Climate Change
Overview
How America and the world address greenhouse gas emissions has become one of the major issues of our time affecting every segment of the economy. Society faces fundamental challenges in producing and using energy, and as we move into a future where carbon bears a price, winners and losers will emerge. For individual companies, much depends on helping government make the correct policy choices, on planning intelligently for the future, and on taking advantage of the opportunities – and avoiding the risks – created by a carbon-constrained environment.
Many law firms now have climate change practices. The difference with Troutman Sanders is that our attorneys have not just recently come to the issue – we have been active on climate change issues for nearly two decades. In the United States, we have been involved in climate change legislative and regulatory proceedings from the early 1990s, and have served as counsel in many of the landmark climate change proceedings and lawsuits, including the Massachusetts v. EPA Supreme Court decision that determined that greenhouse gas emissions are Clean Air Act "air pollutants". Internationally, we helped write the rules for carbon trading as implemented in the EU following the Kyoto Protocol. And both here and abroad we have done a number of innovative carbon deals and have a robust renewables and alternative energy practice.
Cutting-Edge Representation
Our long experience is not our only advantage; breadth of experience also sets us apart. Because of our broad expertise, we have been able to specialize in different aspects of climate change law and policy such as:
Leadership and Expertise
The firm’s attorneys have testified before Congress on multiple occassions on climate change legal issues. They are also routinely invited to speak at various climate change conferences. In the last several years, firm attorneys have spoken on these issues at conferences and seminars organized by, among many others, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Edison Electric Institute, Georgetown University Law School, the Library of Congress Congressional Research Service, the American Bar Association, Law Seminars International, and the Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association. We have also appeared on C-SPAN. Members of the firm are also frequently requested to lecture at industry gatherings on the risks of participating in the EU Member States cap and trade mechanisms and similar implementation activities under the Kyoto framework.
Click here to view Congressional testimonies.
Click here to view our weekly short articles.
Click here to view our presentations and articles.