Andrew H. MacSkimming
Andrew counsels clients primarily on environmental regulatory and transactional matters, including climate change issues and greenhouse gas emissions trading transactions.
Andrew was legal counsel to Environment Canada, and advised on the drafting of industrial emissions regulations. Subsequently, he was a senior policy advisor in the Office of the Minister of the Environment. He has also been a research analyst for Natsource, the emissions trading firm.
Andrew has written on environmental disclosure requirements for North American companies and was a member of the International law Association's committee on Transnational Enforcement of Environmental law (TEEL).
- Vermont Law School, LL.M., Environmental Law, (magna cum laude), 2004
- McGill University, LL.B., Common Law, 2002
- McGill University, B.C.L., Civil Law, 2002
- McGill University, B.A., Political Science, (Honours), 1997
- Ontario, 2005
- Member (Canada), Transnational Enforcement of Environmental Law Committee, (2002-2005)
- Co-author, Final Federal Regulatory Framework For Industrial Greenhouse Gas Emissions, March 2008
- Co-author, Environmental Disclosure Requirements in the Securities Regulations and Financial Accounting Standards of Canada, Mexico and the United States, 2002
- Advised clients on environmental regulatory and transactional matters, including climate change issues and greenhouse gas emissions trading transactions
- Drafted and advised in respect of emissions trading transactions in the market for credits under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism
- Drafted and advised in respect of projects and transactions related to the Alberta offsets program and in the voluntary carbon sector
- Provided legal services in respect of corporate and contractual matters for companies working in the climate change and emissions trading field
- Advised Minister of the Environment on the design of a comprehensive and integrated regulatory plan for both air pollutants and greenhouse gases covering all major industrial, transportation, consumer and commercial product sectors
- Advised Minister of the Environment on the development of legislation for strengthening the federal government's capacity to regulate both GHGs and air pollutants
- Advised the Minister on the strengthening of federal environmental enforcement capacity, leading to the announcement in Budget 2007 of resources for hiring and training of over 100 new federal environmental enforcement officers
- Advised the Minister on all water issues, including negotiation of a draft Canada-Ontario agreement to protect the Great Lakes
- Advised the Minister on chemicals management, biodiversity, environmental assessment, review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, invasive species, the meteorological service, environmental litigation, and a wide range of legislative and political matters
- Co-counsel on drafting & advisory team for Reduction of Large Final Emitters' Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulations - General Provisions, setting out the framework for a system of tradable GHG emissions credits and sector-specific LFE emissions targets
- Lead counsel for electricity, steel and cement sector-specific LFE regulations
- Advised on relationship between NAFTA and WTO agreements and international and domestic emissions trading
- Part of intergovernmental working group and advisory team with respect to an equivalency agreement with the Province of Alberta related to GHG regulation
- Provided legal advice in diverse areas including securities and taxation aspects of tradable credits
- Provided advice on real property, administrative, contract and liability law challenges arising in relation to carbon offsets program
- Advised in respect of multilateral trade law negotiations affecting Environment Canada
