2023: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

A lot has happened this year, with political turmoil in the House of Representatives, indictments of Donald Trump and associates, and a close scrape with default on the national debt.  In the world of energy and environment, the picture has also been mixed, but with more good than bad.

The Good.

• California enacted two major laws requiring corporations to disclose their carbon emissions and financial risks relating to climate change. Similar regulations are under consideration at the SEC.
• The Inflation Reduction Act launched with billions of dollars for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and hydrogen power.
• EPA issued ambitious regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks, while green-lighting California’s authority to move even more quickly with emission cuts.
• The Supreme Court allowed lawsuits against major oil companies to return to state court, where they are more likely to get a fair hearing. The lawsuits claim that the oil companies deceived consumers, investors, and the public about the risks of climate change.
• The Supreme Court also eliminated a judicial restriction against state regulations that prevent harmful conduct outside their borders. This removes a possible threat to state climate and renewable energy laws.
• The Biden Administration continued its campaign to undo the over-100 environmental rollbacks of the Trump years.

The Bad.

• In one of its most anti-environmental rulings in history, the Supreme Court gutted federal protection for wetlands.
• 2023 was the hottest year since meteorological records began, with extreme weather events rocking the globe.
• Republican states continued their campaign to punish banks and investment funds that consider a company’s risks relating to climate change.
• After three weeks of turmoil, Republicans chose a climate denier as Speaker of the House in October.

The Ugly.

• The House GOP took the nation to the brink of default, seeking draconian budget cuts and rollbacks of environmental laws, but gained only minor tweaks relating to environmental impact statements.
• Climate-denier and accused-felon Donald Trump retained a strong lead for the Republican presidential nomination.

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