A New Era? Private Sector Leadership in Environmental Law

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 new era of environmental law? (05:04)From government-led action to private environmental governance (11:24)What this means for environmental practitioners and students (17:43)Private action in energy and the global climate strategy (21:06)Motivating private sector leadership (33:06)Supply chains as governance tools (36:26) ★ Support this podcast ★