Pace Environmental Law Review

It's hard to know exactly what to say about Rio, and perhaps much too early to assess its impact.  While no one seems to be declaring the conference a resounding success, some commentators argue that it was a useful undertaking with good results, especially in the...

On June 26, the D.C. Circuit issued its opinion in Coalition for Responsible Regulation, Inc. v. EPA, which upheld EPA’s regulations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) as pollutants.  Many insurance companies believe that this ruling will aid them in defending against...

The preliminary work of the conference came to a conclusion Tuesday and the UNCSD has begun.  The signs are obvious -- traffic is even more snarled, the police presence more pronounced, red bereted soldiers with automatic weapons patrol Copacabana beach, black cars...

Dean Emeritus Richard Ottinger comments on an announcement from the UN Secretary-General's Sustainable Energy for All initiative, which will be holding a High Level Side Event today: It is very encouraging to see that countries are making significant new contributions...

Dr. Catherine Tinker is a friend and former adjunct professor of Pace Law School.  She directed the first grants for Pace's Brazil exchange program, and participated in the historic 1992 Earth Summit. She has also taught international environmental law and other...

The United Nations Environment Programme recently released its fifth Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), a report on world progress towards the environmental aspects of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For those who lack the time to absorb all 525 pages of...

Green Planet (Planeta Verde)/Jurists’ Conference, held at the Rio Supreme Court on the 16th and 17th On June 16th, Bakary Kante of UNEP exalted the role played by the environment on sustainable development, arguing that the environment is not just one of three pillars...

Brazilian lawyer Lia Helena Monteiro de Lima Demange holds an LL.M. degree from Pace Law School.  This is her report from the World Meeting of Environmental Jurists, held at the Rio Botanical Garden on June 15. There was a ubiquitous feeling among the jurists that no...

At 2:30 am on Tuesday morning, the Brazilian delegation announced that the text had been finalized and would be presented in the coming hours. At midday, the plenary agreed on the text ad ref and we have now passed it on to our leaders for the forthcoming UNCSD. While...

Professor Ann Powers reports: The final "Brazilian" draft will serve as a basis for negotiations when the formal UN Conference on Sustainable Development begins tomorrow.  Reactions from the stakeholders groups remain diverse. Pleas see the draft located below: The...