273.74 sec. 001 - California Climate Law and Policy (Fall 2024)
Instructor: Louise Bedsworth
Instructor: Cliff Rechtschaffen
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Units: 2
Grading Designation: Graded
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
M 6:25 PM - 8:15 PM
Location: Law 141
From August 19, 2024
To December 02, 2024
Course End: December 02, 2024
Class Number: 32587
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 10
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 24
As of: 05/15 11:57 PM
This course examines the legal and policy tools that have made California a global leader in addressing global climate change. The course will begin with California’s unique legal authority under the Clean Air Act which has enabled the state to lay the groundwork for its climate change laws and policies. We will look at the state’s legal framework, including Assembly Bill (AB) 32 and subsequent laws that establish economy-wide greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and laws that have established targets for the energy sector, land use, and other emission sources. We will also cover the state’s climate change assessment process, sectoral regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, market-based mechanisms, sustainable land use, environmental justice, and adaptation and resilience
Louise Bedsworth is the Executive Director at the Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment (CLEE) at Berkeley Law, where she also serves as a Senior Advisor to the California China Climate Institute. Before joining CLEE, she spent nearly a decade working for the State of California, most recently as the Executive Director of the Strategic Growth Council, a Cabinet-level State institution that brings together multiple agencies and departments to support sustainable communities emphasizing strong economies, social equity, and environmental stewardship. While with the State, Louise also served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Planning and Research in Governor Jerry Brown’s office. Louise has also held positions at the Public Policy Institute of California, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Redefining Progress, and the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis. Louise received a B.S. in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering and Ph.D. in Energy and Resources, both from the University of California at Berkeley.
Cliff Rechtschaffen currently is a board member on the California Air Resources Board. He was a commissioner on the California Public Utilities Commission from 2017-2023, where he was the lead on a number of key decarbonization and clean energy proceedings, and instrumental in the adoption of the CPUC’s Environmental and Social Justice Action Plan. He was a senior policy advisor on climate, energy and environmental issues for Governor Jerry Brown from 2011 to 2017, and Attorney General Brown from 2007 to 2010. From 1997 to 2003, he was a full time professor and director of the environmental law program at Golden Gate Law School. There he also co-founded and co-directed Golden Gate’s Environmental Law & Justice Clinic. He worked in the Environment Section of the California Attorney General’s Office from 1986 to 1993. He has authored or co-authored several books and numerous articles on environmental law and policy, including casebooks on environmental justice and environmental enforcement, and a guide to common law remedies for protecting the environment.
Prerequisites:
None required, but the following taken previously or concurrently, are helpful: Climate Law; Pathways to Carbon Neutrality; Environmental Law & Policy; Energy Law & Policy
Exam Notes: (None) Class requires a series of papers, assignments, or presentations throughout the semester
Course Category: Environmental and Energy Law
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Books:
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