The Legal 500 Green Guide: United Kingdom 2023

The firm is also advising Aberdeen City Council in procuring a strategic joint venture partner to realise its plan for Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub. This initially targets the growth of the hydrogen sector for transport in the city.

Paul Dight heads up the firm’s renewables and electric vehicles group and is advising Volkswagen on its strategic agreement to supply Ford with its modular electric vehicles toolkit intended for use in more than 1.2 million zero-emission vehicles.

Another core area of focus has been investment fund formation, particularly in forestry, where the firm has advised high profile clients such as Par Equity.

The firm is a member of the both the Chancery Lane Project and Greener Litigation pledge and is tackling its environmental impact through its Environmental Management System. It is on track to achieve Carbon Neutral Accreditation by 2024 and has reduced waste across all UK offices by 39%.

Head of the London environment and safety practice Eleanor Reeves leads the team advising the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on all aspects of its CCUS and low carbon hydrogen programmes, which is directly contributing to the formation of both CCUS and hydrogen markets in the UK.

The firm is also ensuring that growing demand for electric vehicles is met, advising Tritax/Abrdn from a real estate perspective on the funding and construction of a pioneering gigaplant car battery factory which at full capacity will produce enough battery cells for 300,000 electric vehicles per year.

Beyond handling a number of ground-breaking green bonds and loans, the firm also authored the UK chapter in The Sustainable Finance Law Review book for 2022 and 2023, and designed an ESG Ready toolkit to assist clients in complying with the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.

Another area of expertise is ESG data acquisition and licensing: Richard Marke led the team advising CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) regarding the transfer of intellectual property and employees of its Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) to the IFRS Foundation, and Louise Harman, who co-leads the purpose and impact group, advised Carbon Tracker on the acquisition of CDP’s research division.

Other current key clients include WWF, ClientEarth and Ripple Energy.

In another highlight, a team acted for Macquarie Group on its involvement in the $62.5m series C financing of Storegga which aims to support carbon capture and hydrogen projects in Norway, the UK, and US. One project targets the decarbonisation of the whisky distillation process in Scotland through green hydrogen. The firm’s engagement in the growing hydrogen space is also evident via its thought leadership on the matter; the firm recently published its International Green Hydrogen Report 2022.

A UN Global Compact and SBTi signatory, the firm organises its firm-wide sustainability commitments and targets through its global sustainability policy and measures its own sustainability performance using the EcoVadis standard. It also participates in various external collaborations focusing on climate action, such as designing a procurement process for C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and, on a pro bono basis, contributing to the drafting of contract clauses for The Chancery Lane Project’s Climate Contract Playbook.

Energy expert Andreas Gunst has also handled major renewables projects, such as advising BASF on financing for the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm. Once operational, this will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world. Another highlight for Gunst was his advice to the National Grid on its joint venture with BP, Shell, Equinor, and Total for The Teeside Carbon Capture Use and Storage Project; the project is one of the first of its kind on the UK.

Other work includes acting for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority regarding the development of a multi-project framework agreement to secure private sector development of low or zero carbon emissions energy generation and storage projects, and assisting the Cornwall Council with the development of a biomethane conversion and gas upgrading project.

The firm is not only a UN Global Compact signatory but also a member of the Legal Sustainability Alliance and the Chancery Lane Project, among various other engagements. It holds a silver rating from EcoVadis and is one of few firms accredited with a bronze award from the Carbon Literate Organisation. Its 2030 net-zero target is verified by the Science Based Targets initiative. The team is also highly active in terms of client outreach and is recognised for having published a number of thought-leading pieces on trends affecting the energy market as well as ESG-related reports.

In the renewables space, the firm assisted Xlinks with the development of a 10GW onshore wind project in Morocco. This is to be supported by a 25GW battery storage project connected to the UK by the world’s longest subsea HVDC cable. Once complete it will transport clean energy directly from Morocco to the UK.

A notable internal initiative is the firm’s Global Smart Cities and Connected Communities think tank comprised of 700 thought leaders from around the world focusing on  technological solutions to environmental challenges. The firm’s efforts to reduce its own impact on the environment are manifest in its CarbonNeutral certification in the UK (and Middle East) region which has been awarded by Natural Capital Partners since 2018.

The energy and infrastructure practice is led by key contact Ian Stubbs in Bristol. Of further note is the space and satellite team which provides advice to space businesses and organisations at the forefront of innovative efforts to support the green agenda.

As part of its investment in ESG, the firm created the technology platform ESG Edge which helps clients assess their performance against various ESG criteria. Its dedication to climate action can also be seen in its close relationship with the Chancery Lane Project; its most recent involvement was the creation of the project’s new climate clause, Madhavi. In the years 2018 to 2020, the firm chaired the Energy Storage Network’s Markets and Revenues Group and was invited to sit on the steering group of the Government’s Energy Data Task Force.

Having obtained a silver sustainability rating from EcoVadis, the firm has implemented numerous best practices and internal policies, including the consideration of ESG factors when taking on new clients or working with existing clients.

Other ongoing work includes advising Clean Earth Energy Group on a pioneering wind energy scheme in Cornwall, assisting multiple clients with solar power projects, and various environmental conservation and restoration matters. Notable in the latter segment is head of the environmental group Penny Simpson’s advice to the OEP on its consultation response to the Government on the Nature Recovery Green Paper, a far-reaching document which will shape the regulation of protected sites and species in England following Brexit.

Internal sustainability matters are overseen by the firm’s ESG committee in consultation with the Green Group chaired by Kirstin Roberts, director of the waste and sustainability practice, and consisting of wider team members including non-lawyers. With a current net zero target of 2050 the firm has put various best practices in place, including carbon footprint reporting, and is working with external sustainability consultants Green Element. Some of its accolades include ISO 14001 accreditation, and some of its memberships the Greener Litigation initiative and the Legal Sustainability Alliance. The firm also regularly collaborates with The Chancery Lane Project.

Offshore wind is another active area for the firm. It is currently advising on two projects with respective capacities of 450MW and 850MW off the coast of Scotland.

In 2021, along with the launch of a new sustainability strategy, Giles Kavanaugh was appointed as the first sustainability partner. Kavanaugh collaborates with over 20 ‘sustainability champions’ appointed across the business to realise the new strategy. To improve operational emissions the firm has partnered with Planet Mark to conduct a climate audit and establish an accurate footprint from which to target reductions.

The firm is also a member of the Chancery Lane Project and a founding member of the World Ocean Council.

The environmental litigation service – founded by Carol Day in 2013 – advises a range of NGOs, including The Wildlife Trusts, Oceana, WWF and Wild Justice.

Another client is Friends of the Earth regarding its challenge of the UK Government on several matters, including the alleged failure of the government’s Net Zero Strategy to include the necessary policies to achieve emissions cuts. The firm is also representing the organisation in a high court hearing which contests the Secretary of State for International Trade’s decision to fund a natural gas project off the coast of Mozambique on the basis that it is not in alignment with obligations under the Paris Agreement and has lawful disregard of the project’s environmental and human impacts.

As a member of the Legal Sustainability Alliance the firm also takes responsibility for its own impact. Its longstanding Green Committee sees the rollout of its environmental policy and is engaging sustainability consultants to assess and inform a carbon reduction strategy.

Another core area of expertise is in green bonds where the firm has been involved in some ground-breaking issuances. These include advising the managers on the European Commission’s  €12 bn debut NextGenerationEU green bond, which represents the world’s largest green bond issuance to date. The firm also acted for HSBC and other managers in connection with the £10bn Green Gilt, the largest sovereign green bond on record.

Matt Sparkes is global head of sustainability and as such seeks to ensure the firm’s ESG performance is reflective of its counsel.  He also co-chairs the Legal Sustainability Alliance, of which the firm is an active member. Vanessa Havard-Williams, who is global head of environment and climate change, and Rachel Barrett, who is a member of that practice, coordinate ESG efforts across the firm keeping it on track to achieving its UN Global Compact commitments, including the goal to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 70% and scope 3 emissions by 50% by 2030.

Head of energy for EMEA Charles Whitney and Peter Young assisted the underwriters, led by Citi, HSBC, and MUFG, with the $7.8m green bond issuance for the 2GW Al-Dhafra Solar PV Independent Power Producer, the world’s largest project financed solar project. Young also advised the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) on its green bond issuance worth of ZAR 3bn, which will be the first transaction to fund green energy in Africa under the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Goal 7 Programme.

London-based Caroline May, who is both head of environment, health and safety as well as head of sustainability across EMEA, leads the firm’s 20-year long engagement with DP World on Europe’s largest remediation and ecology programme; the firm has been appointed specialist environmental counsel by the client on several matters related to the project from environmental liabilities to negotiation of leases. Within the firm, May ensures that sustainability is embedded in internal operations as well as its professional services and has helped to establish a clear path to net zero. She also chairs the Law Society working group on climate change and is co-chair of the Legal Sustainability Alliance.

Since the pandemic, the firm relaunched its 20-year old sustainable business group as OC Planet, setting out up-do-date, clear objectives and holding the firm accountable for its ESG commitments. In Bristol, the firm is moving to a new sustainable office which is set to be one of the greenest in the UK targeting an ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM accreditation. Among the firm’s external engagements is its long-time partnership with the Avon Wildlife Trust, including support of their project ‘My Wild City’.

In another pro-bono offering, Fiona Huntriss led the team providing advice on strategic litigation to Mighty Earth, a global advocacy group putting pressure on leading industries to reduce their environmental impact throughout global supply chains in palm oil, rubber, cocoa and animal feed.

The firm is on track to meeting its pledge of becoming carbon neutral as well as dedicating at least 5% of resources to community impact by 2025. It operates out of a building which is BREAAM certified as ‘Excellent’ and has committed to the Greener Litigation Pledge as well as the Campaign for Greener Arbitration alongside its ambitious internal targets.

The team also has niche area of expertise in carbon capture projects. Recent clients include Drax Power Limited (DPL) regarding its innovative Bioenergy Carbon Capture Project at Drax Power Station, and Viridor Energy Limited in connection with its carbon capture and storage project.

The firm was one of the first law firms to join the SBTI’s Business Ambition for 1.5^oC Campaign and the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance, and its goal of becoming net zero by 2040 is validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI).

In the promotion of biodiversity in the UK the firm assists developers and landowners in drawing up long-term leases for habitat and woodland protection and creation, ensuring the allocation of biodiversity units to meet local planning authority biodiversity net-gain requirements. The team is also advising on and drawing up supply-shed contracts between funders, aggregators and growers to promote sustainable farming practices and tackle greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity.

At an internal level, the firm’s green team, which is comprised of employees across the business, coordinates environmental activities and staff engagement projects. The firm has also been a participating member of the Investors in the Environment (IIE) accreditation scheme since 2013 through which it has been awarded ‘green’ status each year.

The firm’s involvement in some of the UK’s largest sustainability-linked infrastructure projects also includes its recent counsel to Portsmouth Water on the Havant Thicket Reservoir. The environmentally-led scheme will secure water supplies for the future, while protecting rare and renowned chalk streams.

Outside of its sustainability-related work portfolio, the firm has committed to achieving a net zero office by 2025 and launched its Green Goals campaign in 2022 to shine light on the ways in which public bodies can tackle environmental destruction and the climate crisis. Of note is Steve Gummer and environmental consultant Steve Cirrell’s collaboration ‘Green Steves’, which provides both legal advice and environmental consultancy for public bodies around these issues and is a space for local authorities to share best practices.

At the forefront of subsidy-free renewables in the UK, the firm has handled matters such as advising ERG spa on the site assembly and development of the 46.88MW Evishagaran Wind Farm site, the first subsidy-free wind farm in Northern Ireland.

The firm is also active in the burgeoning hydrogen market, acting for leading hydrogen electrolyser ITM Power as well as advising Solo Renewables on its portfolio of hydrogen production projects.

The planning team is leading the way in addressing nitrate neutrality issues in England. Matthew Stimson and Grace Mitchell are providing legal planning advice to Roke Manor regarding the restoration of a former pig farm and development of a nitrate mitigation scheme on land at Roke Manor Farm in Hampshire. The scheme provides nitrate mitigation for the residential development within the Solent region in accordance with the Habitats Regulations.

The energy team also advised Essentia Trading Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, on the establishment of a low-carbon supplier framework for commissioning suppliers to carry out energy efficiency and decarbonisation measures. For the same client the group also updated its Energy Performance Contracting document which contributes to the NHS’s commitment to achieving net zero by 2040.

The firm itself has committed to reaching net zero by 2030 and is a member of both The Legal Sustainability Alliance and The Chancery Lane Project.