With the evidence now overwhelming that carbon pollution is driving climate change, leading experts are coming together with the Philadelphia area legal community on November 16 at the law firm of Drinker Biddle to focus on this important question: How can the legal community serve as a catalyst for action to address climate change?

Kicking off the discussion will be Jeffrey D. Sachs, the world-renowned economist, leader in sustainable development, and United Nations advisor, who will speak remotely from the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, where global leaders and experts will be discussing the next steps in implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement adopted last year.

The bestselling author and syndicated columnist Sachs has been called “probably the most important economist in the world,” by the New York Times.

Participants will hear from leading attorneys, state and federal government officials, and experts on energy and the environment on topics such as: the legal framework for addressing the challenge, the need for much stronger and quicker action, the economic case for action, legal and economic issues specific to Pennsylvania, and the ethical and philosophical argument for action by lawyers and others.

Megan Ceronsky, Special Assistant and Associate Counsel to the President, will speak on a panel discussing the the Clean Power Plan. John Quigley, Senior Fellow at Penn’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and former Secretary of Environmental Protection, will share unique insights over lunch into the challenge here in Pennsylvania.

The day will close with a hands-on discussion of what lawyers can do to spur action toward climate solutions.

“Attorneys have a vital role in responding to the threat of climate change,” said Steve Harvey, an attorney who founded A Call to the Bar: Lawyers for Common Sense on Climate Change. “We need to get beyond the politics and find sensible, decisive solutions so we can preserve the planet for ourselves and our children.”

The event will be held at the law firm of Drinker Biddle, One Logan Square, Ste. 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Please note that this is the new location, as the event was originally planned and announced for the Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania.

Attorneys are eligible to receive seven and a half CLE credits, including one ethics credit.

Sponsors of this special event include: Drinker Biddle, the Philadelphia Bar Association, PA Environmental Council, Lawyers for Common Sense On Climate Change, ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources and the Environmental Law Institute.

Click Here for registration and sponsorship information. Questions should be directed to Tara Phoenix at 215-238-6349 or by email to: tphoenix@philabar.org.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on Facebook.  Visit PEC’s Audio Room for the latest podcasts.  Click Here to receive regular updates from PEC.

NewsClips:

Trump Taps Climate-Change Skeptic To Oversee EPA Transition

Slate: Here’s What President Trump Will Mean For The Planet

Bloomberg: Trump Can’t Stop The Energy Revolution

Why Trump Probably Can’t Bring Back Coal Or Kill Renewables

Philly Climate Activists Criticize Plans For Oil Terminal

Op-Ed: Look To Appalachia For Solutions To Climate Change

Video: How Should PA Balance Energy Needs With Environmental Protection?

Op-Ed: U.S. Carbon Emissions Down To 1991 Levels

UN Report: Human Footprint Increasingly Visible In Climate

11/14/2016