Green Building Law Update

Environmental Law and Sustainability for Business

Archives: Environmental

Greenhouse Gas Data Confidentiality Takes Two Steps Forward

Businesses must protect their data, not to mention monetize it for their benefit, and can do both while at the same time leading the way toward decarbonizing the economy and repairing the world. … 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

Tenants Monetizing their Greenhouse Gas Emission Data

By Stuart Kaplow on October 15, 2023 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Environmental, GHG, greenhouse gas

We are already working with a broad breadth of businesses, including tenants and landlords, to develop strategies to assist them in taking advantage of this opportunity to monetize their GHG emission data … Continue Reading

Guidance on Avoiding Greenwashing while Providing Input Down Under

By Stuart Kaplow on August 13, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, Green Washing, greenwashing

While American businesses continue to wait for the update to the 2012 FTC Green Guides this draft Guidance from Down Under is the best checklist, we are aware of, for mitigating the risk of greenwashing claims.… Continue Reading

Greenhouse Gas Emission Disclosures in Real Estate Contracts and Beyond

By Stuart Kaplow on July 23, 2023 Posted in Environmental, GHG, greenhouse gas

GHG emission disclosures in contracts are a response to the new era of environmental consciousness in business… 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

The Positive Side of Green Hushing: Averting Backlash and Enhancing Corporate Sustainability

By Stuart Kaplow on June 25, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, greenwashing

Companies seeking to avert backlash through green hushing can ultimately contribute broadly to corporate sustainability if not repairing the planet.… 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

The Evolution of Environmental Offsets: From Indulgences to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions

By Stuart Kaplow on June 11, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, GHG, greenhouse gas

Environmental offsets have come a long way since the issuance of indulgences by the medieval church. … Continue Reading

Commercial PACE: Filing the Financing Gap for GHG Reductions in Commercial Building

By Stuart Kaplow on May 20, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, GHG, Green Building

PACE is a game changing solution that empowers commercial building owners to invest in sustainability… Continue Reading

More Than 1,000 Shipments of Solar Panels Seized at the Border

By Stuart Kaplow on April 30, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, Federal, Solar Panel, Uncategorized

Businesses Creating a Slave Free World… Continue Reading

Court Saves Gas Stoves from the Government

By Stuart Kaplow on April 23, 2023 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Environmental, ESG, GHG

This is a significant setback for state and local governments across the country seeking to ban natural gas, directly, indirectly, or otherwise.… Continue Reading

Executional Greenwashing is a Thing

By Stuart Kaplow on April 2, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, Green Washing, greenwashing

Executional greenwashing is a neologism characterizing the way in which a business promotes or executes an environmental initiative, rather than the actual environmental impact of the initiative.… 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

Endangered Northern Long Eared Bat is a Victim of Biodiversity Degradation

By Stuart Kaplow on March 19, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, Federal, Sustainability

Biodiversity degradation is an existential crisis playing out right now in front of our eyes.… Continue Reading

The Environmental Catastrophe that is PFAS will see Movement in 2023

By Stuart Kaplow on March 12, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG

In 2023 we will see important steps toward addressing the challenges posed by PFAS contamination.… Continue Reading

Biden Veto of Repudiation of ESG Worker Savings Rule a Positive for ESG

By Stuart Kaplow on March 5, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, ESG, Federal

Congress voted to approve H.J. Res. 30 seeking to nullify the Department of Labor “ESG Rule” concerning fiduciary duties with respect to employee benefit plans.… Continue Reading

We Need to do Better to Reduce Food Waste

By Stuart Kaplow on February 26, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, greenhouse gas

Upscale compost has become a status symbol with small coffee size bags selling for as much as $25 a bag… Continue Reading

Non Profits can Receive a Direct Payment for 30% of Their Solar Energy System Costs

By Stuart Kaplow on February 19, 2023 Posted in Energy, Environmental, ESG, Federal, Solar Panel

Non profits can now receive a direct payment from the Federal government for 30% of their total solar energy system installation costs… Continue Reading

Questions from our webinar “Does Your Lease Address New GHG Laws?”

By Stuart Kaplow on January 29, 2023 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, GHG, greenhouse gas

Your lease must be amended to to take into account GHG emissions… Continue Reading

Does Your Lease Need Greenhouse Gas Provisions?

By Stuart Kaplow on January 22, 2023 Posted in Environmental, ESG, GHG, Green Building, greenhouse gas

The aim of this post, about how to repair the planet through leasing, is to set the stage for new ideas… Continue Reading

First State to Authorize Use of the 2021 IgCC

By Stuart Kaplow on January 8, 2023 Posted in Environmental, GHG, IgCC, Uncategorized

Maryland is on the cusp of being the first state in the country to authorize use of the new 2021 edition of the International Green Construction Code … Continue Reading