ACS New York: Climate Constitutionalism Conference

Recent developments at the federal level specific to climate change, ranging from restrictions on EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions grounded in separation of powers concerns to the preemption of local electrification efforts, suggest a constitutional “drag” on mitigation. In contrast, expansions in environmental constitutionalism support, or have the potential to support, mitigation at the state level. In Held v. Montana, a state court invoked the environmental rights enshrined in Montana’s constitution to strike down a state law prohibiting consideration of climate impacts in environmental review and the Hawai’i Supreme Court invoked the Hawai’i Constitution to uphold denial of a biomass energy project with high emissions. The impacts of climate change will increasingly strain our democratic processes and institutions even as we rely on those processes and institutions to produce the rapid changes necessary for transformational mitigation and just adaptation. Federal and state constitutions must meet this moment if we are to emerge with a healthy climate and functioning democracy. Understanding what, precisely, that means and how it can be accomplished is the purpose of this conference.

For more information and to register, click here.