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 »

In a decision released on July 17, 2012, Federal Court Justice Simon Noël held that the Federal Government’s decision to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol was not in violation of the rule of law, the principle of the separation of powers or the democratic principle. Justice Noël focused mainly on his holding that withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol did not violate the Kyoto Protocol Implementation ... 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 »

Travis will be speaking this Monday July 25 at the International Development Bank with Lara Gabriele, of Cleantech Law Partners . Travis and Laura Zizzo Co-Chair Cleantech Law Partners Canadian Group. Travis will be discussing voluntary carbon finance with a focus on international development in the Americas. Read More »

A Climate Law Q&A after the UNFCCC meetings in Cancun, Mexico. Read More »

Dec. 9 - Guardian reports secret proposal for new international treaty – developing countries outraged (From the Guardian) “Europe and a group of small island Pacific states have jointly proposed a new international treaty at the UN climate talks in Cancún, Mexico, to commit developing and developed countries to reducing their climate emissions, according to leaked documents seen by the Guardian and the ... Read More »

Today at the World Energy Congress I was struck by the clear statements from Pascal Lamy, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization. He emphasized that an international agreement on climate change should be our number one priority. He said we must attempt to get the disciplines right on the environmental issues and subsequently can deal with any trade problems ... Read More »