On August 29, 2019, Emmett Institute faculty members William Boyd, Ann Carlson, James Salzman, Harjot Kaur, Cara Horowitz submitted a comment letter to California Air Resources Board in support of the proposed Updated Tropical Forest Standard. In a previous letter commenting on the original proposed Standard, the authors concluded that approving this Standard presents an opportunity for CARB (and California) to help lead the global fight against tropical deforestation.
On September 25, 2019, Sean Hecht testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on the challenges facing the Coast Guard, our ports, and other public agencies as they try to make sure our coastal infrastructure is resilient to emerging risks relating to coastal change.
A video recording is archived on the subcommittee's YouTube channel.
In recent years, municipalities throughout California have struggled to meet housing needs, and construction of new housing units in the state has not kept apace of demand, resulting in increased housing costs that rank among the highest in the nation. At the same time, California faces pressure to achieve ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals in the relatively near term. Meeting those goals will require significant decreases in transportation sector emissions, which represent about 40 percent of the state’s GHG emissions.
On November 25, 2019, Emmett Institute faculty members Sean Hecht and Harjot Kaur submitted a comment letter to the Environmental Protection Agency in response to the Proposed Policy Amendments 2012 and 2016 New Source Performance Standards for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry (the "Proposed Rule").
The insurance sector will play an increasingly important role in managing the new and evolving risks that climate change poses for California residents, businesses, and governments. While state leaders pursue policies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience, insurers have the opportunity to address climate-related risks through innovation across their risk management, underwriting, and investment activities.
On December 17, 2019, Sean Hecht and Benjamin Harris of the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic submitted comments on behalf of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust to the Los Angeles City Attorney, conveying support for an ordinance establishing a health and safety buffer around oil and gas operations in the City of Los Angeles.
On March 23, 2020, Sean Hecht, Co-Director of the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic, wrote to Los Angeles city leaders to request that the city take immediate action to address the impact of COVID-19 and the city and state “Safer At Home” orders on public participation in planning processes in the city.
On December 26, 2019, Cara Horowitz and Julia Stein, counsel for amici California CEQA and climate policy experts, filed an amicus brief to the Court of Appeal of the State of California in a case concerning the World Logistics Center, a proposed 40 million square foot warehouse development in Moreno Valley, CA, that is estimated to draw 70,000 truck trips per day at full buildout.
Inefficient regulatory policies and poor construction management have caused the overall expenses and the duration of major public transit projects in California to climb at an alarming rate. This paper, the sixth in the Emmett Institute's Pritzker Brief series, examines some of the causes of planning and construction delays, identifies flaws in current construction policy and offers steps to be taken in order to prioritize public health and safety.
The California Coastal Commission is a state agency whose mission is to preserve and manage the state's coast. Its decisions regarding planning and development implement core state policies and determine individual legal rights. Both the perception and the reality of a fair, just, and accessible process is crucial to maintaining public confidence in the Commission's decision-making.