Mishcon de Reya has today announced the launch of the Greener Litigation Pledge, a commitment to reduce the environmental impact of dispute resolution.
Greener Litigation is a collective of solicitors' firms, barristers' chambers and other disputes professionals actively committed to reducing the environmental impact of dispute resolution and litigation conducted in the courts of England and Wales. All organisations engaged in the conduct of litigation are invited to sign the Pledge.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, HFW and Simmons and Simmons are among the other law firms who have signed the Greener Litigation Pledge, the first act of the Greener Litigation Project, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of court disputes in line with the objective of restricting global warming to 1.5°C as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The launch of the Pledge coincides with the start of London Climate Action Week.
The signatories to the Greener Litigation Pledge have committed to take active steps to reduce, with a view to minimising, the environmental impact of dispute resolution, including the two principal sources of emissions incurred by litigants: printed documents and (especially international) travel.
To read the full list of commitments involved in the Greener Litigation Pledge, and to find how to sign up to the Pledge, please click here.
The Greener Litigation Pledge has been developed by a steering committee comprised of likeminded firms and organisations, and convened by Mishcon de Reya Associates Jenny Hindley and Olivia Wybraniec.
Signing the Pledge, Kasra Nouroozi, Chair of Dispute Resolution at Mishcon de Reya, says "The challenges of conducting litigation during the pandemic provided the opportunity to question how things have always been done, and have shown us that we can conduct litigation differently. As one of London's leading litigation firms, we are mindful of the responsibility we have to influence the climate impacts of how disputes are resolved. Coming together with other litigation professionals to launch The Greener Litigation Pledge is another important step in delivering on our ambitious Climate Change Strategy and as part of our commitment to shaping a resilient and sustainable future through Mishcon Purpose."
Jenny Hindley and Olivia Wybraniec say "The Greener Litigation Pledge was inspired by the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations and has a similar mission: to set out the practical changes that litigators can make in the journey towards net zero. Since the UK became the first country to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming by 2050, we recognise that the courts and court users of England and Wales play an important role in achieving that commitment and in encouraging lasting change in litigation practice. We invite all firms, chambers and organisations who share our commitment to pursuing the most environmentally sustainable options in litigation to sign the Pledge."
The founding signatories of the Greener Litigation Pledge are: Mishcon de Reya, Freshfields LLP, Simmons & Simmons LLP; HFW; Addleshaw Goddard LLP; Kennedys; 3 Hare Court Chambers; Fountain Court Chambers; and Opus 2.
Further information
If you would like to sign the Greener Litigation Pledge, or would be interested participating in future Greener Litigation initiatives, please visit www.greenerlitigation.org or contact info@greenerlitigation.org
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