International Environmental Law
The Evolution of Climate Policy in Russia
The Russian government has gone from joking about fur coats to catching up with global trends.
A prevalent perspective from the early 2000s among some Russian officials held that climate change could actually benefit the country by opening up Arctic shipping routes, expanding agricultural zones, and reducing winter heating costs. Russian President Vladimir Putin once joked about the prospects of Russians not needing their fur coats in a warmer climate. For …
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CONTINUE READINGClimate Science Under Attack, in the Name of Global Equity
Equity for whom: The fossil fuel producers or the most vulnerable?
In the name of global equity, a coalition of carbon producers and high emitters is trying to delay the next report of the IPCC, the UN body in charge of synthesizing the world’s climate research. The report on the physical science of climate change is due in 2028, but China, India, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and Russia want to stall into the next year. All these countries are major producers of coal, oil, or gas
CONTINUE READINGHey Kids, It’s National Energy Dominance Month!
This October, we officially celebrate the coal and oil industries. Says President Trump.
People sometimes accuse Trump of lacking any consistent policy beliefs, but that’s certainly not true in the areas of energy and environment. He has one clear goal, maximizing fossil fuels. Everything revolves around that. And now we have a whole month officially set aside to celebrate his masterplan.
CONTINUE READINGThese 3 Numbers Explain Earth System Interventions in 2026
Concerns about passing 1.5C and ‘global dimming’ are driving attention to the prospect of large-scale interventions in Earth systems.
On October 12th and 13th, more than 250 people gathered in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the “Global Risk and Stabilization Summit,” to talk about the new level of risk the planet is facing as we pass 1.5C degrees and potential ways to address it. UCLA’s ESI Project, which I help direct, was a convening partner of …
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CONTINUE READINGBy Our Powers Combined, We Are Captain Planet
Facing climate disasters, the GCF Task Force is putting the network theory of governance into practice.
I don’t need to tell you that the last several months have seen an increasing number of climate-related disasters, including severe heatwaves throughout Europe and droughts that are impacting water supply and reducing ship passages through the Panama Canal. This year’s super El Niño has exacerbated the ongoing fires across Indonesian Borneo. It is projected …
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CONTINUE READINGUCLA Law Clinics File Brief in the “Mecheros” Case
UCLA’s Human Rights Litigation Clinic and Environmental Law Clinic represent experts in a long-running case that seeks to stop harmful gas flaring in Ecuador.
Guest Contributors Incia Haider and Enrique Garcia are J.D. candidates of UCLA School of Law, ‘27. This month, the Human Rights Litigation Clinic and the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic at UCLA School of Law filed an amicus brief with the Constitutional Court of Ecuador on behalf of a group of law professors and international legal scholars: our own Kate Mackintosh of UCLA Law, …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Bottleneck in Forest Monitoring Isn’t in Orbit
Groups on the frontlines fighting deforestation are held back by institutional constraints – not just technological barriers – according to a new study from UCLA, NYU, World Resources Institute, and the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force.
There are 16,000 satellites circling the Earth right now, and a growing share of them capture images of our planet in unprecedented detail at every moment of the day. One of the many things they measure, monitor, and observe are forests. Being able to measure forests is the foundation for protecting them and for decades …
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CONTINUE READINGCanada in Flames
What’s causing the fires? What harm do they do? What should we do?
One of the world’s great disasters is unfolding, as fires have covered millions of acres in Canada, destroying pristine ecosystems and poisoning the air for millions of people. Something like seven million acres have already burned. The U.S. government’s response is to threaten Canada with tariffs, apparently as punishment for allegedly having poorly managed its forests. Instead, we should be partnering with Canada on forest management, and we should cut the greenhouse gas emissions that are ramping up the fire risk.
CONTINUE READINGBring Back “Trump Classic”
The original version of Trump was bad. The current version is much worse.
Trump has succeeded in his second term in making every past President including even himself look better. We’re now almost a year and a half into Trump’s second term. From almost every point of view, it’s worse than his first term. It reminds me of the “New Coke” that Coca Cola once introduced, which was a disaster that led to the reintroduction of what was then dubbed “Coke Classic.” Trump Classic was committed to fossil fuels and eliminating environmental protections. But in almost every respect, his policies were less radical and his methods were less drastic.
China’s Climate Policies: A Timeline
How has China has gone from climate action’s problem child to a promoter of clean energy?
China has long been the world’s top emitter of greenhouse gases, making its climate and energy policies crucial for the rest of the world. It initially took the position that Westerners had caused the problem and should carry the entire burden of fixing it. Over time, however, it has shifted into a position of leadership in clean technology and cooperation on climate issues.
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