COP29: Five reasons solicitors should tackle climate change

As COP29 kicks off in Azerbaijan, our Member Engagement Manager and Secretary to the Law Society’s Sustainability Committee, Sara Czarny, highlights five reasons why the legal sector should tackle climate change.

So what does COP29 have to do with you? Most of it will seem greatly removed from the everyday challenges facing the legal sector.

Nevertheless, with climate campaigners raising a judicial review at the Court of Session on the creation of the UK’s largest untapped oil field and pictures of devastating floods in Spain filling our newsfeeds, it is clear climate issues are becoming increasingly relevant to the Scottish legal sector.

COP29 puts climate change back on the world stage and continues important conversations with leaders across the globe. As the world moves toward a more sustainable future, law firms and in-house teams can take steps to seriously consider their own impact, and why they should prioritise sustainability as part of their firm or organisation’s strategy.

1. Client Expectations

• Clients across many industries are increasingly prioritising sustainability and environmental responsibility. They expect their suppliers, partners, and service providers, including law firms, not only to have, but to uphold, sustainable practices. A strong commitment to net zero aligns your firm with these expectations, making you a more appealing choice for environmentally conscious clients.
• Whatever the sector, in-house counsel can position themselves as critical business advisors when it comes to tackling climate change by integrating climate considerations into their legal advice.
• As per the Legal 500’s article earlier this year, navigating your clients when it comes to sustainability is a tricky topic. However, for law firms who currently focus on assisting those clients who are working towards decarbonisation and increased sustainability, there are significant opportunities.  It is equally important to support existing fossil fuel businesses to transition to greener operations and in doing, drive meaningful change. It might not be a case of one or the other, but it’s worth knowing you are in a position to move the dial in a positive direction.

2. Attract and retain talent

• Many law firms are finding that when recruiting new talent, younger lawyers in particular, want to work for firms that take sustainability seriously. Law firms that commit to sustainable practices can attract professionals who prioritise these values.
• Similarly, in-house teams that drive change and support the sustainable transition of their business or organisation may attract fresh talent whose values align with that overall objective.
• A shared sense of responsibility to sustainability can engage staff into collective action, and employees who believe in their firm or organisation’s values are more likely to stay. You might not just instigate change in your workplace but also further afield.

3. Future-proof for regulations

• Environmental regulations are expected to increase in the coming years, impacting various industries and their legal obligations. Law firms and in-house teams that understand the regulatory and compliance challenges that are in the pipeline, and who also practice sustainable operations, are better equipped to advise their clients when faced with new regulations.

4. The business case: cost savings over time

• Sustainable practices, e.g., reducing office energy consumption, reducing travel, and going paperless, can lead to significant cost savings. While some changes will require an upfront investment, many will lower operating expenses over time.
• Research carried out by the IBA in September 2024, found that 59 per cent of respondents hadn’t yet calculated their carbon footprint. Nicky Sinker, a partner at Auditel, a cost, procurement and carbon solutions company, said that supply chain engagement is ‘what’s really falling behind at the moment from a law firm perspective’. Ian Hagg, Director of Responsible Business at DLA Piper, said that ‘to not focus on that [area of emissions] is missing the point of climate action’. As one of the easiest ways to start, it is clear there is not enough awareness of the benefits of calculating your carbon footprint. So, why not measure your carbon footprint here?

5. Make a positive impact

• Adopting a net-zero approach means contributing to a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone. The climate crisis is the most pressing issue of our time. Law firms are in a unique position to set an example to the business world and should embrace that responsibility, while in-house teams can support their employers to do the same. Solicitors have a central role to play in shaping a sustainable, forward-looking profession and making a positive contribution to a cause that affects us all.

COP29 is an opportunity to reflect but also to get started. So, if you could do one thing based on the reasoning above, why not do that today? One change, is one step closer to creating a profession (and a world) with a more sustainable future.