A New Era? Private Sector Leadership in Environmental Law

About this episode

The episode explores the evolving landscape of environmental law, focusing on the role of private governance amid regulatory challenges.

Is environmental law entering a new era—one defined not just by regulation and litigation, but also by implementation, incentives, and private-public partnerships? In this episode of People, Places, Planet , host Sebastian Duque Rios is joined by Roger Martella (Chief Corporate Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer at GE Vernova), Mike Vandenbergh (Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University), and Linda Breggin (Senior Attorney at the Environmental Law Institute) to examine how climate and environmental governance is evolving amid political gridlock and regulatory uncertainty. Building on Martella’s 2024 law review article , the panel traces three eras of environmental law and explores the growing role of private environmental governance—driven by corporate investment, supply chains, investor pressure, and accountability to employees and customers. They discuss the risks and realities of greenwashing, what this shift means for environmental professionals, and how large-scale capital deployment is shaping the energy transition and climate action today. Join us for a forward-looking conversation for environmental professionals navigating the future of environmental law and policy. A…

People in this episode

Host: Sebastian Duque Rios

Guests: Roger Martella, Mike Vandenbergh, Linda Breggin

Topics covered

• environmental law
• private sector leadership
• climate governance
• public-private partnerships

Keywords

• greenwashing
• climate action
• energy transition

Mentioned in this episode

Products: GE Vernova

Books & works: People, Places, Planet

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