Green Building Law Update

Environmental Law and Sustainability for Business

Archives: Climate Change

Legal Action Seeks Mandatory Pollution Warnings for Gas Stoves

By Stuart Kaplow on June 16, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG

Absent some new government intervention with warning labels on cooking oil, a government action that would be rationally related to a legitimate government interest would be proper increased ventilation in buildings… Continue Reading

White House Unveils Commitment to Carbon Offsets

By Stuart Kaplow on June 2, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Federal, GHG, greenhouse gas

Voluntary carbon offsets are indispensable tools for organizations striving to achieve net zero emissions, particularly those unable to generate enough onsite renewable energy. … Continue Reading

Constitutional Rights vs. Climate Change: Inside the Juliana Case Dismissal

By Stuart Kaplow on May 12, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, greenhouse gas

The Ninth Circuit’s decision that environmental climate change is not justiciable is already having repercussions… Continue Reading

SEC Climate Disclosure Rule Stay and Venue Now in the 8th Circuit

By Stuart Kaplow on March 24, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Federal, GHG, greenhouse gas

Compellingly 25 states have now filed petitions for judicial review attacking the SEC Final Rule. … Continue Reading

EV Charger Data Apocalypse

By Stuart Kaplow on March 17, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Energy, GHG, greenhouse gas

I don’t think this is some secret coterie of tech companies and governments seeking to weaponize EV chargers, but it is malfeasance at a huge scale and the transgression will certainly do more harm than good . … Continue Reading

SEC Final Rule on Climate Change and GHG Disclosure

By Stuart Kaplow on March 10, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Federal, GHG, greenhouse gas

Adopted long awaited rules to enhance and standardize climate related disclosures, including for the first time requiring greenhouse gas emission disclosures… Continue Reading

New York is Coming for Your Cheeseburger with Greenwashing Case

By Stuart Kaplow on March 3, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, Green Washing, greenhouse gas, greenwashing, State

net zero by 2040… Continue Reading

Hawaii Considers $25 Climate Tax

By Stuart Kaplow on February 25, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Environmental, State

A $25 tax to create a “special fund to prevent climate crises and more effectively respond to climate crises when they occur.”… Continue Reading

Climate Scientist Michael Mann Awarded More than $1 Million in Defamation Case

By Stuart Kaplow on February 11, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Legal Developments

Graph from the court pleadings

This case was about defamation and the jury was correct that Simberg and Steyn said offensive things about Mann. … Continue Reading

France is an Example of How Not to do Residential Greenhouse Gas Reduction

By Stuart Kaplow on February 4, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Environmental, GHG, greenhouse gas

A Green Challenge: France's Struggle with High Emission Rental Properties… Continue Reading

National Definition for a Zero Emissions Building

By Stuart Kaplow on January 28, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Environmental, GHG, greenhouse gas

Provide feedback on the draft national definition for a Zero Emissions Building.… Continue Reading

Federal Appeals Court Delivers Coup De Grace in Berkeley Attempt to Ban Natural Gas

By Stuart Kaplow on January 7, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, greenhouse gas, Legal Developments

Attempts by state and local governments to ban natural gas in buildings cannot stand as preempted by federal law… Continue Reading

Measuring and Reporting Greenhouse Gas Emissions will be “the” Environmental Issue of 2024

By Stuart Kaplow on December 31, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, GHG, greenhouse gas

Decarbonization of the world’s economies is the biggest business opportunity in history, waiting to be unlocked… Continue Reading

Net Zero, Carbon Offsets and more Now Require Disclosures

By Stuart Kaplow on October 29, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, Environmental, GHG, greenwashing

This new law is being heralded as anti greenwashing … Continue Reading

Advantages of Adopting the Model State Indoor Air Quality Act: Prioritizing Human Health Amid Energy Concerns

By Stuart Kaplow on October 22, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, GHG, Green Building, greenhouse gas

The quality of the air we breathe is fundamental to our well being if not life itself. With Americans spending nearly 90% of their lives indoors, the importance of healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) cannot be overstated. In response to the growing concerns about IAQ, a Model State Indoor Air Quality Act has just been … Continue Reading

Green Building may be our Best Hope to Repair the Planet

By Stuart Kaplow on October 8, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, Green Building, greenhouse gas

Single shooting climate change is not what the majority of people want… Continue Reading

California Passes Groundbreaking Climate Disclosure Bills

By Stuart Kaplow on September 17, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, GHG

California on the bleeding edge of climate disclosure and climate financial risk reporting… Continue Reading

Offsets and RECs: A Powerful Duo for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Repairing the Planet

By Stuart Kaplow on July 30, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, ESG, GHG, greenhouse gas

Offsets and RECs are two powerful and complementary approaches to combating climate change and repairing the planet.… Continue Reading

Wind Rights are now Blowin’ In The Wind

By Stuart Kaplow on July 16, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Environmental, ESG, GHG, wind turbine

The first time any Texas court has held under Texas law that wind rights are severable from the land. … Continue Reading

The Power of Methane: Why Tackling Emissions Is Key to Curbing Climate Change

By Stuart Kaplow on July 9, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, ESG, GHG

One pound of methane traps 25 times more heat in the atmosphere than a pound of carbon dioxide… Continue Reading

Courts Asked to Compel Government Action on Climate Change

By Stuart Kaplow on June 18, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, Legal, State

The judicial branch will supplant the executive and legislative branches, in driving greenhouse gas and the larger global warming policy… Continue Reading

Maryland Releases Draft GHG Regulations to Implement SB 528

By Stuart Kaplow on May 14, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Codes and Regulations, GHG, greenhouse gas

The Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 through these GHG emission regulations will undoubtedly shape the state's trajectory by decarbonizing the economy.… Continue Reading

Do You Own Your GHG Emission Data?

By Stuart Kaplow on April 16, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, ESG, GHG, greenhouse gas

Nothing should stop an organization from mitigating the risk associated with its own data safe while monetizing that valuable asset.… Continue Reading

Maryland is Leading the Transition to All Electric Buildings

By Stuart Kaplow on March 26, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Environmental, ESG, greenhouse gas

There is a move toward all electric buildings as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. The state of Maryland is leading the way in this movement, including several local jurisdictions adopting all electric building code laws. All electric building codes require that new construction and major renovations be powered by … Continue Reading