Shifting the mindset of commercial lawyers to rewire contracts, to mitigate climate change more effectively in practice: The Chancery Lane Project

Abstract

Climate change, sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity no longer live in an ‘environmental box’ but are increasingly a central element of commercial decision-making. A fair and sustainable transition to net zero and the associated climate adaptation and mitigation can be driven by the legal community but will need a shift in the values and norms that inform how lawyers and law firms conduct themselves and view their role in, and impact on, society and the environment. Environmental lawyers are key to informing and enabling their commercial colleagues to make this shift. The Chancery Lane Project has facilitated collaboration by lawyers from a wide range of practice areas and across several jurisdictions to produce a significant selection of climate-conscious clauses. However, with the time to solve the climate crisis rapidly running out, the project needs more lawyers from around the world, including those with environmental expertise, to guide, inform, participate in and support their own organisations, clients and others to deliver the essential change needed to achieve a more sustainable and just future. Rewiring contracts to tackle climate change should, if done right, lead to a significant improvement in mitigating climate change across an array of industries across the world.