This book, published in March 2019 by the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C., was edited by Professors Michael Gerrard of Columbia Law School and and John Dernbach.  It identifies and analyzes more than a thousand legal tools that the federal government, state and local governments, and the private sector can employ to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050.  The book contains 35 chapters by 59 contributing authors on a wide variety of climate change topics.  A table of contents, with links to chapters that were also published as articles, is available here.

Legal Pathways also contains an index of recommendations by actor–for example, state legislatures or local governments.  Thus, all of the recommendations that apply to state legislatures, local governments, or other actors are available in one place, regardless of the chapter in which they originated.  This enables lawyers, decision makers, citizens, and others to more easily use the book and translate the recommendations in the book to action.

At a time when more and more people are wondering what we can do to fight climate change, this book provides a playbook for action.  There is not another book like it.  At the national launch of the book, former EPA Administrator Bill Reilly described it as “enormously consequential.”