Sustainability Lawyers

We advise clients across the lifecycle of carbon and nature credit projects, from project design and verification through to commercialisation and trading. Our team supports corporates, developers, landowners and investors to structure legally robust arrangements that deliver credible climate and nature outcomes while withstanding regulatory and reputational scrutiny. We support clients on accreditation frameworks, contractual arrangements, ownership and title issues, claims substantiation and alignment with evolving UK regulation. Recent experience includes advising on the structuring and sale of verified carbon units from nature-based projects, and supporting corporate buyers on carbon and biodiversity credit procurement strategies aligned with net zero commitments.

We support businesses in designing and implementing sustainable, transparent and resilient supply chains. Our lawyers advise manufacturers, retailers, suppliers and investors on embedding ESG obligations into commercial arrangements while managing legal, operational, and reputational risk. We help clients navigate rapidly evolving UK regulation affecting supply chains, including climate disclosure, deforestation, waste, and product sustainability regimes. Recent work includes advising clients on the legal and operational implications of the UK Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

We act for investors, lenders, asset managers and financial institutions, helping clients structure, implement and govern sustainable finance and impact investments that are commercially sound and legally robust. Our team advises across the full spectrum of sustainable finance and impact investments, including:

• Green and sustainability linked loans and bonds: We advise both lenders and borrowers in relation to entry into both Green and Sustainability Linked Loans across a number of sectors and have years of experience in relation to lending for sustainable regeneration projects and infrastructure works for banks, debt funds, social impact funds and developers alike
• Impact investing and nature positive investment: Advising investors, funds and mission led organisations on various impact investment structures designed to deliver measurable environmental and social outcomes alongside financial returns, including investments focused on biodiversity, natural capital and climate resilience
• Regulatory advice: Advising on the evolving UK regulatory framework for sustainable finance and ESG disclosure, including under the FCA’s Sustainable Disclosure Requirements (SDR) investment labels regime and anti-greenwashing rules. We support clients with the legal interpretation and application of these requirements, assess how SDR and labelling rules affect product design and governance, and advise on managing regulatory risk in sustainability-related disclosures and marketing

Developers, investors, landlords and tenants are under increasing pressure to demonstrate that their buildings meet high environmental performance standards, contribute to net zero objectives and support healthier, more resilient communities. We help clients navigate the legal, planning, regulatory and commercial issues that are shaping the transition to more sustainable and efficient real estate across the full lifecycle of green buildings, including:

• Advising on and helping clients meet government and local planning policies on climate change and sustainability through the planning process and/or as part of planning agreements
• Advising on environmental issues associated with both the acquisition of land (including contaminated land), and in the development of land, such as Biodiversity Net Gain, and protected sites and species
• Construction: Advising developers and contractors on how they can incorporate sustainable construction clauses in standard form and bespoke construction contracts. This also includes advising on current legislation such as the Building Regulations 2010 and the standards for minimum energy performance in new buildings
• Real Estate: We can advise on green leases, which are leases that contain or incorporate provisions which encourage parties to improve the environmental performance of properties, lower carbon footprints, and meet respective sustainability and energy efficiency objectives and requirements

Organisations are facing increasing scrutiny from regulators, investors, consumers and civil society on the credibility of their environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, performance and impacts.

Across our regulatory and litigation teams, we help clients anticipate and navigate ESG-related risk, advising on the full spectrum of ESG litigation and risk management strategies, including:

• Implementing risk management tools, such as legal risk registers and Environmental Management Systems
• Advising clients on ESG crisis response
• Representing clients in regulatory investigations and criminal defence
• Acting for clients in climate litigation, including greenwashing disputes and investigations, or claims brought under corporate law, breach of fiduciary duty and tort
• Advising clients on public law issues, including representing clients judicial review 

More information on risk management is available here and here.

Kirstin Roberts, Director in Waste and Sustainability, explores whether natural capital could unlock a new, reliable revenue stream for the golf sector. Read more here.