Climate change has assumed a high-profile role in policy making at all levels of government, both domestically and internationally. Whether one agrees on the science and conclusions relating to climate change, its related policy and rule-making are very real issues for business. Laws and government programs to address climate change have the potential to significantly affect industrial, residential and commercial development, land use, energy, transportation, and agriculture sectors. Government at all levels is enacting climate change-related laws, and businesses and utilities will incur costs as a result.
The dominant element driving climate change regulation and rule-making is greenhouse gas emissions and the desire to reduce greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, produced primarily from combustion; methane, produced from landfills, agriculture and coal mines; nitrous oxide, produced from combustion and fertilizers; hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons, produced by refrigeration and semiconductor industries; and sulfur hexafluoride produced from electricity generation and transfer equipment. Fennemore Craig's Climate Change lawyers are well versed in domestic and international developments on emerging legal and corporate policies on Climate Change. The regulation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions affect business in such diverse areas of the law as:
Administrative Law before local, state and federal agencies
Agribusiness and International Trade
Business and Finance
Commercial and Business Torts Litigation
Energy and Utilities
Environment and Natural Resources including Water
Government Relations and Lobbying
Real Estate and Land Use
Tax
White Collar Crime