New York climate law retreat will require sweeping regulatory overhaul, likely litigation -legal experts
New York’s decision to weaken its landmark climate law through 2026 budget amendments will trigger years of regulatory revisions, planning changes, and likely legal challenges, while making it significantly easier for the state to meet its statutory emissions targets, according to legal experts.
Read MoreClimate Litigation Roundup: Fossil fuel cases move from companies to the rules that enable growth
Climate litigation this month focused heavily on the rules and approvals that shape fossil fuel growth, as claimants challenged gas projects, clean air waivers, liability shields, carbon offsetting, and corporate transition claims, and new research found a persistent accountability gap for the companies most closely tied to historical emissions.
Read MoreAustralian court cases to push back against govt gas approval
Upcoming court cases are challenging the Australian environment minister’s decision to approve the North West Shelf (NWS) gas facility’s exporting licence, and will argue he failed to consider the impacts of its emissions on native wildlife, among other issues.
Read MoreNew Zealand Ombudsman upholds complaint over climate litigation OIA response
New Zealand’s Ombudsman has found that the Prime Minister’s office acted unreasonably in its response to an Official Information Act request relating to a long-running climate lawsuit, upholding an NGO complaint over the matter.Â
Read MoreUPDATE – $6 mln offset project buyout collapses after purchaser said to miss closing payment
A planned $6 million buyout of a portfolio of offset projects has collapsed after the purchaser opted not to make the required closing payment by the contractual deadline, leaving the original agreement in place and setting the stage for potential legal action, according to a company announcement late Tuesday.
Read MoreWashington’s highest court upholds farm fuel exemption under cap-and-invest programme
The Supreme Court of Washington ruled in favour of the state’s Department of Ecology (ECY) regarding the agriculture fuel exemption for fuel suppliers within the carbon cap-and-invest programme, ending a dispute brought by an agricultural association.
Read MoreVerra review finds no evidence of historical safeguards breaches at withdrawn Kariba REDD+ project
Verra has concluded the safeguards component of its quality control review (QCR) of the Kariba REDD+ carbon project, with independent auditors finding no evidence that the project breached the standard’s rules during the period covered by their original assessments.
Read MoreEU risks litigation if it drops binding forestry climate goal, WWF warns
The EU risks exposing itself to legal challenges if it weakens or abandons binding targets for carbon removals from forestry and land use as part of its post-2030 climate framework, according to a new legal analysis commissioned by WWF and published on Tuesday.
Read MoreNew Zealand activist lodges High Court case against govt’s plan to block tort-based climate litigation
A prominent Iwi leader has filed a case in New Zealand’s High Court challenging the government’s amendments to block tort-based climate litigation.
Read MoreParis court finds TotalEnergies in breach of legal duty to tackle Scope 3 emissions
A Paris court has ordered TotalEnergies to overhaul its climate vigilance plan within six months, ruling that the French oil major breached its legal duty to address the climate risks posed by its activities and products, including so-called Scope 3 emissions generated when its oil and gas are burned.
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