Implementing Climate Change Polilcy: Looking Forward to the Hard Part

Feb. 5, 2010

Premise for the conference:

The United States is poised to adopt comprehensive climate change legislation. It will likely be one of the longest and most complex federal statutes passed in decades, and will affect almost every corner of the economy. Until then, EPA and perhaps other agencies may adopt numerous regulations.

Implementing the new regulatory scheme will be a massive and difficult undertaking. Billions of dollars will hinge on each of numerous implementation decisions. This one- and one-half day conference brought together leading government officials, academics, NGOs and private practitioners to explore these issues:

  • The dozens of rulemakings required of EPA, DOE, and other agencies
  • Creating the machinery for markets and offsets
  • Managing the transition for key sectors (fossil and renewable energy, agriculture, forestry)
  • Linkages to the international climate and trade systems
  • State and local roles
  • Affecting individual and corporate behavior
  • Equity and environmental justice issues

Presentations by each speaker:

Conference co-chairs:

  • Prof. Jonathan Z. Cannon, University of Virginia Law School
  • Prof. Michael B. Gerrard, Columbia Law School
  • Prof. Michael P. Vandenbergh, Vanderbilt Law School

Click here for the  Environmental Law Institute’s webpage for the event.