Events
More attention is being paid nationwide to reducing GHG emissions at the local level in land use pl anning. This path-breaking conference assembles experts from early adopter jurisdictions around the country, as well as leading Massachusetts land use professionals, to provide insights for attorneys, developers, planners, consultants and local governments on the best ways to respond to climate change concerns regarding development projects.
Boston, MA
12 - 13 Jan 2008
Who Should Attend
Attorneys, developers, planners, consultants and local government officials
Why Attend
Most of the efforts in the United States to limit greenhouse gas emissions in response to climate change have focused on electric power generation and transportation. As those efforts mature, more and more attention is being paid to land use planning and project review at the local level.
Massachusetts, California, Washington and Oregon have all adopted legislation or policies seeking to assess and regulate GHG emissions in private development and major governmental projects through their environmental review process. Massachusetts has adopted a policy requiring assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of major development projects under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, California has passed a landmark statute, AB 32, which requires local governments to consider global warming impacts as part of their planning processes, and the California Environmental Quality Act is being used as a tool to force analysis and mitigation of GHG impacts. There is a growing list of other pioneering efforts by local governments to reduce GHG emissions and require green buildings.
For this path-breaking conference, we have assembled experts from early adopter jurisdictions around the country, as well as leading Massachusetts land use professionals, to provide insights for attorneys, developers, planners, consultants and local governments. Hear about the factors that go into a successful regulatory program, the appropriate scope of project review in Massachusetts and other jurisdictions, municipal GHG reduction initiatives, and the best ways for developers to respond to climate change concerns regarding their projects.
You Will Learn About
- Federal, state and local climate change initiatives and required action
- How local project review fits into Massachusetts' GHG policy priorities
- Controlling sprawl to reduce vehicle miles traveled
- Preparing environmental impact review documents
- Designing and implementing green building programs
- Real estate development regulations for reducing carbon emissions
- Participation in carbon markets
- Investment opportunities to create offsets through carbon sequestration and emissions reductions
