Environment

A practice note on climate change issues for institutional investors, shareholders and insurers.

This note explains how a new mechanism for reducing carbon emissions from forestry-related activities in developing countries, known as REDD+, is being developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). REDD+ stands for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation of forests, sustainable management of forests, and conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, in developing countries. This note analyses the framework for REDD+ that was agreed in Cancun in December 2010 and the challenges to be addressed in developing REDD+. It also summarises the REDD+ pilot projects, such as the UN-REDD Programme.

This note explains what the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol are, and what the parties to these international agreements are required to do.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) activities in Norway are subject to legislation that is generally applicable to industry activities and there is little specific Norwegian regulation of CCS activities. This article examines the impact of the existing legislation on CCS activities, including overviews of the scope of relevant legislation, outline of permits required and potential liability issues.

Climate change has become increasingly topical, with the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol. This has strengthened interest in cleantech and the development of cleantech venture capital investment. This article examines the current market and growth in cleantech investment, and the financing environments in Europe, the US and Asia.

In December 2009, environment ministers and officials will meet in Copenhagen for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At Copenhagen, inter-governmental negotiators will try to agree a new climate treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. Given the high expectations of an agreement being reached at Copenhagen, the lack of progress at meetings held during the summer of 2009 in preparation for the conference has raised questions concerning whether and what kind of an agreement could possibly be reached in December. This article is part of the PLC multi-jurisdictional guide to environment. For a full list of jurisdictional Q&As visit www.practicallaw.com/environmenthandbook.

This article is part of the PLC Global Finance August 2011 e-mail update for Australia.

An update on an announcement by Ceres in August 2009 that a record number of climate change-related shareholder resolutions were filed in 2009.

An update on an agreement reached between Dynegy Inc and the Attorney General of the state of New York, on 23 October 2008, requiring Dynegy to make disclosures about climate change risks in its annual report on Form 10-K to be filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. This update includes an analysis of the implications of this development for companies in the UK.