---
title: What COP28 means for climate lawyering in 2024
date: 2024-01-05T15:41:01Z
modified: 2024-04-09T14:52:30Z
permalink: "https://chancerylaneproject.org/news/what-cop28-means-for-climate-lawyering-in-2024/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: Lawyers can derive numerous crucial insights from COP28. Our founder, Matt Gingell, and our Head of Engagement, Becky Annison, provide commentary on its implications for climate lawyers.
wpid: 2971
categories:
  - Press and media
---

_Lawyers can derive numerous crucial insights from COP28. Our founder, Matt Gingell, and our Head of Engagement, Becky Annison, provide commentary on its implications for climate lawyers._

**Shifting sands**

- COP28 brought about significant legislative change, necessitating extensive contractual drafting. It is important to anticipate and actively plan for this to limit disruption.
- This means **keeping your contractual arrangements flexible;** **avoid committing to a fixed-term contract dependent on fossil fuels with no provision to terminate for a greener alternative**.
- The pace of change means that there might be better options available well before that contract ends

**Advocacy gaps**

- During COP28, youth advocacy overshadowed senior management advocacy, who hold the levers of change.
- **Join a networking or advocacy group to maintain your education and upskilling on climate issues.**
- Early stage career lawyers can join [Legal Voices for the Future](https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/climate-change/legal-voices-for-the-future). If there isn’t a suitable group for your level of experience or jurisdiction then consider starting one.

**Look for solutions**

- As a lawyer, being commercially aware involves not just identifying barriers and risks but also suggesting solutions. The COP agreement, while a significant step, wasn’t fast enough to ensure a habitable world.
- **In our daily practice, closing the gap involves incorporating climate contracting and adding a ‘climate risks’ section to all advice, making climate considerations mainstream.**

**Systems not silos**

- Addressing climate change requires a systemic solution. For in-house lawyers, this involves **engaging with all teams to gain a holistic view of how climate relates to the business and sharing the legal implications.**
- In private practice, fostering awareness could include a **firmwide sustainability day covering advised emissions, the impact of climate risk on your practice areas, and sharing resources to upskill the firm.**

**Power of business**

- Businesses can move quickly, unlike the global political community. The more business shifts towards net zero, the more ambitious policies can be.
- Your organisation or major clients may already set net-zero targets surpassing COP28. They require legal support to achieve these targets.
- **Have you checked your organisation/clients’ net-zero targets and inquired about legal assistance in reaching them?**

**Talking to doing**

- Statements are laudable, but their delivery and application are crucial. **Contracts remain the most practical tool for businesses to expedite decarbonisation across their value chains.**
- A business with a net-zero target likely moves faster than COP28.
- What can lawyers do to assist businesses in closing that gap, focusing on contracting, due diligence, risk management, and providing general legal advice?

## Topics

**Categories:** [Press and media](https://chancerylaneproject.org/news/category/press-and-media/)