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About
The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) is the largest global network of lawyers and business leaders using the power of climate contracting to deliver fast and fair decarbonisation.
We work with legal and sustainability professionals from around the world to:
- Introduce climate contracting principles to their precedents and client agreements, addressing the climate impacts of transactions.
- Ensure they deliver decarbonisation targets using supply chain, financing and other contracts.
Our resources include 100+ free, open access ‘climate clauses’ that can be inserted into agreements and contract precedents immediately. These clauses offer contract solutions to common climate obligations, such as setting decarbonisation targets, measuring and reporting on emissions, co-operating to reduce environmental impact and allocating costs for environmental improvements. The clauses are collaboratively written, peer reviewed and updated by a wide range of legal and environmental experts across the globe.
Our community comprises a wide variety of participants across jurisdictions and sectors, from large multinational organisations and global law firms, to boutique firms and small enterprises. We have resources for everyone. All participating organisations are listed here.
TCLP’s vision is a world:
- Where the legal system enables solutions to the climate crisis.
- Where all organisations use contracts to deliver their climate targets.
If you change the precedent, you can change the world!
Quotes
There is little point in being a sustainable business in an unsustainable world. As a matter of urgency, we need ambitious climate clauses to transcend the mainstream and become our market norms. We must do this in a way that is equitable and well before our deadline. We need to embrace our agency as lawyers and be envoys of change in the commercial world. We must contract for a better future.
Matt Gingell, Founder, The Chancery Lane Project
TCLP’s unique approach to climate conscious contracting is harmonious with the business of law and commercial realities.
CEO, multinational law firm
TCLP’s climate clauses have helped us appreciate the broader impact our contracts can have in the transition to net zero.
Head of Legal, investment bank
What has already been achieved by TCLP is seriously impressive, and what is planned is even more so. It is exciting to be part of the transformation.
Partner, multinational law firm
We are finding sustainability in contracting to be attainable and effective, and we have found the work of TCLP to be a wonderful resource.
Senior Corporate Counsel, software company
Contracts cover almost all carbon emissions in the global economy. Adapting those contracts to ensure they mitigate climate risks and improve environmental performance is critical if we are going to achieve the Paris Agreement and keep the world a healthy, thriving place for humanity. The scale of the challenge is huge, but so is our capacity, as lawyers, to make a difference.
Becky Annison, Head of Engagement, The Chancery Lane Project
Case studies
Case study
NatWest
Requiring suppliers to improve their sustainability score, with failure to improve allowing NatWest to terminate the contract
A major commercial bank has used Zoë & Bea’s Clause to update its extensive suite of template supply contracts. It now requires suppliers to improve their sustainability score, with failure to improve allowing NatWest to terminate the contract.
Case study
Vodafone
Putting climate clauses into supply chain processes and creating low and high emitting supplier templates to accommodate SMEs
A telecommunications company has put climate clauses (such as Frank’s, Dottie’s and Mary’s clauses) into supply chain processes and created low and high emitting supplier templates to accommodate SMEs.
Case study
PLMJ
Using sustainability-linked lending requirements to decarbonise finance agreements worth €150m
A Portuguese law firm has used sustainability-linked lending requirements, adapted from Noah’s Clause to decarbonise equity finance agreements worth €150m.
Case study
Salesforce
Requiring suppliers to set ambitious science-based emissions reduction targets by 2024
An American software company has added binding commitments into its supply chain contracts to ensure that suppliers representing 60% of its scope 3 emissions will set science-based targets of their own by 2024.