Pennsylvania court rules state cannot tax carbon without legislative approval
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court found Wednesday in two rulings that the state cannot enforce a regulation directed by executive order to make power plant owners pay for their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions because it was created without legislative approval, dealing another setback to the centerpiece of former Governor Tom Wolf’s plan to fight global warming. [...]
UK High Court dismisses legal challenge to expansion of new licenses for oil and gas exploration
The UK High Court in London ruled Thursday that the UK North Sea Transition Authority’s decision to authorize exploration of the North Sea for more sources of oil and gas was legal. Greenpeace and Uplift, two UK non-governmental organizations (NGOs), filed an appeal of the authority’s decision, arguing that the failure to fully examine its [...]
The High Court of Australia ruled against the Victorian Government’s electric vehicle tax under section 7(1) of the Zero and Low Emission Vehicle Distance-based Charge Act 2021 (“the ZLEV Charge Act”) Wednesday, which required registered operators of zero or low emission vehicles to “pay a charge for use of the ZLEV on specified roads.” The [...]
Canada Supreme Court rules environmental impact act is partially unconstitutional
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled by a 5-2 majority Friday that the federal government’s Impact Assessment Act (IAA) and its accompanying regulations are partially unconstitutional, as they empower the federal government to create environmental regulations that should have been within provincial jurisdictions. The majority found that the IAA’s method of designating projects for an [...]
Kenya's Climate Change Amendment Act: Striking a Balance with Carbon Markets
As regions of the world grapple with the devastating impacts of climate change, Kenya’s Climate Change Amendment Act stands as landmark legislation that shifts the trajectory of the nation’s commitment to climate justice. The amendment serves as a comprehensive and forward-looking response to the escalating climate crisis. The Act introduces innovative provisions aimed at aligning [...]
ECHR hears landmark lawsuit brought by youth climate activists against 33 governments
In a nearly five-hour long hearing on Wednesday, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) heard a landmark case brought by six youth plaintiffs against 33 European governments to spur stronger climate change mitigation measures. Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 Others featured six plaintiffs from Portugal: Catarina, 23, Cláudia, 24, Martim, 20, [...]
The the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea’s public hearings concerning international obligations to mitigate marine pollution started Monday in Hamburg, Germany following a request from the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS). Prime Ministers Kausea Natano of Tuvalu and Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, representing COSIS, are [...]
Edwin Gakunga is a student at the Kenya School of Law and a JURIST Assistant Editor. He files this dispatch from Nairobi. The bustling heart of Nairobi, Kenya, was the stage last week of a historic event—the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS), held from September 4th to 6th. This pivotal gathering brought together African nations, [...]
Edwin Gakunga is a student at the Kenya School of Law and a JURIST Assistant Editor. He files this dispatch from Nairobi. Filing from the vibrant city of Nairobi, Kenya, I find myself privileged to be a part of history, reporting for JURIST at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS) hosted right here at the iconic [...]
Aidana Tastanova is a Kazakhstan national and a 4th year law student attending the Moscow State Institute of International Relations under a Kazakh government scholarship. On Friday, September 1, during an address to the people of Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed a national referendum on the issue of approval or rejection of the construction of [...]
