Monday 5 July 2021

Top law firms team up to establish Net Zero Lawyers Alliance

Top law firms team up to establish Net Zero Lawyers Alliance

Leading law firms across the UK have teamed up to form a coalition committed to accelerating the transition to net zero emissions by 2050.

All members of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance (NZLA), launched during London Climate Action Week, support the goal of achieving net zero by 2050 or sooner, in line with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5C.

They are each committing to reducing their operational emissions by at least 50% by 2030 from 2019 levels, using science-based targets.

Founding members of the Alliance include Arthur Cox, Baker McKenzie, Clyde & Co, DLA Piper, Eversheds Sutherland, Hogan Lovells, Pinsent Masons, Shearman & Sterling and Slaughter and May, among others.

Members of the Alliance recognise commercial law can act as "connective tissue" in transitioning energy, infrastructure and transport, industry and land use systems to align with and accelerate the delivery of climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience.

In addition, they recognise the role of commercial law firms, lawyers and law in achieving low carbon transition and decarbonisation and the need to work across sectors to reach the 2050 net zero goal.

They have committed to ensure they engage with their clients' own transition and decarbonisation objectives as well as implement dedicated climate change-related training and pro bono targets throughout their firms.

Richard Power, Partner at Clyde & Co, said: “We are delighted to be a founding member of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance. At Clyde & Co we know that law firms can play a vital role in creating a coherent long term strategy to understand, mitigate and deal with climate change risks and also take advantage of the many opportunities in the move to a low carbon economy.”

The Alliance has been welcomed by the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign.

Nigel Topping, UN High Level Climate Champion for COP26 added: "Radical collaboration across the systems of our global economy is essential to effectively tackle climate change. The Net Zero Lawyers Alliance will accelerate the Race to Zero and facilitate systemic change in law and legal practice to help deliver a zero carbon world in time."

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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