Clean hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in the energy transition by serving as a carbon-free form of energy storage and heat production. In real estate, hydrogen could provide heating, replace or supplement natural gas in many applications, or store excess rooftop solar power. The United Kingdom, United States and Japan are all homes to pilot projects attempting to scale out hydrogen for use in communities.
Though ESG has been around for a while, with roots that extend back to the environmental sustainability movement, the script for current ESG litigation and investigations is still being written. ESG efforts have expanded to include diversity within companies and an increased focus on compliance and governance within organizations. Regulatory oversight, especially from the SEC, has swiftly come to the fore to monitor those compliance efforts. As with many areas where the precise regulatory and enforcement regime is still coming into focus, it is crucial to recognize the importance of being both proactive and pragmatic.
Pillsbury colleagues Elina Teplinsky, Jorge Medina, Sidney Fowler, and Ashley Meredith discuss the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement of the release of a Notice of Intent (NOI) and Request for Information (RFI) describing and seeking feedback on its plan to implement the $6 billion Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) Program that is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
Construction contractors adjust to extreme changes in material prices, China expands real estate lending support to its larger cities, semiconductor demand becomes a gem for industrial real estate, and more.
The Biden administration’s Buy Clean Task Force turns its attention to sustainable construction materials, Florida Restaurateurs begin to use nonfungible tokens (NFTs), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will invest in hydrogen and nuclear technologies, and more.
A Florida home for sale offers a property deed via an NFT, nuclear power is projected to play an important role in the climate crisis, a Spanish real estate developer aims to set up an office in the the metaverse Decentraland, and more.
Habitat for Humanity builds the nation’s first 3D-printed house, the White House announces infrastructure spending plans for 2022, commercial real estate firms are left to determine their vaccination mandates, and more.
In a mixed decision for international investors, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) recently published a tribunal’s award finding that the Republic of Colombia breached its obligations under the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement when it blocked Eco Oro Minerals Corporation’s mining project in an effort to protect a high-altitude wetland known as the Santurbán Páramo but held that Colombia did not indirectly expropriate Eco Oro’s concession contract with the government pursuant to which Eco Oro’s investment was made because its actions were a legitimate exercise of Colombia’s right as sovereign state to protect its environment. ICSID arbitration, as its name implies, exclusively deals with international commercial disputes, where “investors” (as defined by applicable treaties and include both companies and individuals) submit claims under international treaties against foreign governments. The Eco Oro decision and its underlying analysis are not unique to investor-state arbitration and illustrate how domestic policy concerns, such as the protection of the environment, may result in States acting against the interests of foreign commercial investment.
Investment firms turn their attention towards acquiring digital land, China works to manage its real estate debt, the European Union announces a multibillion-euro infrastructure bill, and more.
Amenity-rich buildings become a key focus in enticing employees back into the office, supply chain links are strained by a lack of storage capacity in warehouses and port areas, green lease signings are on the uptick, and more.
Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog