Climate Change Law & Policy

Williams Mullen attorneys counsel clients on the legal challenges and economic opportunities arising from the evolution of international and domestic climate change regulation. Our team has helped clients gain access to capital and private equity contributions; develop carbon risk management strategies; design, certify and implement carbon-reduction and offset projects; and participate in carbon markets around the world. Our experience includes:

Williams Mullen attorneys counsel clients on the legal challenges and economic opportunities arising from the evolution of international and domestic climate change regulation. Our team has helped clients gain access to capital and private equity contributions; develop carbon risk management strategies; design, certify and implement carbon-reduction and offset projects; and participate in carbon markets around the world. Our experience includes:

• Developing and constructing carbon emissions reduction and adaptation projects (including agreements for third-party project development and operation, public and private financing, and GHG emissions reduction certification and approval);
• Counseling public and private entities to understand how GHG emissions policy and market issues affect their organization;
• Negotiating the full array of emission reduction project agreements (project design documents, financing, construction, gas collection and destruction, etc);
• Consulting with U.S. congressional staff regarding GHG cap and trade legislation and regulation (ex. emissions performance standards, carbon offset criteria, methodologies);
• Counseling renewable energy owners/developers on intersection of state renewable portfolio standards (“RPS”) and carbon markets, eligibility qualifications under prevailing voluntary standards criteria;
• Advising and acting as project and transaction counsel to electric utilities and industrial manufacturers on energy efficiency upgrades, including green building standards, onsite cogeneration, smart metering and demand response, water use improvements, and waste stream management;
• Counseling Chinese government finance ministries and World Bank officials on RPS structures and sustainable environmental commodities;
• Serving as legal counsel reviewing project design documents for Clean Development Mechanism (“CDM”) offset projects under prevailing standards and protocols approved by CDM Board of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;
• Counseling large municipal utilities on renewable project leveraged lease financing, western state carbon markets, and applicable capital project tax incentives;
• Advising municipal port authorities on emissions reductions opportunities and additionality requirements relative to maritime transportation issues;
• Developing low-carbon solid waste management strategies for municipal energy production, consumption, supply and use;
• Collaborating with Mexican entities to develop carbon offset projects under the Kyoto Protocol’s CDM standards and criteria;
• Representing foreign chemicals manufacturers in U.S. international trade litigation on benefits received from implementation of carbon offset (CDM) projects in Brazil;
• Developing carbon risk disclosure standards for municipalities and counseling clients on participation in the Chicago Climate Exchange; and
• Participating in American Bar Association development of standard Emissions Reduction Purchase Agreement.