John Dernbach

John Dernbach

Author on Sustainable Development and Climate Change Law

  • Bio
  • Publications
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • Contact
← Older posts

EPA’s Proposal to End Carbon Dioxide Regulation from Power Plants Violates the Clean Air Act and International Law

On September 17, 2026, EPA proposed to end regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, even though U.S. power plants are a larger source of emissions than any other country in the world except China, India, and Russia. A group of 21…

By John Dernbach • November 11, 2026

Pennsylvanians Demand Climate Action to Promote Economic Stability, Affordability, and Sustainability

  I am one of 13 individuals and four organizations to demand that Pennsylvania’s Environmental Quality Board (EQB) act decisively on a petition to develop the Stability and Affordability Via Emissions Reduction (SAVER) regulation, which…

By John Dernbach • February 5, 2026

Public Natural Resources, Common Property, and the Public Trust Doctrine

I have a new article addressing an important question of Pennsylvania constitutional public trust law that is also central to understanding the public trust doctrine and the role it plays and can continue to play in other states and countries to…

By John Dernbach • October 20, 2025

Future Forward: How Lawyers Can Embrace Sustainability

The April/May 2025 issue of the American Bar Association (ABA) Journal contains the best single article I’ve seen thus far on what lawyers can do to advance sustainability and address climate change.  The ABA has kindly granted me permission…

By John Dernbach • June 25, 2025

ABA Encourages Lawyers to Incorporate Sustainable Development into Law Practice

On August 5, 2024, the American Bar Association’s (ABA’s) House of Delegates (HOD) overwhelmingly approved Resolution 513, which reaffirms its longstanding support for sustainable development and emphasizes the importance of incorporating…

By John Dernbach • August 21, 2024

New Book Offers Expert Recommendations for a Sustainable United States

  As the global movement for social and environmental justice gains momentum, we are in need of grounded and implementable solutions. A new book co-edited by Scott Schang and me–Governing for Sustainability–provides just that. The book…

By John Dernbach • June 7, 2023

Curtin Winsor Award for Lifetime Achievement

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) recently honored me with its Curtin Winsor award for lifetime achievement. PEC is a nonprofit statewide organization that aims to protect and restore the natural and built environments through innovation…

By John Dernbach • December 18, 2022

Sustainability Essentials: A Leadership Guide for Lawyers

The American Bar Association has just published a short practical guide for lawyers who seek to build climate change and sustainable development work into their law practice, regardless of the practice area. The book, Sustainability Essentials: A…

By John Dernbach • December 8, 2022

PA Supreme Court: Accounting Required for Environmental Rights Amendment Trust Fund Money

In 2017 and 2021, the Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation (PEDF) obtained decisions from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that royalties and other money the state receives from oil and gas drilling in state forests must be used to…

By John Dernbach • August 17, 2022

Creation and the Environment: A Message for Earth Day

Much of my professional life is about law and policy concerning sustainable development and climate change.  But there is another dimension to healing the earth and improving human wellbeing that receives less attention.  “[U]nless there is…

By John Dernbach • May 1, 2022

← Older posts
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Copyright 2026 John Dernbach. Website by Factory 44