Guarini Center

Small Island Developing States & Plastic Pollution: Elements of a Global Plastics Agreement
2023-01-16 14:00 - 15:15 (America/New_York) | 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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Book Talk: Climate of Contempt
2024-09-17 18:00 - 19:15 | NYU School of Law, Furman Hall, Rm 216, NYU School of Law 245 Sullivan St, New York, NY, 10012, United States
The Guarini Center is pleased to invite you to a discussion of Climate of Contempt: How to Rescue the U.S. Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship, by David Spence. This is the first event in our Energy Transition Discussion Series in Fall 2024!
SPEAKERS
David Spence, Rex G. Baker Chair in Natural Resources Law in the School of Law and Professor of Business, Government & Society in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin
Jack Lienke, Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut, School of Law
Katrina M. Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law and Director, Environmental and Energy Law LLM Program

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
SYNOPSIS
Why is the United States struggling to enact policies to reduce carbon emissions? Conventional wisdom blames the wealthy and powerful, who wield disproportionate sway over politicians. David B. Spence argues that this top-down narrative misses a more important culprit-with critical consequences for climate and energy politics.
His bottom-up explanation pinpoints the roles of partisanship, polarization, and misinformation, showing how voter animosity holds back the energy transition by making compromise politically risky. Spence contends that cooperation is still possible but will require sustained person-to-person engagement across ideological and partisan boundaries.
Providing a timely and incisive understanding of the politics of the energy transition, Climate of Contempt suggests new paths forward and offers hope for a net-zero future.
REGISTRATION
This event is in-person only and is open to the general public. Advance registration is required. Register here.
Interested in more Climate Week events? Check out our full list of NYU Law climate events!

Climate Change and the Courts
2024-09-24 09:00 - 11:00 | NYU School of Law, D’Agostino Hall, Lipton Hall, 108 West 3rd Street, New York, NY, 10012, United States
As climate change litigation continues to rise in frequency and volume, environmental advocates, and state and local governments are driving innovative legal theories to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for greenhouse gas emissions and move climate policies forward through impact litigation. At the same time, the federal government’s ability to pursue affirmative climate policy has come under attack from litigants, and has faced setbacks after recent Supreme Court rulings.
This panel discussion will bring together changemakers in the climate litigation world, environmental advocates, and legal experts, to address recent trends in climate-related litigation in the United States—both offensive and defensive—and will offer perspectives on how governmental and nongovernmental actors can navigate the current litigation landscape to promote a sustainable and just future.
Coffee and breakfast refreshments to be served.

KEYNOTE
Charity Clark, Attorney General, State of Vermont
SPEAKERS
Kirti Datla, Director of Strategic Legal Advocacy, Earthjustice
Mat dos Santos, Co-Executive Director & General Counsel, Our Children’s Trust
Don Goodson, Deputy Director, Institute for Policy Integrity
MODERATORS
Christine Billy, Executive Director, 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 to offer two 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

WATCH THE VIDEO RECORDING

Interested in more Climate Week events? Check out our full list of NYU Law climate events!

SPONSORED BY
Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law at NYU School of Law
State Energy and Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law

From Forests to Farms: Tackling the Environmental and Social Impacts of Food Production in Brazil
2024-09-24 09:00 - 18:00 | NYU School of Law, Furman Hall, Lester Pollack Colloquium, 245 Sullivan Street, New York, NY, 10012
Food systems play a critical role in determining the future of forests around the world. Livestock farming and other forms of agriculture have also had a significant impact on the global climate change landscape. In Brazil, deforestation for pastures is one of the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions, and methane emissions from cattle digestion and animal waste decomposition further contribute to the problem. In addition to its climate and biodiversity impacts, food production in the Amazon is also linked to pervasive land grabbing and illegal deforestation, lending to corruption, fraud and laundering practices that harm indigenous peoples and local communities.
At this event, panels of experts and stakeholders will discuss ongoing challenges in addressing the environmental and social impacts of the Brazilian meat supply chain, as well as promising solutions for shifting food production in Brazil towards a more sustainable model.

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From Forests to Farms: Tackling the Environmental and Social Impacts of Food Production in Brazil
September 24
,
9:00 am
–
6:00 pm

Free

Food systems play a critical role in determining the future of forests around the world. Livestock farming and other forms of agriculture have also had a significant impact on the global climate change landscape. In Brazil, deforestation for pastures is one of the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions, and methane emissions from cattle digestion and animal waste decomposition further contribute to the problem. In addition to its climate and biodiversity impacts, food production in the Amazon is also linked to pervasive land grabbing and illegal deforestation, lending to corruption, fraud and laundering practices that harm Indigenous peoples and local communities.
As part of this day-long series of programs, panels of experts and stakeholders will discuss ongoing challenges in addressing the environmental and social impacts of the Brazilian meat supply chain, as well as promising solutions for shifting food production in Brazil towards a more sustainable model.

Program

PROGRAM 1 — Watching Brazil’s Food Systems: Traceability, Transparency & Integrity in the Meat Supply Chain
Produced by Transparency International Brazil
9:00 AM — Welcoming Address

Adalene Minelli, Senior Fellow, Guarini Center
Adalene is a Senior Fellow at the Guarini Center. Her current work and research focuses include local climate action, urban wild animals, and international environmental law and policy. In her time at the Guarini Center, Adalene has also worked on and led projects focusing on local food policy, land use, and providing capacity building assistance to the small island developing states in international treaty negotiations.

Alexandre Mansur, Project Director, O Mundo Que Queremos; Coordinator of Radar Verde
Alexandre Mansur is a journalist. He has worked for 30 years in mainstream media covering sustainability for outlets such as Jornal do Brasil, Veja magazine, and Época magazine. He writes for the Ideias Renováveis column in Exame magazine and for the Um Só Planeta portal of Grupo Globo. He is also a board member of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Instituto Energia e Meio Ambiente), Green Initiative (Iniciativa Verde), and the Pro-UCs Network (Rede Pró-UCs). He is currently the project director of Mundo Que Queremos and coordinator of Radar Verde.

Ketakandriana Rafitoson, Vice Chair, Transparency International
Dr Ketakandriana “Ke” Rafitoson is from Madagascar. She is a Malagasy anticorruption and pro-democracy activist and independent researcher. She is the Vice-Chair of Transparency International and served as the Executive Director of TI Madagascar from 2018 to 2024. Moreover, Ke co-founded several social movements in Madagascar and is the global Executive Director of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) – fighting for better governance of extractive industries. Ke is passionate about social justice and democracy.
9:15 AM — Presentation on Radar Verde & Panel A: Transparency & Traceability in the Brazilian Meat Supply Chain

Alexandre Mansur, Project Director, O Mundo Que Queremos; Coordinator of Radar Verde (moderator)
Alexandre Mansur is a journalist. He has worked for 30 years in mainstream media covering sustainability for outlets such as Jornal do Brasil, Veja magazine, and Época magazine. He writes for the Ideias Renováveis column in Exame magazine and for the Um Só Planeta portal of Grupo Globo. He is also a board member of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Instituto Energia e Meio Ambiente), Green Initiative (Iniciativa Verde), and the Pro-UCs Network (Rede Pró-UCs). He is currently the project director of Mundo Que Queremos and coordinator of Radar Verde.

Luisa Luz, Founder & Institutional Director, ILAJUC
Luísa Luz is a lawyer and historian who graduated from the University of São Paulo (USP). She has always worked in the nonprofit sector and specialized in social project management. She has worked on development and poverty eradication projects and is currently dedicated to promoting access to justice and collective rights as the Institutional Director of the Latin American Institute for Collective Justice (ILAJUC).

Rariany Monteiro, Public Sector Financial Specialist, WWF Brazil
Rariany Monteiro is an economist specializing in green finance, focusing on solutions that connect financial regulation to environmental preservation. With specializations from the London School of Economics (LSE), Financial Economic Project Modeling from FIPE/USP, and PMP certifications, Rariany is a leader in coordinating Brazil’s Sustainable Taxonomy through WWF-Brazil. Her work involves strategic partnerships with financial institutions to improve traceability and transparency in agricultural supply chains, ensuring that financing does not contribute to illegal deforestation.

Ritaumaria Pereira, Executive Director & Researcher, Imazon; Coordinator of Radar Verde (presenter)
Ritaumaria Pereira, the current Executive Director of the Amazon Institute of People and the Environment (Imazon), is a dedicated Brazilian researcher with a rich academic background. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Michigan State University, a Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the Federal University of Viçosa, and an Agronomic Engineering degree from the Federal University of Bahia. Beyond her role at Imazon, Pereira has also conducted post-doctoral research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since 2002, her research has focused on the Amazon, particularly on cattle ranching, agrarian reform, and economic development.
10:15 AM — Panel B: Countering Deforestation & Corruption in the Brazilian Amazon

Bruno Brandão, Executive Director, Transparency International Brazil (moderator)
Bruno Brandão is an economist from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Master in Public Management from the University of York (United Kingdom) and in International Relations from Barcelona Institute of International Studies (Spain). He has worked for Transparency International (TI) for over ten years, having experience in the organization’s Secretariat in Germany, coordinating the Climate Financing Integrity Program in Mexico and, since 2016, he has been the executive director of the organization’s Brazilian chapter.

Carlos Andrés Baquero-Díaz, Research Director, NYU TERRA Program, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice
Carlos Andrés Baquero-Díaz is the research director of the NYU TERRA Program at the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice. His research focuses on socio-environmental justice, property and environmental rights, and Indigenous peoples rights. Currently, he co-curates the More-Than-Human Life Project (MOTH) and the FORGE program, and serves as senior editor at Open Global Rights. He has taught classes on environmental law at Universidad de los Andes and currently is an adjunct professor on critical property and environmental rights at NYU Law School.

Giulia Bondi, Senior Forests Campaigner, Global Witness
Giulia Bondi holds 10 years’ experience in the NGO sector working on climate, environmental and human rights issues. Giulia is currently Senior Forests Campaigner at Global Witness, an international NGO that challenges abuses of power and campaigns against climate breakdown. Previously joining Global Witness, Giulia worked as climate justice and energy officer at CIDSE, an international development NGO, coordinating advocacy activities on topics such as agriculture, finance and human rights at several UN climate change negotiations (COPs), including COP21 in Paris. Giulia studied International Relations and holds a master’s degree in European policies – but she believes having received the best formation from engagement with grassroots communities.

Maria Laura Canineu, Deputy Director, Environment and Human Rights Division, Human Rights Watch
Maria Laura Canineu is the deputy director of the Environment and Human Rights division. Between 2013 and 2023, she served as the Brazil Director in the Americas Division at Human Rights Watch. Before joining Human Rights Watch, she directed a team of public lawyers, handling human rights issues. This included children’s, women’s, labor, LGBT and indigenous people’s rights, as well as health and education issues
COFFEE BREAK (11:15 – 11:30 AM)
PROGRAM 2 — Transforming Brazil’s Food Systems: Best Practices for Promoting Biodiversity and Combating Climate Change
11:30 AM — Panel Discussion

Grazielle Parenti, Latam Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, Syngenta
Grazielle Parenti has over 28 years of experience and high-profile participation in the Food and Agriculture Industry, having worked for BRF, Diageo, and Mondelez. She holds a Business B.A. from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (“FGV”), an MBA with emphasis in Marketing from FIA/USP, and a Graduate Degree in Public Policy from FGV. Up until July 2022, she was the Vice President of Global Institutional Relations and Sustainability for BRF and held the position of Council President of ABIA – Brazilian Association of the Food Industry –, as well as President of the BRF Institute, and Counselor in the Executive Council of Foreign Trade for the Ministry of Economy.

João Adrien, Head of ESG for Agriculture, Itaú-BBA
João Adrien is the Head of ESG at Agriculture Directory at Itau-BBA, the largest private investment bank in Brazil. João is an economist, specialized in public policies for sustainable agriculture and climate change agenda. Prior to this, he served as Special Adviser for the Socioenvironmental Agenda at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, as well as the Environmental Regularization Director at the Brazilian Forestry Service. João is also Vice President of the Brazilian Rural Society, an important farmer association, and he is a member of the Executive Group of the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forest and Agriculture.

John de la Parra, Director, Food Initiative, Rockefeller Foundation
John de la Parra, PhD, is the Director of the Global Food Portfolio at The Rockefeller Foundation, where he leads initiatives to create a more sustainable and nourishing food system. An ethnobotanist and plant chemist, he specializes in food crops and medicinal plants. He also lectures on ethnobotany and food innovation at Harvard and has held research and teaching positions at MIT, Tufts, and Northeastern University. His work is inspired by his upbringing on a farm in Alabama and his family’s roots in México and South America.

Salo Coslovsky, Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Public Service, NYU Wagner (moderator)
Salo Coslovsky is an Associate Professor at NYU, where he teaches courses in economic development and policy implementation. He holds a bachelor degree in Public Administration from FGV (Brazil), a master’s in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a PhD in Urban Studies from MIT. Since 2020 he has been a researcher with the Amazonia 2030 Project. Prof. Coslovsky writes a monthly column for O Estado de São Paulo and his research on forest-friendly products has been featured in multiple Brazilian and international outlets.
1:00 PM — Lunch Talk: Opportunities for Generating Carbon Credits by Brazilian Agribusiness
At this lunch talk, representatives from three Brazilian companies will come together to present cases from Brazilian farms that generate carbon credits, and discuss promising opportunities for developing new agricultural sources of carbon credits, such as fruits, coffee, cocoa, rubber trees, and other perennial plant-based agriculture. The group will also launch a public invite to contribute to this development. Food and beverages to be provided.
This lunch talk is generously sponsored by Citrosuco, Eccon Soluções Ambientais, and Reservas Votorantim. Vegan options available.

David Canassa, Executive Director, Reservas Votorantim
Mr. David Canassa holds the position of Executive Director at Reservas Votorantim, Votorantim’s pioneering platform for nature-based solutions. With more than 20 years dedicated to sustainability within Votorantim’s companies, he also serves as a member of São Paulo Board of Environmental Management. Mr. Canassa holds a Master’s degree in Energy Efficiency, as well as an MBA in Sustainability, Business Management and Environment.

Orlando Nastri, Head of ESG, Citrosuco
As Head of ESG at Citrosuco, the global leader in the citrus value chain, Orlando leads the ESG agenda across strategy, governance, performance, disclosure, and stakeholder engagement. He has over 10 years of experience in sustainability and social impact, working with diverse sectors such as mining, agribusiness, and building materials in Brazil, Europe, and the USA, applying agile and hybrid project management methods.

Yuri Rugai Marinho, CEO & Founder, Eccon Soluções Ambientais
Yuri is CEO at ECCON Soluções Ambientais with 20 years of experience in the environmental field. Yuri founded ECCON in 2014 and the company has become one of the leading environmental consultancies in Brazil. Holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Environmental Law from the Faculdade de Direito do Largo de São Francisco –University of São Paulo (USP). Consultant for the Waterloo Global Science Initiative (Canada) and Fellow of the Kinship Conservation Fellowship Program (United States).
COFFEE BREAK (2:00 – 3:00 PM)
PROGRAM 3 — Tackling Deforestation and Transforming Cattle Production in Brazil
Produced by the Nature Conservancy Brazil, IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative & the Tropical Forest Alliance

3:00 PM – 5:30 PM (in Portuguese and English with dual translation provided)
Keynote Address

Helder Barbalho, Governor of Pará, Brazil

Speakers

Caio Penido, President, Mato Gross Meat Institute
Carlos Ernesto Augustin, Special Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture, Brazil
Daan Wensing, CEO, IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative
Gabriel Azevedo, Chief Strategy Officer, IDB Invest
Julia Mangueira, Director for the Cerrado, The Nature Conservancy – Brazil
Maria Netto, Executive Director, Institute for Climate and Society
Mauro Lúcio Costa, Brazilian Cattle Rancher
Paula Caballero, Regional Managing Director for Latin America, The Nature Conservancy
Peng Ren, Program Manager, Overseas Investment, Trade and the Environment Program, Global Environmental Institute
Raul Protázio Romão, Secretary of Environment and Sustainability, Pará, Brazil

NYU Wagner Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment (SI3) Specialization
SPONSORED BY

Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law

NYU Wagner Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment (SI3) Specialization

O Mundo Que Queremos
DATE & TIME
September 24
,
9:00 am
–
6:00 pm

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NYU School of Law, Furman Hall, Lester Pollack Colloquium

245 Sullivan Street

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10012

Interested in more Climate Week events? Check out our full list of climate events happening at NYU Law.

New York City’s Electricity History and Future
2024-11-12 18:00 - 19:30 | NYU School of Law, Furman Hall, Rm 216, NYU School of Law 245 Sullivan St, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Please join the Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law for the next installment of our fall 2024 Energy Transition Discussion Series at NYU Law: “New York City’s Electricity History and Future.”
Did you know that the modern electricity grid was born in New York City in 1882? In this talk, Richard Miller, former Vice President for Energy and Environmental Law at Con Edison, will discuss the birth of the electricity grid in lower Manhattan and the roles of Thomas Edison, J.P. Morgan, and Nikola Tesla in creating the grid. He will also discuss how the creation of the electric grid resulted in New York’s adoption of some of the first laws regulating public utilities. Finally, this talk will discuss the implications of this history for the transition to a cleaner electricity grid and efforts to mitigate climate change. This event is in-person only and is open to the general public. Advanced registration is required.

Featured Speaker:
Richard Miller, former Vice President for Energy and Environmental Law at Con Edison; former Chief Energy Policy Advisor for NYC
Discussants:
Katrina Wyman, Faculty Director, Guarini Center; Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law
Christine Billy, Executive Director, Guarini Center; Adjunct Professor of Law, NYU School of Law

CLE
This event has been approved to offer 1.5 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.

Richard Miller served as Vice President for Energy and Environmental Law at Con Edison from 2018-2023. Prior to that, he was Director of the Energy Markets Policy Group at Con Edison, where his responsibilities included development of Company positions on federal energy policy, including Company positions at the New York Independent System Operator. He previously served as Senior Vice-President for Energy at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he oversaw City energy policy and served as the City’s Chief Energy Policy Advisor. He has written articles on law and energy policy that have been published in the Energy Law Journal and Public Utilities Fortnightly. He is co-chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Energy Committee and is on the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative. He is a graduate of Amherst College and New York University School of Law. He lives in New York City and uses a bicycle as his primary form of transportation.

RECORDING
Missed this event? Watch a recording of the program HERE.

NY Climate Policy in 2025 and Beyond
2025-02-06 18:00 - 19:30 | NYU School of Law, Furman Hall, Rm 216, NYU School of Law 245 Sullivan St, New York, NY, 10012, United States
After the results of the 2024 presidential election, states, cities, and other subnational actors are again coming to the forefront as climate policymakers. New York State and New York City are in the process of implementing key climate legislation and are making efforts toward a clean energy transition. However, operational, fiscal, legal, and political challenges threaten the speed and scale of the implementation of state and local climate policies, and the change in federal administration raises looming questions.
This moderated panel discussion will gather insights on the future of New York’s climate policies from multiple perspectives. We will explore key regulatory, legislative, and judicial proceedings to watch in the upcoming year and examine potential headwinds and opportunities for climate policymaking at the state and local levels.
This event is in-person only and is open to the general public. Advanced registration is required. REGISTER HERE.
CLE: This event has been approved to offer 1.5 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 appointed attorneys.
PROGRAM
KEYNOTE: Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA
SPEAKERS:

Lisa Garcia, Adjunct Professor of Law, NYU School of Law; former EPA Region 2 Administrator
Arturo Garcia-Costas, Program Director, New York Community Trust
Michael B. Gerrard, Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia Law School
Kathleen Schmid, Deputy Executive Director, NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
Eric Walker, Energy Justice Senior Policy Manager, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

MODERATORS:

Christine Billy, Executive Director, NYU Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law
Katrina Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law

REGISTER HERE

CHILDHOOD IN THE CLIMATE CRISIS: Centering Youth in Policy and Practice
2025-09-24 17:30 - 19:30 | NYU School of Law, D’Agostino Hall, Lipton Hall, 108 West 3rd Street, New York, NY, 10012, United States
Children experience the climate crisis in myriad and far-reaching ways, but they are rarely at the center of climate conversations. This panel discussion will bring together leaders in government, medicine, philanthropy, and mental health to explore children as both the subjects and agents of climate policymaking. We will discuss how the law should consider the unique ways that children experience the climate crisis, and how to include children’s perspectives in a broader set of policies in support of a healthy and sustainable future.
This event is in-person only and is open to the general public. Advanced registration is required. Register HERE.

PROGRAM
KEYNOTE: Elisa Morgera, UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights; Distinguished Professor of Global Environmental Law, University of Strathclyde Law School
PANELISTS:

Meredith McDermott, Chief Sustainability & Decarbonization Officer, NYC Public Schools
Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, Director, Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Ansje Miller, Executive Director, Health and Environmental Funders Network
Hava Chishti & Allison Su, Gen Z Cohort, Climate Mental Health Network

MODERATOR: Christine Billy, Executive Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law, NYU School of Law

CLE: This event has been approved to offer 1 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 appointed attorneys.

REGISTRATION:
Advanced registration is required. REGISTER HERE.

*The photos above depict portions of Kate Hartley’s North Creek Mosaic Project, printed with permission of the artist. From 2011 to 2020, Hartley developed this community art project in North Creek, NY. The mural incorporates artwork representing flora and fauna of the Adirondack region from local residents and volunteers. Local second graders, middle school and high school students participated each year for the 10 years of the project.

The Future of Environmental Conservation in New York State: Fireside Chat with Deborah Glick
2025-10-08 17:30 - 19:00 | NYU School of Law, Vanderbilt Hall, Room 214, 40 Washington Square S, New York, NY, 10012, United States
What is the role of state legislatures to lead on environmental policy? In this fireside chat with New York Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Conservation, we will explore the levers that the New York State legislature can utilize to take climate action, hold polluters accountable, and protect New York’s wildlife and natural resources.
This event is in-person only and is open to the general public. Advanced registration is required. REGISTER HERE.
This event has been approved to offer 1.5 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 appointed attorneys

PROGRAM
Featured speaker:
Deborah Glick, New York Assemblymember, Chair of Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation

Moderators:
Christine Billy, Executive Director, 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

About Assemblymember Deborah Glick:
As a representative of Lower Manhattan for over 30 years, Deborah Glick has been a strong advocate for civil rights, reproductive freedom, animals and environmental preservation, the arts, and tenants’ rights. Glick’s recent legislative accomplishments include the passage of the Reproductive Health Act, codifying Roe v. Wade in New York State law, for which she was the lead sponsor; a bill requiring courts to consider the best interest of a companion animal when determining custody of the pet during a divorce proceeding; the renewal of the Loft Law, which brings formerly commercial buildings up to residential code and protects current tenants, many of whom are artists, from eviction; and a bill authorizing New York City to expand a life-saving speed safety camera program, allowing speed safety cameras to be installed in hundreds of school zones, an initiative proven to significantly reduce traffic crashes near schools. Her current legislative priorities include the passage of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) and the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, which combined seek to advance waste reduction goals and address harms from single-use plastics and other waste materials affecting the health of New Yorkers and the environment. Glick chairs the New York Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation and also serves on the Ways and Means, Rules, and Governmental Operations Committees.
