Conference 2024 took place on 11 June to 15 June. Please see below the programme.
Tuesday 11 June (online)
9.30 am Water: Discharges from Combined Sewer Outfalls: what can we learn from the CSO at Whitburn?
Chair / Speaker: Nicholas Ostrowski - Barrister, Six Pump Court and Convenor of the UKELA Water working party
Speakers
- Robert Latimer - retired engineer
12.00pm Climate Change & Energy: Interoperability of sustainability reporting standards and materiality assessments – getting on track
Chair : Becky Clissmann - Sustainability Counsel, Ashurst LLP and Co-Convenor UKELA climate change & energy working party
Speakers
- Anna-Marie Slot - Co-founder, Managing Partner, Transition Value
- Emily Lee - Head of Human Rights and Livelihoods for Nature Positive and RSK Group
- Guilherme Cassaro, Policy Manager, Standards and Frameworks, CPD
2.30pm Waste: Suez is the clear winner
Chair : Peter Harvey - Senior Legal Editor Practical Law Environment (Thomson Reuters) and UKELA Trustee
Speakers
- Dr Anna Willets - Partner, Gunnercooke and Co-Convenor UKELA Waste working party
- Samantha Riggs - Barrister, 25 Bedford Row
5.00pm Noise & Nuisance - Noise issues which will face the new government CANCELLED - WILL BE REARRANGED FOR AUTUMN
Chair : Francis McManus - Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Stirling
Speakers
- John Stewart - Chair, UK Noise Association
7.00pm Student Advisers (open to all UKELA Student members)
Wednesday 12 June (online)
9.30 am Environmental Litigation - The ECtHR Swiss Case: A Political Turning Point in Climate Change Litigation?
Chair / Speaker: Richard Turney KC - UKELA Trustee and Landmark Chambers Barrister
Speakers
- Marc Willers KC - Barrister Garden Court Chambers
- Dr Corina Heri - Post Doctoral researcher in Climate Rights and Remedies at University of Zurich, Switzerland
12.00pm Nature Conservation - Nutrient Neutrality: Development barred in these areas - or just another hurdle to clear?
Chair : Richard Barlow - Partner, Browne Jacobson LLP
Speakers
- Lord Banner KC - Barrister, Keating Chambers
- Dr Caroline Chapman PhD FCIEEM - Director, DTA Ecology Ltd
- Andrew Baker - Managing Director, Baker Consultants
2.30pm EDI Forum (open to all UKELA members)
5.00pm GDG: Ambition and divergence in environmental governance across the UK
Chair: Nina Pindham - UKELA Vice Chair of Trustees and Cornerstone Barrister
Speakers
- Professor Colin Reid - Emeritus Professor of Environmental law, University of Dundee
- Dr Victoria Jenkins - Associate Professor of Law, Swansea University
- Dr Lisa Claire Whitten - Research Fellow, Queen's University Belfast
- Estelle Dehon KC - Cornerstone Barrister and UKELA Trustee
Thursday 13 June – no formal activity
Delegates have the option to arrive in Manchester on Thursday evening for sponsor drinks and networking (6.30pm). We particularly encourage those who are the next generation of practitioners in environmental law to meet those already established in the sector. Come and have a drink on us, courtesy of 39 Essex who are sponsoring the evening. All are welcome - please book your accommodation to include Thursday as required.
Day 3 Friday 14 June – in person
9.30 am Registration with tea/coffee, networking with sponsors
10.30 am Introduction and welcome
- Alison York - Head of Legal in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Conference Chair
- Gareth de Graaff - Executive Director UKELA
- Liv Torc - Performance poet, Hot Poets
11.00 am Opening Address
Rt Hon Lord Justice Lindblom, President of UKELA, Court of Appeal Supervising Lord Justice for Planning and Environmental law and Senior President of Tribunals
11.20 am PLENARY 1
Clean Air
How are cities dealing with current challenges regarding air pollution? Discussion on the legislative and regulatory framework governing air pollution in the UK, including policy insights and legal implications.
Chair: Dr Lois Lane - Barrister, Cornerstone Barristers
Speakers
- Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah - WHO BreathLife Ambassador, Founder and Trustee of The Ella Roberts Foundation (delivering a pre-recorded personalised message)
- Eloise Scotford - Dean of UCL Faculty of Law and advisor to the UNEP
- Stephen Moorcroft - Director, Air Quality Consultants
- Prof. Alastair Lewis - Professor of atmospheric chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of York
12.30pm Lunch and networking with sponsors
1.30 pm PLENARY 2
Climate Change - Session 1 Energy
This session will cover the rapidly evolving legal and policy landscape around the low carbon energy technologies that will be critical to reaching both net zero and the Government’s target of a decarbonised energy system by 2035.
Chair: Stephen Hockman KC - Barrister, Six Pump Court
Speakers
- Odette Chalaby - Barrister, No5 Chambers
- Daria Shapovalova - Director, Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law
- Elizabeth Conoby - Commercial Director, Renewal UK
- Ross Fairley - Partner and Head of Renewable Energy and Net Zero, Burges Salmon LLP
Climate Change - Session 2 - Carbon Markets: a discussion of regulated and unregulated markets
This session will look at the development of the regulated and unregulated carbon markets looking at the challenges and opportunities and role of legal frameworks in driving change. It will include a discussion of different jurisdictional approaches and client demand around the globe and the influence of carbon pricing on the viability of major projects.
Chair: Caroline May - Sustainability Partner and Co Head ESG EMEA Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
Speakers
- Martin Baxter - Deputy CEO IEMA
- Ruth Knox - Partner and Global Co-Chair of the ESG & Sustainable Finance Practice, Paul Hastings LLP
- Amy Merrill - Chief Operating Officer ICVCM
- Varnika Chawla - Legal Manager, Climate Asset Management
2.45 pm Break, networking with sponsors
3.15 pm Keynote address - David Shukman, British journalist, and former Science Editor of BBC News
4.00 pm AGM
4.30 pm PLENARY 3
Innovation & AI in Environmental Law
Technological innovation and artificial intelligence: the risks and opportunities for environmental regulation, law and lawyers.
Chair: Katherine Apps KC - Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers
Speakers
- Paul Collins - Environmental Lawyer, Ashfords LLP
- Matt Hervey - Partner, Head of Artificial Intelligence Law, Gowling WLG
- Sian McGibbon - Barrister, Landmark Chambers and PhD student at University College London
5.45 pm Close
7.00 pm Drinks reception at the Kimpton Hotel Clocktower Hotel
8:30pm Liv Torc performance followed by dinner and dancing - carriages at midnight
Day 4 Saturday 15 June – in person
8.30 am Registration for Saturday day delegates
9.00 am PLENARY 4
Biodiversity
The role of protected sites in nature conservation - A consideration of the history of protected sites in the UK and a discussion on the successes, failures and future directions for the use of such a legal framework for nature recovery.
Chair/Speaker: Richard Broadbent - Legal Director, Environmental Law team, Freeths LLP and former head of legal services at Natural England
Speakers
- Eunice Pinn - Marine Indicators Advisor, NatureScot / NadarAlba and co-convenor of UKELA Nature Conservation Working Party
- Tim Graham - Senior Leader Nature Recovery and Finance for scalable solutions, RSK Wilding
10.15 am Mentoring scheme
10.30 am Break, networking with sponsors
11.15 am Case Law Update
- Charles Streeten - Barrister Francis Taylor Building: Climate Change Litigation in 2024 - Hitting the Target. An update on domestic and international climate litigation over the past 12 months, considering not only recent public law challenges but also the approach the courts have taken to attempts to use private law as a mechanism for litigating climate issues.
- Katharine Elliot - Barrister Landmark Chambers: Getting to know you – Accessing environmental information post-Brexit
12.15 pm Special Address - International Perspective
Jeff Dennis, Chair American Bar Association Section of Environmental Energy and Resources (ABA SEER)
1.00 pm LUNCH and sponsor networking
2.00 pm PLENARY 5
Water regulation
Storm sewage overflows: A clash of policy, politics and regulation. In this plenary, expert speakers will explore the role of storm sewage overflows, the regulatory tools governing their use, and the current key legal and policy issues.
Chair: Simon Tilling - Legal Manager, Environmental, Pennon Group and UKELA Trustee
Speakers
- Nicholas Ostrowski - Barrister, Six Pump Court Chambers
- Dr Bruce Horton - Director, Environmental Policy Consulting
- Jamie Woodward - Professor of Physical Geography, Department of Geography, The University of Manchester
- Brendan Martyn - Director, Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors
3.15 pm Closing address, Farewell and thanks – Warren Percival Chair, UKELA
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