#environmental-law

#environmental-law

The ICJ is set to decide the future course of climate accountability in a landmark legal case brought by Vanuatu. Countries that are top fossil fuel polluters argue that legal provisions under the UNFCCC are enough, while advocates encourage a broader approach, incorporating human rights and maritime laws. Vanuatu emphasized the ICJ’s unique position to address these issues within the framework of international law, urging judges to clarify obligations towards climate change and potential consequences for polluters.

"For too long, CEQA has been weaponized to delay and derail housing, infrastructure and other investments we desperately need. In fact, a majority of the lawsuits brought under CEQA are not even about the environment," San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan told San José Spotlight. "With these long-overdue reforms, California is finally restoring balance to a process that has stood in the way of progress."

"The U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision on Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency dramatically weakened protections for millions of acres of the West's essential wetlands and streams."

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has threatened legal action over environmental concerns stemming from Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket launches, considering contamination and debris from the operations.

Lenders are demanding Thames Water and its management be granted immunity for environmental crimes as a condition for acquiring the struggling utility.

In a landmark ruling, a court in Germany stated for the first time that large corporations could be held liable for the effects of their emissions.

"It's now clear that the bill in its current form will rip the heart out of environmental protections and risks sending nature further into freefall."

"It's time to get serious about this issue, period, full stop," Newsom said this morning. "If you care about your kids you care about getting this done. This is the biggest opportunity to do something big and bold and the only impediment is us."

The judgment is the first one obtained by any prosecutor against a major sunscreen manufacturer for "reef friendly" advertising.

Sarmad Ghaled Dafar, a 33-year-old Texas man, was sentenced to four months in custody and 180 days of home confinement for attempting to smuggle baby Mexican spider monkeys.

The project corridor is located within the 16th and Valencia Street Post-Fire Historic District, an area of recognized cultural and architectural significance. CEQA mandates aesthetic evaluations for projects in designated historic areas to ensure that changes do not compromise their integrity.