially unconstitutional
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled by a 5-2 majority Friday that the federal government’s Impact Assessment Act (IAA) and its accompanying regulations are partially unconstitutional, as they empower the federal government to create environmental regulations that should have been within provincial jurisdictions. The majority found that the IAA’s method of designating projects for an [...]
