Climate

The government's planned carbon tax hike risks exacerbating fuel poverty in the absence of affordable clean energy and reliable public transport, Community Law & Mediation (CLM) has warned. The community law centre and charity, which opened a Centre for Environmental Justice earlier this year, i

DLA Piper is to agree a travel budget with its clients as part of a new series of measures to reduce its carbon footprint in the next two years. The move is part of a wider project of the firm's to commit to targets halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Strategic planning policy on oil and gas development in Northern Ireland is set to be reviewed to ensure it "remains appropriate in the context of the climate emergency". Infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon said the review will include consideration of unconventional hydrocarbon development, comm

UK law firm TLT has signed the Greener Litigation Pledge as part of its aim to be a net zero business by 2025 and to support its clients with their own sustainability goals. Signatories commit to actively reducing, with a view to minimising, the environmental impacts of litigation in the English and

Ireland's semi-state climate solutions company Bord na Móna has announced the appointment of Sonya Mallon as company secretary and general counsel. Ms Mallon, a solicitor with 16 years' post-qualification experience in both in-house and private practice, joined Bord na Móna over a deca

An independent community law centre is launching a series of free environmental justice advice clinics to mark the UN International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies. The clinics, launched by the Coolock-based Centre for Environmental Justice within Community Law & Mediation (CLM), will focus on a

DLA Piper has been appointed by the UK government as the provider of legal services for the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow this November. The firm will provide general commercial support to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) including in respect of sponsorship a

Environmental movement Extinction Rebellion (XR) has said it will target law firms in the City of London which are implicated in the climate crisis.

An EU directive promoting the use of electric cars by public bodies has been transposed into Irish law. The European Communities (Clean and Energy-Efficient Road Transport Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 381 of 2021) came into effect on Monday 2 August 2021.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 has been signed by the president, setting Ireland on its path to net zero carbon emissions.  The Act means that Ireland is now on a legally binding path to net-zero emissions no later than 2050, and to a 51 per cent re

A new specialist bar association focused on climate issues is due to be launched at a webinar this week. Comhshaol, the Climate Bar Association, will be dedicated to pursuing pro-environmental initiatives within the Law Library and in society more widely.

Oil industry body Fuels For Ireland has lodged a complaint with the EU over alleged illegal state aid by the government. The complaint is based on Fuels For Ireland's claim that oil-based energy consumers have had responsibility for the funding of the government's Climate Action Fund placed solely u

Pinsent Masons has unveiled targets to cut absolute carbon emissions by a minimum of 50 per cent by 2030, as it continues to reduce its environmental impact. The firm’s targets, which are among the first law firm targets to be verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), commit to

Businesses could soon face a deluge of legal actions brought against them over greenhouse gas emissions due to advances in climate science, according to experts. In excess of 1,500 legal actions have already been initiated against fossil fuel companies which have played a major role in carbon emissi

Hazel Chu, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, will take part in a live panel discussion tonight as part of the final week of the Law Society of Ireland's massive open online course (MOOC) on environmental law and climate change. Ms Chu will deliver the keynote speech and take part in a panel discussion on "S