Guarini Center

Urban Agriculture in New York City: Assessing Options for Expansion
2021-03-31 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual Webinar
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the value of urban agriculture, especially that produced in community gardens, as many New Yorkers faced increased food insecurity and nearly all sought refuge in outdoor spaces. Yet, despite the great value of urban agriculture, New York City lacks a comprehensive plan to promote it and many community gardens are under threat. At this upcoming event, speakers will assess the state of urban agriculture in New York City and policies that should be developed to help it thrive.
Speakers:
Nicole Baum, Director of Business Development and Partnerships, Gotham Greens
Aziz Dehkan, Executive Director, New York City Community Gardens Coalition
Iyeshima Harris, Program Director, East New York Farms!
Surbhi Sarang, Associate Attorney, Earthjustice
Rick Elbaum (LLM ’20), Board Member, Scenic Hudson (moderator)

Land Use Planning in the Next Mayoral Administration: A Look at Proposed Reforms
2021-04-15 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual Webinar
Though often overlooked, New York City’s land use policies fundamentally impact the City’s economy, environmental footprint, and the quality of life for its 8 million plus inhabitants. The City Council has recently introduced a proposal to make sweeping changes to the City’s land use planning processes, including moving towards a more centralized approach. Advocates have called for a variety of further changes to be made including reforming the way the City reviews the environmental impacts of proposed rezonings and major development projects. At this upcoming event, stakeholders with varying vantage points will discuss the merits of these different proposals and the decisions that the next mayoral administration will need to make.

Speakers:
Elena Conte, Senior Fellow, Pratt Center for Community Development
Bruno Daniel Garcia, Coalition Strategist, Communities Resist Inc.
Noah Kazis, Legal Fellow, NYU Furman Center
Eric Kober, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
Marcel Negret, Senior Planner, Regional Plan Association
Spencer Williams, Director of Advocacy, Municipal Arts Society
Adalene Minelli, Legal Fellow, NYU Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law (Moderator)

This event has been made possible through the generous support of the New York Community Trust.

Pathways to Grid Decarbonization: The Generator’s Perspective
2021-06-09 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual Webinar
Last month, the Biden Administration announced a target for the US to reduce emissions by 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 and to completely decarbonize the electricity grid by 2035. Achieving these targets will require many generators to make sweeping and rapid changes. At this upcoming event, industry experts will share their reactions to the policy shift including their views on the challenges and opportunities for achieving the stated goals.
Register here.

Speakers:
Harold W. Bulger III, Counsel, White & Case
James Larocque, Managing Director, The Carlyle Group
Caleb Stephenson, Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations, Calpine Corp
Christina Scalzo, Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy, Vistra Energy
Michael Shenberg, ’85 Partner, White & Case (Moderator)

This event has been made possible through the generous support of White & Case.

Meatless Cities: A Workshop on How Cities Can Help Lead the Transition to a Plant-Forward Food System
2021-06-15 - 2021-06-16 | Virtual Webinar
By invitation only.
Reducing meat consumption can help to improve human health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as other forms of environmental damage, and limit the suffering of animals raised as livestock. Cities have an opportunity to help facilitate a societal transition towards a plant-forward food system, however, there are uncertainties about the limits of their authority to enact certain policies and open questions about the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches. This workshop will bring together academics, policymakers, industry professionals, and other experts to explore potential strategies that local governments can employ to reduce the consumption of meat within their jurisdictions.
During four sessions over the course of two days, this workshop will explore four types of strategies that cities may turn to: economic incentives, informational policies, procurements policies, and bans, boycotts, and divestments. Attendees may elect to join any one or more of these sessions.
This workshop will take place virtually via Zoom. Please refer to this page for any updates.

Day 1 | June 15, 2021
12:00 – 12:30 PM
Introductory Panel – Breaking Down the Arguments for Limiting Meat Consumption
There are a myriad of environmental, ethical, and health reasons for why cities may be interested in reducing their meat consumption. This opening panel will introduce the project and set the stage for the upcoming discussions by outlining arguments for limiting our meat consumption and explaining why we believe it’s essential to consider the scope of cities’ authority to encourage a shift towards plant-based diets.
Speakers:

Jeff Sebo, Clinical Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, NYU
Katrina Wyman, Sarah Herring Sorin Professor of Law, NYU

12:30 – 1:30 PM
Session 1: Exploring Strategies for Local Action Part I – Economic Incentives
Moderator: Katrina Wyman, Sarah Herring Sorin Professor of Law, NYU
While no cities or states in the United States have implemented a “meat tax” or other similar charges, several other countries, including Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, have considered introducing such measures, and some recent academic literature has presented them as effective options for reducing meat consumption. This panel will discuss the potential for introducing economic incentives to influence consumer choices by altering the price of meat, as well as some of the concerns and challenges associated with such incentives.

Background Materials

1:30 – 2:30 PM
Session 2: Exploring Strategies for Local Action Part II – Informational Policies
Moderator: Danielle Spiegel-Feld, Executive Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy, and Land Use Law, NYU
Cities around the world have introduced policies aimed at raising public awareness about the benefits of limiting meat consumption, including through Meatless Monday resolutions, labels, informational campaigns, and local climate action plans. This panel will discuss the introduction and effectiveness of these informational policies, and their potential for expansion.

Background Materials

Day 2 | June 16, 2021
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Session 3: Exploring Strategies for Local Action Part III – Procurement Policies
Moderator: Adalene Minelli, Legal Fellow, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy, and Land Use Law, NYU
Procurement policies aim to reduce the amount of meat and dairy products that a city purchases, and push for facilities to explore and provide alternative offerings. Many cities have already adopted the Good Food Purchasing Program or similar initiatives, and have introduced such policies in government buildings, schools, hospitals, and other institutions. This panel will discuss the proliferation and effectiveness of these procurement policies and other options for using procurement to effectively encourage a transition away from meat.

Background Materials

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Session 4: Exploring Strategies for Local Action Part IV – Bans, Boycotts & Divestments
Moderator: Jeff Sebo, Clinical Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, NYU
Although we have not yet seen any general bans on meat products, several cities have introduced targeted bans on certain types of animal products such as foie gras. Moreover, many cities have mandated emissions reductions, including food-related emissions, and some, such as NYC, have introduced resolutions to divest from agricultural industries for their role in accelerating climate change. This panel will explore the potential for bans, boycotts, and divestments in reducing meat and dairy consumption in cities, as well as some of their potential challenges.

Background Materials

This workshop is made possible by the generous support of The Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy.

Decarbonizing the Downstate Grid: Taking Stock of Progress
2021-09-23 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual Webinar
In 2019, New York State committed itself to decarbonizing the state’s electricity grid by 2040. This goal may be particularly difficult to meet in New York City, where fossil fuels presently supply most of the electricity that is available. At this upcoming event, experts from government, industry, and non-profits will discuss the challenges that officials face in decarbonizing the City’s electricity supply and the progress that has been made to date.
Register here.

Speakers:
Martine Hébert, Delegate General, Québec Government Office in New York
Susanne DesRoches, Deputy Director, Infrastructure & Energy, New York City Office of Resiliency and Sustainability
Cullen Howe, Senior Renewable Energy Advocate, Natural Resources Defense Council
Peter Rose, Director, Stakeholder Relations New York, Hydro-Québec
Anne Reynolds, Executive Director, Alliance for Clean Energy New York
Justin Gundlach, Senior Attorney, Institute for Policy Integrity

This event has been made possible through the generous support of the Québec Government Office in New York.

Towards Plant-Forward Diets: A Toolkit for Local Leadership
2021-10-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Webinar
As public awareness grows about the health, environmental and animal welfare benefits of reducing meat consumption, a number of cities around the United States have started to take action to encourage a shift towards plant-forward diets. With a new administration poised to take office in New York City, the time is ripe to take stock of these initiatives and consider what further measures New York City can and should adopt. At this upcoming panel discussion, experts from government, academia and NGOs will evaluate the progress that cities have made to date and discuss a potential agenda for advocates and government to pursue going forward.
Register here. Read our new policy brief on this issue here.

Speakers:
Rachel Atcheson, Assistant to the President, Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, Eric L. Adams
Nilang Gor, Founder, Cultivate Empathy for All; Senior Scientist, Process Development, Catalyst Biosciences
Danielle Spiegel-Feld, Executive Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law
Chloe Waterman, Senior Program Manager, Climate-Friendly Food Program, Friends of the Earth
Dan Zarrilli, Special Advisor, Climate & Sustainability, Columbia University

Moderated by:
Dale Jamieson, Professor of Environmental Studies and Philosophy, Affiliated Professor of Law, Affiliated Professor of Medical Ethics, New York University

This event has been made possible by the generous support of The Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy.

Small Group Discussion: Propertizing Environmental Attributes
2021-12-02 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Webinar
This event will bring together a small group of experts from academic, industry, and government to discuss Katrina Wyman & Adalene Minelli’s forthcoming article, Propertizing Environmental Attributes.
Check back to this event page for future updates and event-related materials.
By invitation only.

Unpacking the LL97 Carbon Trading Study
2021-12-14 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual Webinar
NYU just released the highly anticipated carbon trading study required by New York City’s Local Law 97. The study is the first comprehensive modelling assessment of the costs and benefits of this groundbreaking law, and of the feasibility of a potential carbon trading program for buildings.
Join Urban Green and the NYU study team for a deep dive on the findings, including that with the right design carbon trading can deliver deeper GHG and air pollution savings and greater investment in NYC buildings citywide and in environmental justice communities. Register here.

Speakers (in formation):
Chris Halfnight, Director of Policy, Urban Green Council (moderator)
Mary Jiang, Senior Analyst, HR&A Advisors
Kasparas Spokas, Associate, The Brattle Group
Danielle Spiegel-Feld, Executive Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law, NYU

This event is co-hosted by the Urban Green Council.

Private Equity and Energy Transition
2022-03-08 16:30 - 18:00 | Virtual Webinar
The decarbonization goals set by national governments and international alliances require massive capital, much of it to come from private funds. Private capital, however, does not get invested to achieve policy goals, it gets invested to earn returns. Our panel of experts will discuss the role and opportunities for private equity in the energy transition, the return expectations of investors, policies that facility (or impede) the flow of private capital, and the transition of legacy energy-focused private equity firms themselves in their investment strategies.

Moderator
Robert Seber, Partner, Vinson & Elkins LLP; Adjunct Professor, NYU School of Law

Panelists
Eliot C. Cotton, General Counsel, Decarbonization and Credit, Riverstone LLC
Diana Glassman, ESG Leader & Director-Engagement, EOS at Federated Hermes
Adam Klein, Partner & Head of Climate Strategies, Crestview Partners
Margaret E. Peloso, Lead Sustainability Partner, Vinson & Elkins
Tim Rebhorn, Managing Partner, EnCap Energy Transition

Register here.

This event has been made possible by the generous support of Vinson & Elkins LLP.

Next Generation Building Performance Regulation
2022-03-25 12:00 - 13:15 | Virtual Webinar
In late January, the Biden Administration announced the launch of a new “Building Performance Standards Coalition” of cities and states that are working to reduce buildings’ contribution to global change. If successful, the coalition could pave the way for a new wave of local building regulation. As cities and states embark on the process of designing new policies, it is critical to take stock of how early experiences with building performance standards in cities like New York City and Washington DC should inform the structure of the next generation of policies. At this upcoming event, experts with first-hand insight into the early building performance standards will share their advice for the policies to come.

Speakers:
Katrina Wyman (Introductory Remarks), Sarah Herring Sorin Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
Katie Bergfeld, Branch Chief, Building Performance & Enforcement, Data & Benchmarking Division, Department of Energy & Environment
Mark Chambers, Senior Director for Building Emissions and Community Resilience, Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President
Jasmine Graham, Energy Justice Policy Manager, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Frank Oswald, Building Commissioner, City of St. Louis, Missouri
Ben Silverman, Manager, Policy Design and Implementation, Institute for Market Transformation
Marc Zuluaga, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Cadence OneFive
Danielle Spiegel-Feld (Moderator), Executive Director, Frank J. Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law

Counting What We Consume: How Cities Can More Accurately Count Their Contributions to Climate Change
2022-03-30 12:00 - 13:15 | Virtual Webinar
When U.S. cities estimate the greenhouse gas emissions for which they are responsible, cities tend to focus on the emissions that come from activities within their borders and from generating electricity to meet local needs. This approach undercounts cities’ contributions to climate change because it leaves out the GHG emissions that come from the production of goods elsewhere that cities import for consumption or use in their borders, such as food and construction materials. This means that the existing local inventories of GHG emissions provide local policymakers – and residents – with a partial picture of how cities are contributing to climate change, and thus an incomplete basis for local climate mitigation policy.
The new mayoral administration in New York City has an opportunity to modernize the city’s approach to counting the city’s GHG emissions, and broaden climate policy, by incorporating estimates of GHG emissions from the city’s consumption of goods produced elsewhere. The administration also may have an incentive to update the city’s approach to inventorying local GHG emissions because the mayor stated during the campaign that the city should “track its emissions from food procurement and consumption.”
This panel will discuss the importance of updating local GHG inventories to include emissions from products imported into the city, and how local governments can estimate these emissions. Panelists will include people who have undertaken consumption based inventories for local governments, such as San Francisco, and supply-chain analyses of the GHG emissions from local government procurement on the west coast.

Panelists
Aaron Toneys is a Senior Associate at Good Company, which is based in Eugene, Oregon; he has conducted analyses of the GHG emissions associated with local government procurement as well as other sustainability analyses.
Dr. Chris Jones is Director of the CoolClimate Network at UC Berkeley, where he has led the development of increasingly sophisticated methodologies for undertaking consumption-based greenhouse gas accounting and completed such accountings for San Francisco.
Jonathan Rosenbloom is a Professor of Law at Vermont Law School who published a law review article in 2021 arguing that cities should undertake consumption-based inventories to provide an accurate picture of their contributions to climate change.
Lingxi Chenyang is Environmental Law Fellow at the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University; she has argued that climate mitigation policy should include reducing meat consumption.
Nilang Gor is a co-founder of Berkeley-based Cultivate Empathy for All and a board member of the California Plant-based Alliance.
Ross MacWhinney is a Senior Advisor at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice and an expert in greenhouse gas emissions accounting.

Equitable Electrification for New York City
2022-04-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Webinar
Electrification of building heating systems is expected to play a central role in New York City and New York State’s long-term efforts to decarbonize its building stock. From a climate perspective, this makes sense; buildings will not be able to dramatically reduce their carbon footprints without moving away from onsite combustion of fossil fuels for their heating. But to what extent is beneficial electrification of heating systems in multifamily housing in New York City likely to cause residential tenant utility costs to rise?
This roundtable will bring together experts and stakeholders to explore this issue from legal, economic, and engineering perspectives, focusing on whether electrification can raise energy costs for low- and moderate-income tenants and how vulnerable populations may be protected. Participants will have an opportunity to share their experiences and insights on this important issue, and to provide feedback on the Guarini Center’s findings on the legal protections and risks that currently exist for different classes of tenants, as well as potential paths forward.
This roundtable is hosted in partnership with WE ACT for Environmental Justice. Our work on this issue, including this event, is made possible by the generous support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
This roundtable will take place virtually via Zoom. Participation is by invitation only.
Please check back to this page for updates about this event.

Materials for Participants:
AGENDA
BACKGROUND & DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Agenda

2:00 – 2:10 | Welcome and Framing Remarks – An Introduction to the Project
Danielle Spiegel-Feld, Executive Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law; Adjunct Professor of Law, NYU School of Law
Sonal Jessel, Policy Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
2:10 – 2:55 | Setting the Stage – Preliminary Economic, Engineering, and Legal Perspectives
2:10 – 2:25 | Jason Block, Director, Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency, Steven Winter Associates
2:25 – 2:40 | Alexander Meeks, Director, HR&A Advisors
2:40 – 2:55 | Danielle Spiegel-Feld, Executive Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law; Adjunct Professor of Law, NYU School of Law
2:55 – 4:00 | Group Discussion
During this group session, participants will assess the study team’s preliminary findings regarding the extent to which low- and moderate-income households in New York City may be vulnerable to increases in utility expenses as their buildings electrify. Specific questions will explore the following themes:

What are the mechanisms through which electrification may impact tenant utility expenses?
What protections are in place to prohibit cost shifting towards LMI tenants and how well are these protections enforced? What additional protections might be developed?
How material are the risks that electrification could increase tenant utility costs in New York City?

Impact Fees: A New Direction for NYC?
2022-06-14 12:00 - 13:15 | Virtual Webinar
Impact fees are one-time charges imposed on new development as a condition of approval to offset the development’s impact on local infrastructure, services, and the environment. A revenue-raising tool, they are broadly based on the idea that new development should be responsible for paying for a share of the new or additional public infrastructure and services needed to support it, and for the costs the governments incurs in mitigating its adverse impacts on the environment.
Employed widely in other major U.S. cities, New York City does not have an official impact fee policy.
Facing numerous challenges in raising the revenue needed to support its growing population, some have called for the City to explore whether to adopt an impact fee program. Yet, there are open questions surrounding the city’s legal authority to charge impact fees, as well as whether they are an appropriate or viable policy choice.
At this upcoming event, a panel of experts will come together to explore these questions and share their perspectives on this issue.

PANELISTS
Eric Kober, Senior Fellow, The Manhattan Institute, former Director of Housing, Economic & Infrastructure Planning, NYC Department of City Planning
David Garcia, Policy Director, Terner Center for Housing Innovation at University of California, Berkeley
Louis Cholden-Brown, Senior Advisor & Special Counsel for Policy and Innovation, Office of NYC Comptroller Brad Lander
Spencer Williams, Director of Advocacy, The Municipal Art Society

MODERATOR
Adalene Minelli, Senior Fellow, Guarini Center

Register for the event here.

This event is made possible by the generous support of the New York Community Trust.

Electrification and the Inflation Reduction Act: Has the Calculus Changed?
2022-09-19 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual Webinar
Has the Inflation Reduction Act altered the costs and benefits of electrifying buildings in New York? For instance, will the IRA accelerate the decarbonization of the New York State grid? And will it materially reduce the cost of installing heat pumps?
With its slew of incentives for renewable energy and heat pumps, it seems very likely that the IRA has changed the economic and environmental calculus, but figuring out what the impact will be is a subject of much debate. At this upcoming event, experts from economics, law, and building science will help unpack the complexity to inform local decision-making.

PANELISTS
Charlotte Matthews, Head of Affordable Electrification, Google
Dale Bryk, Senior Attorney and Director of State & Regional Climate Policies, Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program
Dr. Sanem Sergici, Principal, Brattle
Jasmine Graham, New York Senior Policy & Campaign Manager, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Jason Block, Principal Mechanical Engineer, Cadence OneFive

MODERATOR
Katrina Wyman, Sarah Herring Sorin Professor of Law, NYU School of Law

Register for the event here.

Beyond Gas Bans: Expanding Local Strategies for Building Decarbonization and Energy Efficiency
2022-10-12 12:00 - 13:15 | Virtual Webinar
At the federal level, opportunities and incentives to decarbonize buildings expanded in 2022 due to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. However, many municipalities have seen their powers to steer building decarbonization curtailed in recent years. Notably, between 2020 and 2021, 20 states passed laws that limited local governments’ authority to regulate the installation or use of natural gas infrastructure, in the wake of the Berkeley, California’s pioneering 2019 ordinance banning the installation of natural gas infrastructure in most new buildings.
Join the Guarini Center for a conversation with building decarbonization experts to discuss climate- and public health-related policy options that municipalities and their partners can deploy to advance building decarbonization and energy efficiency, despite these state-level laws restricting local governments’ ability to manage natural gas infrastructure. This event will coincide with the Center’s publication of a new policy brief, Beyond Gas Bans: Alternative Pathways to Reduce Building Emissions in Light of State Preemption Laws.

PANELISTS
Alejandra Mejia Cunningham, Building Decarbonization Advocate, Climate & Clean Energy Program, NRDC
Justin Gundlach, Senior New York Regulatory Policy Manager, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Katrina Managan, Director of Buildings & Homes, Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, & Resiliency, City & County of Denver
Yu Ann Tan, Senior Associate, Carbon-Free Buildings, RMI

MODERATOR
Nathaniel Mattison, Legal Fellow, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law

Register for the event here.

The Guarini Center’s work on this issue, including this event, is made possible by the generous support of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Urban Biodiversity: A Transatlantic Dialogue on the Role of Cities in Promoting Global Biodiversity Goals
2022-11-02 18:00 - 20:00 | NYU School of Law, Snow Dining Room, 40 Washington Square South, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Though seemingly at odds with one another, a wide variety of living organisms and habitats exist in and around dense urban areas. With more than half of the world’s population now living in cities, and the urban footprint steadily growing, policymakers must think about how to protect the biodiversity that remains within urban areas and how to make our cities more hospitable to wildlife in the future.
Next month, the international community is scheduled to come together to discuss the future of the Convention on Biological Diversity. One of the key items that will be negotiated at the upcoming COP15 is the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. In advance of COP15, join the Guarini Center and the German Consulate General in New York for a conversation with experts from New York City and Berlin to discuss the role of local governments in implementing global biodiversity targets, including the ways in which cities can support biodiversity.

OPENING REMARKS
Bryce Rudyk, Director, International Environmental Law Program, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy & Land Use Law
PANELISTS
Dr. Georgina Cullman, Ecologist, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
Dr. Dustin R. Partridge, Director of Conservation & Science, NYC Audubon Society
Sandra Naumann, Senior Fellow, Coordinator of Biodiversity & Nature-based Solutions, Ecologic Institute
Wolfram von Heynitz, Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany New York
MODERATOR
Benji Jones, Senior Environmental Reporter, Vox

Networking reception sponsored by Deputy Consul General Wolfram von Heynitz to follow.

COVID-19 Policy. This event will be held in-person at NYU School of Law. Advance registration is required for all attendees. All non-NYU attendees will be required to provide proof at the door of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and boosted with an FDA-authorized or WHO-listed vaccine to be allowed entry into the event. Masks are not required.
Register here.

This event is made possible by the generous support of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany New York.

Small Island Developing States & Plastic Pollution: The Road Towards a Global Agreement on Plastics
2022-11-16 12:00 - 13:15 | Virtual Webinar
Plastic pollution has evolved into one of the greatest global threats to humankind and the environment. While its impacts on health, food security, livelihoods, economies, and the wider environment are experienced across the globe, small island developing states are experiencing these impacts on a disproportionate scale, due in part to their unique vulnerabilities and limited resources, and despite their relatively minor contribution to this global problem.
In late November, countries will come together for the first session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to begin developing a new global agreement on plastic pollution. Ahead of this historic meeting, join us for the first installment of our SIDS & Global Plastics Series to hear from a panel of experts on the impacts of plastic pollution on small island developing states, and the potential role that the new agreement can play in addressing them.

PANELISTS
Asha Challenger, Lead Negotiator, Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
David Vivas Eugui, Legal Officer, Trade, Environment, Climate Change & Sustainable Development Branch, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Dr. Alexandra Harrington, Chair, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, Agreement on Plastic Pollution Task Force
Jewel Batchasingh, Director, Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean)

MODERATOR
Saeed Hamid, Legal Fellow, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law at NYU School of Law

This event is made possible by the International Union for Conservation of Nature through the Plastic Waste Free Islands project, funded with generous support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Small Island Developing States & Plastic Pollution: Elements of a Global Plastics Agreement
2023-01-16 14:00 - 15:15 | Virtual Webinar
In late 2022, the international community convened in Punta del Este, Uruguay for the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to begin developing a new global agreement to end plastic pollution. This process has been largely guided by UNEA Resolution 5/14, which, among other things, broadly identifies provisions that must—at a minimum—be included in the final agreement or otherwise considered by the INC. But while there have been growing discussions around a number of common elements, the INC has yet to decide on the specific contents or structure of the new agreement.
Join us for the second installment of our SIDS & Global Plastics Series to hear from a panel of policy and legal experts who will share their insights on the outcomes of INC-1 and explore key issues surrounding the structure and elements of a new global plastics agreement, including potential implications for Small Island Developing States.

PANELISTS
Dr. Alexandra Harrington, Chair, Agreement on Plastic Pollution Task Force, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law
Andrea Volentras, Project Manager, Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Joan Yang, Senior Officer, Government Relations, Pew Charitable Trusts

MODERATOR
Bryce Rudyk, Director of International Environmental Law, Guarini Center; Adjunct Professor of Law, NYU School of Law

REGISTER HERE

This event is made possible by the International Union for Conservation of Nature through the Plastic Waste Free Islands project, funded with generous support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Global Sustainable Cities: Cities and Our Environmental Future
2023-01-23 16:00 - 17:30 | NYU Abu Dhabi Institute in New York, 19 Washington Square North, New York, NY, 10011, United States
Over half of the world’s population now lives in cities, and this share is expected to increase in the coming decades. With growing urbanization, cities and their residents face substantial environmental challenges such as higher temperatures, droughts, wildfires, and increased flooding. In response to these pressing challenges, some cities have begun to develop local environmental regulations that supplement national and environmental laws. Experts from around the globe take stock of the policies that leading cities in the global north and south are taking to lessen the impacts of climate change and secure a more sustainable urban future.
This program is timed to coincide with the release of Global Sustainable Cities: City Governments and Our Environmental Future, a new book that is a collaborative effort of NYU’s faculty in New York City and Abu Dhabi. The book includes first-hand accounts of recent environmental initiatives adopted by Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Delhi, London, New York, and Shanghai.

OPENING REMARKS
John Coughlin, Global Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies and Law, NYUAD

PANELISTS
Daniel Zarrilli, Special Advisor for Climate and Sustainability, Columbia University; former Chief Climate Policy Advisor to Mayor Bill de Blasio
Elena De Nictolis, Post-Doctoral Global Fellow, New York University School of Law
Harry den Hartog, Professor, Tongji University, Shanghai
Hu Tao, Director, Lakestone Institute for Sustainable Development
Wolfram von Heynitz, Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany New York

MODERATORS
Danielle Spiegel-Feld, Executive Director and Adjunct Professor of Law, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law, NYU School of Law
Katrina Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law

Journey to Net-Zero: The Role of Carbon Capture
2023-02-02 16:30 - 18:00 | NYU School of Law, Vanderbilt Hall, Faculty Library, 40 Washington Square South, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Net-Zero is not Zero. Public and private decarbonization initiatives incorporate carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS) into their pathways. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides significant tax benefits to permanent carbon sequestration and net zero pledges by corporations typically rely on some form of CCUS in the future. Yet CCUS technology is still in its infancy, the capital required to move the industry to scale is enormous, and sceptics perceive a lack of transparency and that its use could diminish ambitions to transition away from fossil fuels. Our panel of experts will discuss the status, prospects and challenges of CCUS.

PANELISTS
Adam Peltz, Director and Senior Attorney, Energy Transition, EDF
Alan Alexander, Partner, Vinson & Elkins LLP
Benjamin Dell, Managing Partner, Kimmeridge
Sasha Stashwick, Director, Industrial Policy, Climate & Clean Energy Program, NRDC

MODERATOR
Robert Seber, Partner, Vinson & Elkins LLP; Adjunct Professor, NYU School of Law

Networking reception sponsored by Vinson & Elkins LLP to follow.

CLE
This event has been approved for one New York State CLE credit in the category of Areas of Professional Practice. The credit is both transitional and non-transitional; it is appropriate for both experienced and newly admitted attorneys.

OUT-OF-STATE CLE
NYU School of Law is an accredited provider of CLE in New York State. If you are seeking CLE credit for a different state, we recommend you consult with your state’s CLE Board to ascertain regulations on reciprocity.

REGISTER HERE

This event has been made possible by the generous support of Vinson & Elkins LLP.

Organic Waste in NYC: A Conversation with DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch & Council Member Sandy Nurse
2023-03-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Webinar
Every year, New York City residents and businesses generate 1.8 million tons of organic waste, with nearly all of it ending up in landfills. In particular, organic waste, including food scraps, food-soiled paper, yard debris, is estimated to make up one-third of the waste collected from New York City residences each day.
To reduce the volume of organic waste sent to landfills, the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has recently announced that it will be phasing in a voluntary citywide curbside collection program to encourage residents to separate their organics from recyclables and other waste. Yet, others have called on the City to establish mandatory diversion, collection, and composting of organic waste.
In this webinar, DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Council Member Sandy Nurse discuss the status, challenges, and prospects of organic waste collection in New York City.

FEATURING
Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Department of Sanitation
Sandy Nurse, Council Member (District 37) & Chair of the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, New York City Council
MODERATED BY
Katrina Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law

This event is co-sponsored by the Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law and the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board

Counting What We Consume: A Conversation with NYC Chief Climate Officer Rohit Aggarwala and Food Policy Director Kate MacKenzie
2023-05-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Webinar
In April 2023, New York City launched its new integrated greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory for measuring local contributions to climate change. For the first time, the city is counting emissions from the food and other goods and services that New Yorkers consume. While buildings (35%) and transportation (21%) remain the top sources of local emissions, the new inventory reveals that food is the third major source of local emissions, accounting for 20% of city emissions. In announcing the results of the new inventory, Mayor Eric Adams committed to reducing carbon emissions from food purchases across city agencies by 33% by 2030. He also urged the private sector to reduce its food-based emissions by 25% in the same period.
In this webinar, Rohit Aggarwala, NYC’s Chief Climate Officer and Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, and Kate MacKenzie, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, will unpack the city’s new approach to inventorying GHG emissions and initiatives to reduce food-related emissions.

FEATURING
Rohit T. Aggarwala, Chief Climate Officer, New York City; Commissioner, NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Kate MacKenzie, Executive Director, NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy (MOFP)
MODERATED BY
Katrina Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law; Faculty Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law

REGISTER HERE

Co-Beneficial Adaptations: A Workshop on How Cities Can Integrate Wildlife into Local Climate Policy
2023-08-09 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual Webinar
By invitation only.
Rapid urbanization and climate change present complex challenges for cities. As urban centers continue to grow and climate risks worsen, it becomes essential for cities to adopt measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience. At the same time, many cities are thinking about how to protect the wide variety of living organisms and habitats that exist in and around dense urban areas. This presents an opportunity for cities to consider how local climate interventions might be adapted to provide co-benefits to urban wildlife and ecosystems. Indeed, experts increasingly accept that human, animal, and environmental health are intrinsically linked. By integrating the needs of urban wildlife and ecosystems into local climate policy, cities can create a more sustainable and harmonious future for all.
This workshop will bring together experts from a diverse range of fields to discuss policies, strategies and other measures that cities can employ to adapt their infrastructure and landscapes to respond to growing climate threats, while also making our urban spaces more hospitable to animals. The goal of this workshop is to identify a set of promising local interventions that have the potential to generate co-benefits for humans and nonhumans alike.
WORKSHOP MATERIALS
An agenda, discussion questions, and list of participants will be circulated in the coming weeks. Please refer to this page for updates.
ABOUT THIS PROJECT

This workshop is part of a collaborative project between a multi-disciplinary team of ethics, legal and medical experts from New York University, NYU School of Law, and NYU Grossman School of Medicine aimed at better understanding how cities and other local governments can include animal welfare considerations in their environmental policies and decision-making processes.

Climate Justice: A Transatlantic Dialogue
2023-09-18 14:00 - 17:30 | NYU School of Law, Greenberg Lounge, 40 Washington Square South, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Climate change remains one of the greatest threats facing our planet. And yet, its impacts are not experienced equally across the globe. Internationally, developing countries are among the most vulnerable to the effects of a drastically warming climate. Domestically, climate change disproportionately affects poor and marginalized communities, and exacerbates inequitable social conditions. In light of this reality, there have been growing calls for policymakers to consider the ethical, social, racial, and intergenerational dimensions of the climate problem.
This concept—broadly referred to as climate justice—calls for the just division and equitable distribution of the responsibilities to address climate change, and the burdens of mitigating its impacts. As policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders increasingly search for innovative solutions to address disparities in climate impacts, there is tremendous value in bringing together stakeholders from different jurisdictions to share their experiences and perspectives.
At this event, panels of experts will discuss progress, opportunities and challenges in advancing climate justice at international, federal and subnational levels.

AGENDA
PART 1
2:00 PM — Opening remarks by Carsten Rüpke
2:05 PM — Keynote address by Jennifer Morgan
2:25 PM — Remarks by Rob Bonta
2:30 PM — Panel 1: Climate Justice in International Law
Break
3:25 — 3:40 PM
PART 2
3:40 PM — Keynote address by Ali Zaidi
4:00 PM — Panel 2: Climate Justice in the United States and Germany
Reception
5:30 PM — Networking reception (drinks and light refreshments to be served)

KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Ali Zaidi, Assistant to the President & National Climate Advisor, White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy
Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action, Federal Foreign Office of Germany; Former Executive Director, Greenpeace International

ADDITIONAL REMARKS
Carsten Rüpke, Deputy Consul, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany
Rob Bonta, Attorney General, State of California

PANELISTS
Adriana Espinoza, Deputy Commissioner, Equity and Justice, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
César Rodríguez-Garavito, Professor of Clinical Law, NYU School of Law; Chair, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice
Julia Olson, Executive Director & Chief Legal Counsel, Our Children’s Trust
Kevin Chand, Legal Advisor, Permanent Mission of Vanuatu to the United Nations
Klaus Mindrup, Member, Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany (2013 – 2021); Chairman, Energiedialog 2050
Marianne Engelman Lado, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, US Environmental Protection Agency

MODERATORS
Bryce Rudyk, Director of International Environmental Law, Guarini Center; Adjunct Professor of Law, NYU School of Law
Katrina Wyman, Faculty Director, Guarini Center; Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law

CLE
This event has been approved for 3 New York State CLE credits in the category of Areas of Professional Practice. The credit is both transitional and non-transitional; it is appropriate for both experienced and newly admitted attorneys.
OUT-OF-STATE CLE
NYU School of Law is an accredited provider of CLE in New York State. If you are seeking CLE credit for a different state, we recommend you consult with your state’s CLE Board to ascertain regulations on reciprocity.
CLE MATERIALS

This event is co-sponsored by the Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law at New York University School of Law, the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the John Brademas Center of New York University, and is made possible through the generous support of the Transatlantic Climate Bridge. We are grateful for the additional assistance of NYU Abu Dhabi.

We’re proud to be a part of Climate Week NYC, an impactful gathering of minds dedicated to global climate action. As an event partner, we’re committed to driving positive change and fostering a healthier future for all. Join us in this crucial journey.

A Fireside Chat with Hon. Rowan D. Wilson, Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals
2023-10-25 18:00 - 19:15 | NYU School of Law, Vanderbilt Hall, Faculty Library, 40 Washington Square South, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Join us at New York University School of Law for a fireside chat with the Honorable Rowan D. Wilson, Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, which will feature a discussion of Nonhuman Rights Project, ex rel. Happy v. Breheny, a historic case that challenged the boundaries of nonhuman animal rights.
Before his appointment to Chief Judge in 2023, Judge Wilson served as an Associate Judge on the Court of Appeals, during which time the Court heard Nonhuman Rights Project, ex rel. Happy v. Breheny. The case concerned the question of whether Happy—an elephant that has lived in captivity at the Bronx Zoo for over 40 years—should be extended the right of habeas corpus, which entitles a person to a judicial determination on the lawfulness of their detention. The case marked the first time that the highest court of any English-speaking jurisdiction examined such a question.
While a majority of the Court ultimately rejected the argument that habeas corpus should be extended to nonhuman animals, two judges—including Judge Wilson—issued landmark dissenting opinions.
MODERATOR
Katrina Wyman, Faculty Director, Guarini Center; Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law
Whether an elephant (or other animal) is a ‘person’ is not relevant to determining whether the writ of habeas corpus can be used to challenge a confinement. All can agree that an elephant is not a member of the homo sapiens species. At the same time, an elephant is not a desk chair or an earthworm; the majority … offers that animals are not “the equivalent of ‘things’ or ‘objects’” … So the correct question becomes: given what we know about the qualities an elephant has—and in particular, the qualities Happy has—should the law afford her certain rights through habeas corpus? —Honorable Rowan D. Wilson
CLE
This event has been approved for 1 New York State CLE credits in the category of Areas of Professional Practice. The credit is both transitional and non-transitional; it is appropriate for both experienced and newly admitted attorneys.
OUT-OF-STATE CLE
NYU School of Law is an accredited provider of CLE in New York State. If you are seeking CLE credit for a different state, we recommend you consult with your state’s CLE Board to ascertain regulations on reciprocity.
REGISTRATION
This event is open to the general public. Advance registration is required for all attendees. Non-NYU visitors must be prepared to show security a valid government-issued photo ID for entry into the building.
Reception to follow.

Putting a Price on Carbon: Carbon Border Adjustments, Climate Change & International Trade
2024-01-25 18:00 - 19:15 | NYU School of Law, Vanderbilt Hall, Faculty Library, 40 Washington Square South, New York, NY, 10012, United States
In responding to the growing climate crisis, governments across the globe are deploying new and ambitious market-based policies aimed at driving down greenhouse gas emissions. A prime example is the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which began to take effect in fall 2023. It will price the carbon emissions of certain carbon-intensive imports into the EU, such as cement, steel, and some electricity, if the producing country does not have climate policies equivalent to the EU’s. CBAM aims to level the playing field for products produced in the EU, which already face a carbon price, and to prevent carbon leakage.
While CBAM could spur countries outside the EU to adopt more robust climate policies, it also might disadvantage industries in the Global South that export to the EU and prompt protectionist responses from others, which would harm international trade. There also are questions about whether CBAM is consistent with international trade rules. At this panel event, experts in trade, climate, and international economic law discuss CBAM’s implications for the United States and other countries, and the challenge of achieving a balance between climate action and international trade.

PANELISTS
Dr. Inu Manak, Fellow for Trade Policy, Council on Foreign Relations
Inu Manak is a fellow for trade policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). At CFR, she researches and writes on policy issues relevant to U.S. trade policy, including topics such trade politics and institutions, trade negotiations, and dispute settlement. An expert in international political economy, Dr. Manak’s research focuses on U.S. trade policy and the law and politics of the World Trade Organization.
Dr. Jesse Scott, Visiting Research Fellow, German Economic Research Institute DIW Berlin; Adjunct, Hertie School
Jesse Scott is an expert and global practitioner in strategy, policymaking, and stakeholder engagement on climate change and the clean and just energy transition. She has worked with international and national governments, business, philanthropy, and civil society non-profits. Her technical expertise, international experience, and networks encompass policy and convening across the OECD and the Global South.
Robert Howse, Lloyd C. Nelson Professor of International Law, NYU School of Law
Rob Howse teaches international economic law and legal and political philosophy at NYU. He was principal trade expert for the Renewable Energy and International Law Project, a consortium of Yale University, Climate Change Capital, & Baker McKenzie. He is the author or co-author of numerous studies & articles on climate change, renewable energy and international economic law. He has consulted on these issues to law firms, international intergovernmental organizations as well as NGOs.
MODERATOR
Katrina Wyman, Faculty Director, Guarini Center; Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law

CLE
This event has been approved for one New York State CLE credit in the category of Areas of Professional Practice. The credit is both transitional and non-transitional; it is appropriate for both experienced and newly admitted attorneys.
OUT-OF-STATE CLE
NYU School of Law is an accredited provider of CLE in New York State. If you are seeking CLE credit for a different state, we recommend you consult with your state’s CLE Board to ascertain regulations on reciprocity.
READING MATERIALS & INFORMATION FOR CLE SEEKERS

Inundation District: Film Screening & Discussion with Director David Abel
2024-02-29 17:30 - 20:00 | NYU School of Law, Tishman Auditorium, 40 Washington Square South, New York, NY, 10012, United States
New York University hosted a special screening of Inundation District, a film from Director and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, David Abel. Following the screening, David Abel joined us for a discussion and audience Q&A.
ABOUT THE FILM
In a time of rising seas and intensifying storms, one of the world’s wealthiest, most-educated cities made a fateful decision to spend billions of dollars erecting a new district along its coast — on landfill, at sea level. Unlike other places imperiled by climate change, this neighborhood of glass towers housing some of the world’s largest companies was built well after scientists began warning of the threats, including many at its renowned universities. The city, which already has more high-tide flooding than nearly any other in the United States, called its new quarter the Innovation District. But with seas rising inexorably, and at an accelerating rate, others are calling the neighborhood by a different name: Inundation District.
A production by The Boston Globe, the film premiered in the fall of 2023 as the closing night film of the GlobeDocs Film Festival.
Watch the trailer here.

SPONSORED BY

Sustainable Engineering Initiative

Financing Resiliency: The Opportunity for Stormwater Fees in New York City
2024-03-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Webinar
As our climate continues to change, New York City is facing increasing pressure to adapt to the challenges posed by excessive stormwater runoff. New infrastructure investments—including in green infrastructure such as parks, restored wetlands, green roofs, and rain gardens—can help the City respond to present and future climate impacts, including excess rainfall. Yet securing sustained (and sustainable) funding sources to fund these investments will be a challenge. In the stormwater context, the City has long depended on a sewer rate formula based on potable water consumption. However, a decades-long decline in water use potentially threatens the stability of this revenue source and raises ratepayer affordability concerns. One possible solution for addressing the City’s needs is to institute a stormwater fee, a type of service fee employed by many major jurisdictions around the country.
At this panel event, speakers discuss how the City could develop and implement a stormwater fee as part of its broader response to climate adaptation challenges.
For more background on this topic, see: The Legal Case for Stormwater Fees in New York City.

SPEAKERS
Emily Gallagher, Assemblymember, New York State Assembly
Emily Gallagher represents the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Williamsburg in the New York State Assembly. Since taking office in 2021, she has been an advocate and legislative sponsor for measures aimed at addressing economic inequality, access to affordable housing, and New York’s transition to renewable energy sources. In the Assembly, she is the primary sponsor of the Water Bill Fairness Act (Bill No. A4019), which would amend the state’s Public Authorities Law to authorize local water and sewer authorities to charge fees to recover the costs of managing stormwater runoff.
Jeffrey Seltzer, Deputy Director of Natural Resources Administration, Department of Energy and Environment, Washington DC
Jeff Seltzer is the Deputy Director at the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment, where he is responsible for programs that conserve, protect, and improve the water, soil, and living resources of the District of Columbia. Jeff is a Professional Civil Engineer with over thirty years of experience in environmental restoration and resource management in both the private and public sector.
Mike Dulong, Legal Program Director, Riverkeeper
Mike Dulong is the Legal Program Director at Riverkeeper, where he has been an attorney since 2012. At Riverkeeper, his work focuses on protecting New York City’s urban waters by working with community and local organizations to reduce polluted sewage and stormwater discharges, clean up toxic sites, and ensure sustainable waterfronts. He also works to protect the upstate drinking water sources of 9.5 million New York City and Hudson Valley residents to ensure healthy drinking water, while minimizing the impact of water supply operations on upstate communities.
Nathaniel Mattison (moderator), Legal Fellow, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law

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This event is made possible by the generous support of the Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation.

Wild Animals in Urban Spaces: How Cities Can Promote Wild Animal Welfare in the Built Environment
2024-04-03 11:00 - 12:15 | NYU School of Law, Furman Hall, Lester Pollack Colloquium, 245 Sullivan Street, New York, NY, 10012
Cities are often thought of as distinctly human environments. Yet, a wide variety of wild animals continue to make their homes in and around dense urban areas. Experts increasingly accept that human, animal, and environmental health are intrinsically linked. In this vein, cities have the opportunity to consider how they can adapt their built infrastructure to promote the wellbeing of the human as well as nonhuman residents that share these spaces.
This panel brings together experts in local policy, building sustainability, and wild animal welfare to discuss how cities and other local actors can shape their policies for land use and the built environment to better promote the welfare of wild animals. As part of the discussion, researchers from NYU present findings from a newly-released report that identifies promising policy options for cities to consider, ranging from bird-friendly building materials to green infrastructure design and prohibitions on gas leaf blowers.

SPEAKERS
Alexandra Silver, Director, New York City Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare
Alexandra Silver was appointed director of the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare by Mayor Eric Adams in July 2022. Silver previously worked at Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC), the city’s animal shelter provider, where she connected with other organizations, stakeholders, and elected officials, working to raise awareness about how all New Yorkers can make a difference for animals. She originally came to ACC as a volunteer, after working as a reporter at TIME. Passionate about animal welfare since childhood and a vegan since 2016, she shares her home with cats Lucas and Freddie Mercury, both adopted from ACC’s Manhattan center, as well as the occasional foster animal. Silver received her Bachelor of Arts degree in comparative literature from Princeton University.
Alisa White, Legal Fellow, Guarini Center
Alisa is a Legal Fellow at the Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy, and Land Use Law at New York University School of Law. She is a graduate of Yale Law School, Yale School of the Environment, and Dartmouth College. During law school, she co-founded Law Students for Climate Accountability. Her research on environmental law, policy, and economics has been published or is forthcoming in Ecology Law Quarterly, Environmental Law Reporter, Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, Energy, and PLOS One.
Cecil Scheib, Chief Sustainability Officer, NYU Office of Sustainability
Cecil returned to NYU as Chief Sustainability Officer in 2018, after five years as Chief Program Officer at Urban Green Council and Managing Director of the Building Resiliency Task Force for the City of New York. As Director of Energy and Sustainability at NYU from 2007 to 2012, Cecil was intimately involved in guiding NYU towards environmental excellence, leading efforts related to the co-gen plant, the Green Grants Program, 30% emissions reductions, greater solid waste diversion rates, weaving sustainability into procurement, and drafting NYU’s Climate Action Plan.
Dr. Mal Graham, Strategy Director, Wild Animal Initiative
Mal is the strategy director at Wild Animal Initiative, a nonprofit working to accelerate science that helps wild animals. They have worked with animals in shelter, veterinary, farm, and zoo environments, but it wasn’t until pursuing a doctorate focused on gap-crossing in flying snakes that they realized how little we know about the welfare of wild animals. Now, Mal works on helping other scientists interested in studying wild animal welfare get into the field.
Jeff Sebo (moderator), Co-Director of the Wild Animal Welfare Program & Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, New York University

SPONSORED BY
Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law at NYU School of Law
Wild Animal Welfare Program, New York University
Law, Ethics & Animals Program, Yale Law School
This event is made possible by the generous support of Marc Rindner.

Book Launch | More Equal than Others: Humans and the Rights of Other Animals
2024-06-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Virtual Webinar
At this event, Dr. Raffael Fasel discusses his new book, More Equal than Others: Humans and the Rights of Other Animals, with additional comments from professors César Rodríguez-Garavito, Jeremy Waldron & Mattias Kumm.

SYNOPSIS
Unprecedented demands have recently arrived at the doorstep of courts and parliaments the world over: nonhuman animals should receive some of the rights that have so far been reserved to human beings. This development has raised fundamental questions about the nature of legal rights, and who should have them.
More Equal Than Others: Humans and the Rights of Other Animals provides a sustained analysis of the fundamental rights of human and nonhuman animals to explore the issue of whether conferring fundamental legal rights to animals would undermine the equal status and rights of humans.
Raffael N. Fasel proposes an unorthodox but practical solution to this issue: the Species Membership Approach (SMA). According to the SMA, legal rights and similar entitlements should be granted to animals based on the species to which they belong, not their individual capacities. By pioneering an approach that focuses on species membership rather than individual capacities, the author demonstrates how fundamental legal rights can be extended to nonhuman animals without threatening the status and equal rights of humans.
This book examines the antithetical nature of the human rights and animal rights conceptions that have so far dominated the debate and demonstrates how a middle ground can be reached between these opposing conceptions. Informed by the forgotten history of animal and human rights in the French Enlightenment, More Equal Than Others radically reimagines the spectrum of fundamental rights conceptions.

SPEAKERS
Dr. Raffael Fasel (author), Fellow in Law, Jesus College, and Assistant Professor-elect in Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge
César Rodríguez-Garavito, Chair, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice; Director, Earth Rights Advocacy Clinic; Professor of Clinical Law, NYU School of Law
Jeremy Waldron, University Professor, NYU; Professor of Law, NYU School of Law
Mattias Kumm, Inge Rennert Professor of Law, NYU School of Law
Katrina Wyman (moderator), Faculty Director, Guarini Center; Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law

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