Climate Change: Year in Review 2021

The global impact of our planet’s changing climate garnered significant attention in 2021. The United States rejoined the Paris Agreement at the beginning of the year and in November, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), world leaders made aggressive national carbon emissions reduction commitments. The industry responded with plans to meet national goals through increased investment in renewable energy resources (such as offshore wind and solar), new energy technologies that facilitate the commercialization of carbon capture and sequestration, and green hydrogen projects, as well as projects designed to electrify the transportation sector.

In the United States, President Biden made addressing climate change a key policy priority on Day One of his administration, focusing not only on carbon emission reductions but also on environmental justice in the development of new clean-energy projects. The administration has set about implementing its agenda through an “all of government” approach that enlists the support of administrative agencies that are releasing their own plans to address climate change.

Throughout 2021, Morgan Lewis lawyers studied and reported on global climate policy developments. Following is a summary of our thought leadership.

With the financial commitments to a clean-energy economy in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the United States stands ready to make significant advancements to combat climate change in 2022. Our team will continue to follow these developments and report on global climate policy and industry trends in the coming year.

• Race Around the World to Achieve Net Zero Energy Consumption
• Biden-Harris Administration’s “All of Government” Approach to Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Justice
• US Offshore Wind Is Under Sail, But Challenges Remain
• Nuclear Energy, the Key to Achieving Climate-Change Goals?
• Transportation Goals for Hitting Net Zero Emissions