During the 2020 Biden campaign, climate change was a priority issue. Consistent with that messaging, the administration is now plowing forward with urgent and sweeping climate mitigation policy proposals that will significantly impact the power, transportation, building, waste, and industrial sectors. Navigating the policy and regulatory implications for business models takes time, but the risks... Continue Reading →
Both local and state governments continue to pledge commitments to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. While aspirations are high and worthwhile, and even more are in fact needed, the details on how to meet those pledges have been scarce, confusing, and fraught with political hand-wringing. Indeed, the complexity of solving for climate change... Continue Reading →
We’re Big The design and construction industry in the US is big, totaling over 6% of the US GDP and around 12% of global GDP. In 2018 alone, $1.29 trillion was spent on construction, and more than 700,000 firms employed over 7 million people. And we are the largest consumer of raw materials of any... Continue Reading →
Schinnerer's Annual Large Firm Conference Highlights Keeping our policyholders informed about emerging risks is a priority for Schinnerer. In case you missed the announcement last month, we hosted our third annual Large Firm Conference in Denver to cover trends and best practices in the design and construction industry. Among the topics discussed were project delivery,... Continue Reading →
Although the federal government has been delaying or rescinding programs that address alternative energy sourcing and climate resiliency, the Department of Defense (DoD) is looking at ways to reduce energy usage and protect military installations from the effects of climate change. Last month, the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (Act) was signed into... Continue Reading →
This intriguing issue was recently addressed by attorneys Elena Mihaly, William Franczek, and Andrew P. Selman in an article published in the summer 2018 issue of the Journal of the American College of Construction Lawyers. Their article was also part of a larger study, Climate Adaptation and Liability: A Legal Primer and Workshop Summary Report.... Continue Reading →
As sea levels rise, design firms need to be aware of the relatively new concept of "resilient" buildings. While many firms will incorporate the principles of resilient design into their practices in the coming decade, doing so is not part of today’s standard of care. Resilient design recommendations are in response to studies that address... Continue Reading →
The World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) consists of national, international , and affiliated engineering societies around the world. The American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) is the U.S. representative to the WFEO. The WFEO’s Standing Committee on Engineering and the Environment (CEE) has completed a new WFEO Model Code of Practice dealing with the... Continue Reading →
On January 30, President Obama signed an executive order requiring that all federally funded construction projects take into account the flood risks linked to global warming. The standard is intended to affect new and rebuilt federally funded structures in and around floodplains and should create more opportunities for engineering firms. The goal of the new... Continue Reading →
