Article by Jessica Vaianisi, Summer Law Student   Canada’s action on climate change, both domestically and internationally, has been largely criticized. Despite its formal withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol in 2011, Canada has stated that it recognizes that “climate change is a global challenge requiring a global solution.”[1] However, Canada’s presence in recent international conferences has attempted to reiterate their ... Read More »

By Meghan Babin, Zizzo Allan Climate Law Summer Intern According to a recent study published in the journal Nature, Earth may be on the brink of an ecological tipping point, due in large part to the destruction of natural ecosystems, climate change and population growth.[1] Released just weeks shy of the United Nations Rio+20 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, ... Read More »

The international community, under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is currently meeting to discuss climate change in Bonn, Germany. The conference runs from May 14 to 25, 2012. The Bonn climate conference is the first occasion for 195 parties to the UNFCCC to assess and to continue to implement the results from the Durban conference. “Durban was a ... Read More »

After two weeks of climate talks in Durban, South Africa, a deal was reached to negotiate a comprehensive climate agreement by 2015 and if ratified, have it come into force by 2020. Other goals, such as building upon the Cancun Agreement, were also accomplished. Despite these developments, there is criticism that the Durban Platform is delaying action that needs to ... Read More »

Australia’s parliament has passed bills allowing the creation of carbon credits from farmland and forests, known as the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI). Reuters reports that the CFI is a world first, creating a comprehensive national scheme to regulate carbon from forestry and agriculture. The CFI is also important as an important component of a broader package of climate laws and ... Read More »