The California High-Speed Rail Authority brought a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration and the heads of those agencies in the federal district court for the Eastern District of California challenging the termination of more than $4 billion in federal grant funding for the California high-speed rail program, which the complaint described as “a crucial part of California’s long-term strategic planning, not only to address critical transportation needs, but also greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, as well as to spur economic growth in California’s Central Valley and across the State.” The complaint asserted that termination of the Cooperative Agreements pursuant to which funding was awarded and de-obligation of funds awarded under them was arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.

California High-Speed Rail Authority's challenge to the termination of more than $4 billion in federal grant funding for the California high-speed rail program.

California High-Speed Rail Authority v. U.S. Department of Transportation

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Lawsuit Challenged Termination of $4 Billion in Federal Funding for California High-Speed Rail

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

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Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

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The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

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A ban is a legal action that prevents the sale or supply of a product or service, or that recalls a product from the market. Examples are bans on SF6, greenwashing, fossil fuel advertisement or single-use plastics.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Actions or measures to adapt terrestrial systems to climate change.

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Replacing technologies that burn fossil fuels directly with alternatives powered by electricity.

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Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

Fossil gas, commonly known as natural gas, is a fossil fuel consisting chiefly of methane with smaller amounts of other hydrocarbons and trace gases, found in underground deposits.

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Lawsuit Challenged Termination of $4 Billion in Federal Funding for California High-Speed Rail

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance