November 6th and 13th, 2020
12th Annual Lesley K. McAllister Symposium on Climate and Energy Law
Two Webinars Focused on Climate Risk and Resilience: Lessons from COVID-19
Day One: Climate Equity
Day Two: Regulation in Times of Emergency and Disruption
The Twelfth Annual Lesley K. McAllister Symposium on Climate and Energy Law took place on November 6th and 13th, 2020. Academic and policy experts discussed what lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic can be applied to climate risk and resilience.
- Role of Government – What is the proper role of government and the private sector to prepare for climate risk? What legal impediments frustrate action? Does federalism help or hurt our ability to prepare for and respond to disasters? What can we learn from examples of how local, state and national governments and global institutions have responded to COVID-19?
- Investment and Insurance – How will climate change affect investment and insurance decisions? In particular, how will we address the built environment in the face of climate impacts? What are the legal issues around managed retreat? Is there an upside to investing in infrastructure, devices, and methods that enhance resilience? How is risk factored into today’s decisions?
- Equity - How will climate impacts affect vulnerable communities? Are there useful parallels between how COVID-19 has affected these populations and how they will be affected by climate impacts? How will climate impacts affect communities differently and does this warrant different adaptation and resilience strategies?
Welcome
- Scott Anders, Director, Energy Policy Initiatives Center, University of San Diego School of Law
Day One
Keynote
- Kate Gordon, Director of the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
- Moderator: Timothy Duane, Professor in Residence, University of San Diego School of Law
Climate Equity
- Moderator: Nilmini Silva-Send, Assistant Director, Energy Policy Initiatives Center, and Adjunct Professor, University of San Diego School of Law
- Deborah Behles, California Environmental Justice Alliance
- Martha Guzman-Aceves, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
- Cinnamon Piñon Carlarne, Associate Dean for Faculty and Intellectual Life, Alumni Society Designated Professor of Law, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
Day Two
Keynote
- Cliff Rechtschaffen, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
- Moderator: Scott Anders, Director, Energy Policy Initiatives Center, University of San Diego School of Law
Regulation in Times of Emergencies and Disruptions
- Moderator: Andrew McAllister, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
- Victor Flatt, Dwight Olds Chair in Law, Faculty Director of the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources (EENR) Center, University of Houston Law Center
- Catherine Banet, Associate Professor, Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law, University of Oslo
- Carla Peterman, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Regulatory Affairs, Southern California Edison
- Katy Morsony, Staff Attorney, The Utility Reform Network (TURN)