UKELA's Climate Change and Energy Working Party, together with our Environmental Litigation Working Party warmly welcome you to join them in London for an event looking at:
Trends in Litigation: Climate Change and Environmental Challenges
Recent climate change litigation has of course been growing in volume and importance, with headline grabbing cases at home such as the recent Net Zero judgment and the Plan B challenge, as well as numerous cases abroad, including Minister for the Environment v Sharma in Australia, and the joined cases before the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR, where the applicants include senior women in Switzerland and children in Portugal.
The time is apt for analysis of trends evolving from the litigation and conclusions that can be drawn from court determinations. This type of litigation can play a vital part, alongside legislative and policy initiatives, in helping to achieve net zero goals.
The seminar will hear from a leading academic in the area, Professor Joana Setzer, Assistant Professorial Research Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Professor Setzer's main areas of expertise are climate litigation and global environmental governance. Prof Setzer has just authored the 2022 publication, 'Global Trends in Climate Change Litigation'.
We will hear from the Chief Executive Officer of one of the leaders in climate change litigation, Laura Clarke of Client Earth. Laura joined ClientEarth in September from her roles as British High Commissioner for New Zealand. Laura has spent 20 years in government and diplomatic roles across Africa, Asia and Europe. During that time, she has worked extensively on climate, environmental and sustainability issues. Client Earth were the second Claimant in the team that took the government to court and won in R. (on the application of Friends of the Earth Ltd) v Secretary of State for the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2022] EWHC 1841 (Admin).
We are also pleased to welcome Vanessa Havard-Williams, Partner, Global Head of Environment & Climate Change at Linklaters LLP as a speaker. Vanessa's extensive experience includes advisory work across climate change, environment and energy, as well as international governance, Equator Principles and sustainable finance. Vanessa's perspectives on the learnings that can be drawn from some of these cases in shaping advice to clients will be particularly engaging.
The seminar will be chaired by Stephen Hockman KC, who has been a leader in environmental law for many years. Stephen is Head of Chambers at 6 Pump Court in London, and he has served as Chair of trustees to the Environmental Law Foundation. Stephen is currently co-Convenor for the Climate Change and Energy Working Party.
Please join us on 06 December at the offices of Irwin Mitchell (40 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1N 2PZ) for 6pm for what promises to be an excellent event. We will have a Christmas social afterwards, with drinks and nibbles, perhaps even going out for dinner for those interested, so please join us, and catch up with colleagues old and new as we discuss and learn about this important topic.
Bookings are now open. To reserve your place, please log in and follow the prompts (please do not create a new account if you have previously registered with us for any reason).
Registration at 5.30pm for a prompt start at 6pm. Drinks and networking to follow at 7.30pm to 8pm.
Tickets:
UKELA members £10
Non-members £15
Students/unwaged free