US Northeast states sue Trump administration over $795 mln offshore wind lease cancellation
A coalition of seven states in the US Northeast sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over a deal to cancel an offshore wind lease in the New York Bight, arguing the agreement unlawfully redirects a major power project into fossil fuel investment and undermines state energy planning.
Read MoreOffsets firm founder sentenced to 14 years in US prison over $248 mln fraud scheme
A co-founder of a California-based carbon offsets developer and fintech startup has been sentenced to 14 years in a US prison after admitting to a years-long fraud scheme that prosecutors said caused $248 million in losses to lenders and investors.
Read MoreMinnesota seeks dismissal of Trump administration challenge to fossil fuel deception case
Minnesota has urged a federal court to dismiss a US lawsuit seeking to halt its climate deception case against ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, and trade association American Petroleum Institute (API), arguing the federal government has no direct injury and no legal basis to intervene.
Read MoreUS SEC moves to scrap climate disclosure rules
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed on Friday to rescind its climate-related disclosure rules in full, arguing the requirements exceeded its statutory authority and would impose costs on public companies not justified by the resulting information provided to some investors.
Read MoreBrazil’s Supreme Court declares mandate for insurers to invest in carbon credits unconstitutional
Most of the ministers of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) voted to strike down the mandate for insurance companies to invest in carbon credits.
Read MoreNon-profits appeal EU green taxonomy ruling over forestry, bioenergy criteria
A group of environmental non-profits has appealed a lower EU court ruling on the bloc’s sustainable finance taxonomy, arguing the decision allows climate-damaging forestry and bioenergy activities to be labelled as green.
Read MoreBRIEFING: UN adopting ICJ opinion boost for Paris Agreement, international climate treaties
Last week’s UN General Assembly vote to adopt a resolution endorsing the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion on states obligations on climate change is a boost for multilateralism and international climate frameworks, including the Paris Agreement, experts told Carbon Pulse.
Read MoreCalifornia urges court to dismiss US lawsuit over vehicle emissions standards
California regulator ARB asked a federal judge on Tuesday to toss a Trump administration-led lawsuit challenging the state’s vehicle emissions standards, arguing the contested rules no longer support the federal government’s claims of harm.
Read MoreFEATURE: How a legal mechanism used to obstruct climate policy is gaining strength
The rise in the number of cases brought by fossil fuel companies against governments, using Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), is stalling the energy transition and causing governments to hold back on more effective climate policy, despite growing awareness of the topic, say experts.
Read MoreANALYSIS: States, industry groups urge SCOTUS to curb local climate liability suits against oil companies
A broad coalition including the US federal government, states, business groups, legal scholars, and tribal interests has urged the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to block a landmark climate damages lawsuit against two oil companies, arguing it would let local governments regulate GHG emissions through state tort law.
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