Sustainability Law Blog

Utah, Manitoba and British Columbia recently joined the five charter members (Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona and New Mexico) of the Western Climate Initiative, a now-international agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

Initiative members will continue to pursue their own states' greenhouse gas goals also, which may be more stringent than the WCI's collective goal. The regional plan calls for each WCI partner to update the others on its emissions inventories every two years. It also details the criteria for new partners to join the group, which turn on whether the new entrant is undertaking efforts comparable to the current partners' to address climate change.

By August 2008, the WCI also expects to have designed the framework for a cap-and-trade market for emissions credits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In such a market-based system, businesses that can reduce emissions more cheaply and more significantly could sell their emissions allowances to companies that are less efficient at, or are unable to cut, emissions. In theory, this market-centered system leads to the most cost-effective reductions.

Notably, the Republican governors of California and Utah are strong supporters of the plan. The next step? Several other states and provinces are considering joining, including the state of Sonora in Mexico.

Scientists suggest that the world by 2050 needs to reduce carbon emissions by a whopping 50 percent to 85 percent from current levels to stave off the dangers from climate change.

Posted by David J. Petersen, partner practicing in the Sustainability and Real Estate & Land Use Practice Groups.

As one of the original nine lawyers who joined Tonkon Torp when the firm was founded 30 years ago, I have always been attracted to the firm’s core values of leadership, client service and community involvement. These values remain a vital part of who we are today.

Doing business in one of the nation’s “greenest” states, we have a long track record of helping clients build and grow organizations based on sustainable principles and practices. That’s why I am especially pleased that our interdisciplinary Sustainability Practice Group has launched this blog. You’ll have the benefit of hearing a variety of legal perspectives about a variety of topics.

At Tonkon, sustainability has been at the forefront of our thinking as individuals and as a firm. Our internal Sustainability Committee, composed of partners, associates and staff members, establishes policy, educates and motivates lawyers and staff to implement and measure our own sustainable practices. These range from purchase of sustainable and recyclable supplies, equipment and services to our current testing of an electronic file management system that will minimize our use of paper and CDs for data storage.

Our lawyers and staff members also actively participate in sustainability-focused organizations such as Oregon Lawyers for a Sustainable Future, Oregon Natural Step Network and PDX Lounge. This is all by way of saying that we’re committed to the principles of sustainability and we consider it essential, when advising clients on their sustainability issues, that we understand and live those principles ourselves.

Enjoy the blog.

Post contributed by our managing partner Michael M. Morgan.