The firm commits to reaching net zero emissions by 2050
Chapman Tripp has signed up with the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance (NZLA), becoming the first New Zealand law firm to join the collaboration.
NZLA is an approved accelerator for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s environmental campaign, Race to Zero. A network of top-tier law firms, it is committed to accelerating the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“With part of the commitment focused on engaging with clients to achieve their own net zero goals through legal work, membership of NZLA aligns with the core of what we do − bringing our legal skills to the solving of problems and applying those skills to support the net zero position many of our clients are adopting,” Chapman Tripp CEP Pip England said.
As a new member of the NZLA, Chapman Tripp has committed to do the following:
- establish verifiable net zero 1.5 aligned emissions targets for review at least every five years and with a view to prioritising reductions
- provide legal services and information to enable clients’ decarbonisation goals, consistent with the 2050 net zero target
- engage with regulatory bodies, legal and other relevant industry associations to raise awareness of climate risk issues within the legal community, including the government’s net zero target
- provide pro bono resources for cooperative legal initiatives to incorporate decarbonisation goals into private law instruments
- gather data to monitor the broader impact nature of all its legal work and release an annual operational climate action plan
According to the firm, these commitments are consistent with its current climate change legal practice led by partners Nicola Swan and Alana Lampitt.
“The NZLA provides us with a framework to bring together many of the broader sustainability and impact policies that we already have in place both from a firm, and legal advisory point of view,” said Chapman Tripp’s community director Greer Fredricson. “We are proud to have joined the alliance in order to make a difference to global climate change goals and emissions reduction targets.”
