New Directions in Environmental Law

A Conference by the Yale Environmental Law Association
Honoree and Keynote Speaker:
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, RI
Opening Address: Mayor Toni Harp, New Haven

February 28, 2015
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT

Registration is now open!

Please join us for the Yale Environmental Law Association’s New Directions in Environmental Law Conference on February 28, 2015 at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies!

Convened against the backdrop of the People’s Climate March, the U.S.-China Climate Change and Clean Energy Commitment, and the upcoming COP 21 negotiations in Paris, this year’s conference, Harnessing Momentum, will discuss ways we can channel energy to make 21st Century environmental solutions a reality. It will examine innovative solutions and how we can engage new communities to build promises and collaborations. Mayor Toni Harp will deliver the opening address, rooting the conversation in local communities, while U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse will deliver the keynote address, bringing the conversation to a national scale. In addition, the conference will take place in the lead up to Paris 2015, and will discuss cooperation across international lines.

Panel discussions will explore environmental communications—how do we reach and engage new communities and how can communications most effectively catalyze action on environmental policy?—and the U.S.-China Commitment—we made this commitment toreduce greenhouse gas emissions, now how do we get there?

Workshop sessions will cover a wide range of environmental issues, from climate change issues in Indian Country to international law. Other topics include environmental justice, energy transmission issues, and wildlife policy.

This year’s conference, entitled Harnessing Momentum, will be the fifth in our New Directions in Environmental Law series and will build on the energy we have created over the past four years. Our 2011 foundational conference, A Climate of Possibility, featured Georgetown Law professor Lisa Heinzerling as our keynote speaker and explored problems, challenges, and potential new directions in environmental law and policy. The 2012 conference, [Re]Claiming Accountability, featured California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols and examined the scope and dimensions of accountability and innovative legal mechanisms for achieving it. At the 2013 conference, Rolling Stone journalist Jeff Goodell discussed The Power of Voice, examining how media and social movements influence environmental law. And last year, Cape Wind CEO Jim Gordon discussed Breaking the Stalemate, investigating ways to speed up environmental progress in the most challenging environments.

All inquiries can be directed to Conference Chair Lynsey Gaudioso atlynsey.gaudioso@yale.edu.

NDEL 2015 Supporters

Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy
Kenneth Raisler