Insights

Shifting Gears, Driving Progress

The Biden administration is taking significant steps to address the climate impact of the transportation sector, including reversing the Trump administration's move that lowered the stringency of the federal greenhouse gas emissions standards.

Social Cost of Carbon Is a Case Study on Courts, Executive Orders

May-June 2021

The Biden administration’s use of executive orders to make policy and direct agencies has already come under attack.

Building Power in the Environmental Movement

Green 2.0 Blog

The environmental law field has been slow to diversify and there is widespread agreement that diversity is critical to providing high quality work that has a deep and lasting impact, so we set about to explore the best strategies for proactively addressing the disparity.

State of Play Reference Guide

State attorneys general brought or were otherwise involved in many legal challenges to regulations, policies and decisions made during the Trump administration by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Interior Department, the Energy Department and other executive branch agencies. Use the tabs at left to explore the status of these lawsuits and other issues, sorted by agency or department.

Follow the Leaders

The State Impact Center convened a group of state AGs and a representative of the administration to discuss the path forward on climate action; hear what they had to say, and learn more about our latest report.

Follow the Leaders: States Set Path to Accelerate U.S. Progress on Climate

Bold state leadership has been the primary source of progress in the United States' response to the climate crisis, and states will continue to play a critical role in a new era of climate action.

Bold Ambitions, Strong Foundations

Infrastructure week has finally arrived. If passed, President Biden's American Jobs Plan, a $2 trillion effort to simultaneously invest in the country’s infrastructure and combat climate change would be one of the largest domestic investments in the country since World War II.

Presidential Precedent and the Cost of Carbon

The Biden administration’s actions on social cost of greenhouse gases triggered a new lawsuit from conservative attorneys general, providing a useful chance to highlight this little-known tool and the court cases that have developed around it.

The Climate in Congress

In the midst of working on the COVID-19 relief package, Congress has also taken initial steps toward a legislative response to the climate crisis.

Electrifying Your FERC Work

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is going in exciting directions that all clean energy advocates need to know about.

Congress: Opportunities for Attorneys General in Environmental, Energy, and Climate Policy

With environmental, clean energy, and climate legislation gaining traction in Congress, there are many opportunities and avenues for state attorneys general to advance their priorities.

Disorder in the Courts — More Than Usual Transition Upheaval

March-April 2021

If past is prologue, as it often is in politics, the Obama-Trump transition can serve as a guide for what the new Biden administration can expect in its first few weeks and months.