building decarbonization Archives

building decarbonization

Making Building Decarbonization Work for LA Renters

A new UCLA report recommends policies to green existing buildings in a way that protects and supports residential tenants.

Los Angeles’ ambitious “Green New Deal” calls for, among other things, eliminating or offsetting building emissions and reducing building energy use by 44%, both by 2050. This is an impressive and ambitious target, and while the city has begun restricting some emissions from new buildings, it is still figuring out how to tackle the far …

Continue reading “Making Building Decarbonization Work for LA Renters”

California must move more quickly to decarbonize existing residential buildings

New Report recommends scaling California’s Go Green financing program faster, changing program design and implementation

California has set ambitious climate goals, which include reducing state greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 40 percent by 2030 and reducing GHGs 85 percent (and achieving statewide carbon neutrality) by 2045. Amongst all the sectors state leaders seek to address, existing buildings (which are responsible for over 10 percent of state emissions), and especially existing residential …

Continue reading “California must move more quickly to decarbonize existing residential buildings”

Three Questions about the Ninth Circuit Panel’s CRA v. Berkeley Decision

The James R. Browning U.S. Court of Appeals Building

This recent decision has important implications for state and local efforts to protect their residents and reduce greenhouse-gas emission, but boy is it hard to wrap your head around.

On Monday, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit issued a ruling in California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley, addressing whether the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) invalidates a Berkeley municipal ordinance specifying when natural-gas infrastructure can be extended into new buildings. Many in the housing-quality and building-decarbonization space have been eagerly …

Continue reading “Three Questions about the Ninth Circuit Panel’s CRA v. Berkeley Decision”

Making Heat Pumps Accessible and Affordable to Decarbonize Buildings

New policy report on solutions to improve deployment of heat pump technologies in existing buildings | Webinar July 19

Join us for a webinar to discuss the report findings with leaders on July 19 at 1 pm PT. RSVP here You may have seen heat pumps (or #heatpumpnation) in the news recently and wondered, what really is this device? How do heat pumps relate to building decarbonization goals, national security, and climate mitigation efforts? …

Continue reading “Making Heat Pumps Accessible and Affordable to Decarbonize Buildings”

New Report: Improving Access to Energy Data

Policy solutions to support the data needed for resilient decarbonization

Today, the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE) at Berkeley Law and the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA Law are releasing a new report, Data Access for a Decarbonized Grid, which highlights key policy solutions to expand access to the energy data needed to operate a fully decarbonized …

Continue reading “New Report: Improving Access to Energy Data”

New Report: Accelerating Building Decarbonization

Solutions to drive the electrification transition / Expert webinar February 23

Today, the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE) at Berkeley Law and the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA Law are releasing a new report, Building toward Decarbonization, which highlights the key barriers and policy solutions to accelerate building electrification retrofits in California’s high-priority communities. California’s ambitious commitment to …

Continue reading “New Report: Accelerating Building Decarbonization”

Can We Use Regulation to Reduce Inequality?

Contrary to some, I think the answer is yes. And here’s how we can do it.

An Important Groundwater Bill Lands on the Governor’s Desk

Guest Contributors Gabi Rosenfeld, Owen McAleer, and Adrianne Davies say AB 779, a bill they worked on with State Assemblymember Lori Wilson, will address inequities in groundwater adjudications.

The Overshoot Commission Addresses Geoengineering

The Commission tries to make it OK to talk about – not do – solar geoengineering. Its report proposes a moratorium, coupled with efforts to carefully build knowledge.

What’s a Major Question? Opinions differ.

Scholars don’t know the answer. Nor, apparently, do the federal courts of appeals.

No, There’s No Scientific Conspiracy About Climate Change

Anyone who thinks otherwise has never met a real live academic. We can barely conspire about where to eat lunch.

A Summer Job, Record Heat, Climate Hope

Guest contributor Mollie Cueva-Dabkoski reflects on working as a summer law intern at Our Children’s Trust on the Held v. Montana case.

California is Suing Big Oil Thanks to Journalism

California’s climate and consumer protection lawsuit against Big Oil was made possible by the past work of journalists. What’s the state of climate journalism now?

Action on Methane

California’s Subnational Initiative

A Radical Proposal Hidden in Plain Sight in the Overshoot Commission Report

The Commission’s recommendations on emissions include a fossil phaseout much stronger than anything now proposed, which could materially advance climate action.

Predictions of IRA’s Success Solidify

IRA’s early impacts have been dramatic, and there’s a consensus that it will bend the US emissions curve downward.

Upcoming Regulatory Cases in the Supreme Court

Two pending cases could result in big cuts to agency powers

Vehicle Regulations on Trial

Three big cases in the D.C. Circuit will determine the fate of Biden’s vehicle regulations.

The Overshoot Commission Addresses Geoengineering

The Commission tries to make it OK to talk about – not do – solar geoengineering. Its report proposes a moratorium, coupled with efforts to carefully build knowledge.

What’s a Major Question? Opinions differ.

Scholars don’t know the answer. Nor, apparently, do the federal courts of appeals.

California is Suing Big Oil Thanks to Journalism

California’s climate and consumer protection lawsuit against Big Oil was made possible by the past work of journalists. What’s the state of climate journalism now?

Predictions of IRA’s Success Solidify

IRA’s early impacts have been dramatic, and there’s a consensus that it will bend the US emissions curve downward.

Angry About Stalled Progress on Fossil Fuels? Biden’s Not the Culprit.

Sorry, no president can single-handedly fix climate policy. And certainly not with this Supreme Court.

Why is there a Carrot Boycott in Cuyama Valley?

Small farmers and rural residents are calling for a boycott against Bolthouse and Grimmway Farms. Here’s what it says about California’s effort to manage groundwater.

building decarbonization

A new UCLA report recommends policies to green existing buildings in a way that protects and supports residential tenants.

New Report recommends scaling California’s Go Green financing program faster, changing program design and implementation

This recent decision has important implications for state and local efforts to protect their residents and reduce greenhouse-gas emission, but boy is it hard to wrap your head around.

New policy report on solutions to improve deployment of heat pump technologies in existing buildings | Webinar July 19

Policy solutions to support the data needed for resilient decarbonization

Solutions to drive the electrification transition / Expert webinar February 23

TRENDING

Contrary to some, I think the answer is yes. And here’s how we can do it.

Guest Contributors Gabi Rosenfeld, Owen McAleer, and Adrianne Davies say AB 779, a bill they worked on with State Assemblymember Lori Wilson, will address inequities in groundwater adjudications.

The Commission tries to make it OK to talk about – not do – solar geoengineering. Its report proposes a moratorium, coupled with efforts to carefully build knowledge.

Scholars don’t know the answer. Nor, apparently, do the federal courts of appeals.

Anyone who thinks otherwise has never met a real live academic. We can barely conspire about where to eat lunch.

Guest contributor Mollie Cueva-Dabkoski reflects on working as a summer law intern at Our Children’s Trust on the Held v. Montana case.

California’s climate and consumer protection lawsuit against Big Oil was made possible by the past work of journalists. What’s the state of climate journalism now?

California’s Subnational Initiative

The Commission’s recommendations on emissions include a fossil phaseout much stronger than anything now proposed, which could materially advance climate action.

IRA’s early impacts have been dramatic, and there’s a consensus that it will bend the US emissions curve downward.

Two pending cases could result in big cuts to agency powers

Three big cases in the D.C. Circuit will determine the fate of Biden’s vehicle regulations.

The Commission tries to make it OK to talk about – not do – solar geoengineering. Its report proposes a moratorium, coupled with efforts to carefully build knowledge.

Scholars don’t know the answer. Nor, apparently, do the federal courts of appeals.

California’s climate and consumer protection lawsuit against Big Oil was made possible by the past work of journalists. What’s the state of climate journalism now?

IRA’s early impacts have been dramatic, and there’s a consensus that it will bend the US emissions curve downward.

Sorry, no president can single-handedly fix climate policy. And certainly not with this Supreme Court.

Small farmers and rural residents are calling for a boycott against Bolthouse and Grimmway Farms. Here’s what it says about California’s effort to manage groundwater.

A dozen global leaders weigh in on the risk of exceeding the Paris temperature targets and what it means for climate response.

SB 261 first proposed and drafted by CLEE Climate Risk Initiative