Climate

An initiative designed to help law firms respond meaningfully to the climate crisis has launched in the UK ahead of London Climate Action Week. Legal Charter 1.5, which has been developed by a group of law firms, consists of a set of core principles that signatories commit to in order to reduce gree

The Northern Ireland office of corporate law firm A&L Goodbody (ALG) has teamed up with RenewableNI to mark Earth Day 2023. Taking place annually on 22 April, Earth Day is widely recognised as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year, as a day

The Law Society of England and Wales has assured law firms that they can refuse to advise clients whose activities conflict with scientifically-supported climate change targets. In "milestone" guidance published yesterday, the Law Society encourages solicitors to "adopt a proportionate approach to c

Northern Ireland's Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a consultation on developing future regulations that will place climate change reporting duties on specified public bodies. These regulations are required to be made under the Climate Change Act (Northe

More than 120 lawyers, including Northern Ireland human rights lawyer Declan Owens, have signed a "declaration of conscience" pledging opposition to fossil fuel projects and support for climate protesters. The declaration, co-ordinated by Lawyers Are Responsible (LAR), calls on "our government and o

A bursary established in memory of the late Arthur Cox partner Niamh Burke will be awarded this year to Sean Murphy from Cavan and Karin Mackey from Mullinahone, Co Tipperary. The Niamh Burke Memorial Bursary fosters and supports study and research in the field of renewable energy. It annually award

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) has announced a new partnership with Eco-Schools NI, an environmental education programme for schools across Northern Ireland. Under the new partnership, NIHRC will offer a limited number of workshops to post-primary schools that explore the inter

International law firm Clark Hill LLP has announced the establishment of an offshore wind practice group in Dublin. Aidan Eames, a consultant in the firm since its merger with Eames Solicitors just over a year ago, is leading the new group, which will serve clients investing in the rapidly growing I

Human rights law academic Dr Aoife Daly has been granted nearly €2 million to analyse how young climate activists are claiming and asserting their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Dr Daly, a law lecturer at University College Cork (UCC) specialising in children's right

A suite of green lease clauses for use in commercial leases in Ireland has been published by The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP). Law firms Arthur Cox, ByrneWallace and Mason Hayes & Curran spearheaded the development of the clauses along with other members of TCLP's Irish property working group.

New legislation has been developed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine to strengthen the government's ability to respond to a curtailment of oil supplies. Ministers have approved the publication of the Oil Emergency Contingency and Transfer of Renewable Transport Fuels Functions Bill 2022, w

A long-awaited government plan to tackle energy poverty should be put on a statutory footing with legally binding targets, Community Law & Mediation (CLM) has said. The law centre welcomed last week's publication of the Energy Poverty Action Plan, in particular the establishment of a cross-depar

Planning guidelines concerned with the preparation of local authority city and county development plans have been revoked in light of recent changes in the area of climate legislation and policy. The Section 28 Interim Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Statutory Plans, Renewable Energy and Clim

Community Law & Mediation (CLM) has urged the Irish government to ensure its climate action plan for 2023 aligns with Ireland's legal obligations on climate change, while addressing the energy crisis and safeguarding marginalised communities. An open letter sent by the independent law centre to

New regulations strengthening the legal duties of larger energy companies to help energy users save energy have been brought into effect. The European Union (Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme) Regulations 2022 were signed today by Eamon Ryan, the minister for the environment, climate and communica