United States: Climate Change

Verra has launched Version 1.0 of its Scope 3 Standard Program, introducing a new framework for quantifying, verifying, and certifying greenhouse gas emission reductions within corporate value chains. The program adapts existing Verified Carbon Standard methodologies to enable companies to measure and report value-chain decarbonization investments with greater certainty. As corporate accounting frameworks evolve and the GHG Protocol develops new guidance, this initiative could reshape how companies approach

Explore the latest regulatory developments, litigation updates, and transactional shifts shaping climate law across multiple jurisdictions. From Australia's environmental protection reforms...

The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a partial repeal of the 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants, eliminating major compliance requirements including 90% carbon capture and storage mandates. This action, which EPA estimates will result in $310 billion in social cost savings, marks the latest development in nearly two decades of litigation over the agency's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

As rapid data center construction sparks community backlash, technology companies face mounting pressure to address environmental and human rights concerns through sustainable corporate practices. Grassroots resistance is emerging from fears that communities will bear the burden of higher energy costs, water scarcity, air pollution, and noise while tech companies reap the benefits.

This issue examines pivotal developments in carbon markets and climate policy, including California, Québec, and Washington's historic carbon market linkage agreement, the Trump Administration's use of Defense Production...

A federal court has struck down New York's Climate Change Superfund Act, which sought to recover $75 billion from fossil fuel companies based on historical emissions. The ruling found the Act preempted by the Clean Air Act, marking the first judicial decision on state climate superfund legislation and establishing that EPA's rescission of the endangerment finding does not alter preemption analysis.

The California Air Resources Board has refined its approach to implementing SB 253's greenhouse gas reporting requirements, proposing a phased category-based system for Scope 3 emissions and aligning regulations with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Companies with over $1 billion in annual revenue doing business in California face November 2026 deadlines for initial Scope 1 and 2 reporting, with expanded requirements and third-party assurance mandates taking effect in 2027.

Colorado's greenhouse gas emissions trading program is expanding across high-emitting sectors, creating opportunities for companies to profit from selling emissions credits or meet compliance...

California's Air Resources Board has unveiled new implementation details for SB 253's climate disclosure requirements, introducing a phased approach to Scope 3 emissions reporting and clarifying deadlines for companies with over $1 billion in revenue doing business in California. The proposed regulations establish a framework that aims to balance comprehensive climate reporting with practical concerns about data availability and compliance costs.