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This paper reports on the results of a study of the relationship between the nonprofit sector and the pursuit of sustainability in 13 moderate sized US cities with populations between 400,000 and 600,000. Dividing the cities into two groups - those that have been more serious and less serious about adopting and implementing sustainability policies, analysis of a survey of local public officials examines differences in the nonprofit landscape. Analysis shows that the cities that are more serious about sustainability have local public officials who interact more with nonprofit organisations, and are more likely to report the presence of at least one nonprofit group that supports city sustainability policies. Additionally, these reported groups are more likely to be “local”, or homegrown, and to be explicitly dedicated to the environment or sustainability. While far from definitive, the results provide evidence that the nonprofit sector is different in cities with sustainability policies, and suggest that the role of these nonprofit groups in the governance decisions of city leaders warrants more in-depth study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The election of George W. Bush as U.S. president in 2000, as measured by the Iowa Electronic Market (IEM), was associated with an increase of 3% in the share price of firms that were being sued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is equal to approximately $100 billion of shareholder value. This finding is robust to a number of different specifications, controlling for other litigation, case law, and industry, and is not found in an otherwise similar sample of companies without litigation outstanding. It is suggested that the enforcement of environmental law is dependent on political pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information about the Karl Schmitz-Scholl Fund for Environmental Law and Policy and the Elizabeth Haub Foundation for Environmental Law and Policy in the U.S. The Karl Schmitz-Scholl Fund for Environmental Law and Policy was founded in 1968 by Elizabeth Haub in honor of her father's 100th birthday. The Elizabeth Haub Foundation (US) was established by Helga Haub in 1981 and its sister organization opened in Canada in 1996. Both organizations work in conjunction with international and national organizations throughout the world, such as The International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) and The IUCN-Environmental Law Programme (IUCN-ELP). They are also involved in the drafting of nearly all legally binding treaties on the environment and sustainable development.