The 2007 Environmental Law Symposium at UC Davis, set for Friday, Feb. 23, has the theme "Partnerships & Legislation: California's Approach to Climate Change."

Participants will explore the role of voluntary partnerships between businesses and governments in which businesses adhere to agreed-upon practices to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

They will review how voluntary and mandatory regulation systems might co-exist and whether this model would effectively reduce emissions.

They also will focus on how these partnerships will interact with California legislation, such as Assembly bills 1493 and 32, and their enforcement through state agencies such as the California Air Resources Board.

Speakers will include: Daniel Sperling, director of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis) and faculty researcher with the new UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center.

Also: Terry Tamminen, former secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and author of "Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction"; Wendy Pulling, director of environmental policy, PG&E; Tom Jennings, an attorney with the California Air Resources Board; and others (see full list online).

The symposium is hosted by the Environmental Law Society at UC Davis and sponsored by the John Muir Institute of the Environment, UC Davis School of Law, Net Impact at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management and ITS-Davis.

It will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center at UC Davis.

It is free and open to the public, but reservations are required for full-day attendance and can be made online at: http://students.law.ucdavis.edu/ELS/symposium.shtml.