Net Zero Toolkit: Resources for Lawyers Drafting Climate-Aligned Legal Agreements
As world leaders prepare for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in November, and youth climate activists protest with the Fridays for Future movement, a new tool is available to help lawyers join the global fight against climate change: the Net Zero Toolkit from The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP).
TCLP sees every legal contract as an opportunity to contribute positive solutions to climate change, rather than perpetuating “business-as-usual” scenarios. Today TCLP released its toolkit to show legal professionals how to draft climate-aligned legal agreements that help their clients deliver their net zero targets. Becky Clissmann, senior editor on the Thomson Reuters Practical Law environment team and a member of the TCLP steering group, will highlight the toolkit today when she chairs a masterclass on Leveraging Contracts to Get to Net Zero at Business Green’s Net Zero Festival.
The toolkit explains the net zero concept, helps lawyers to choose the right climate clauses for their agreements, and outlines how organizations can strengthen their net zero ambitions to align with the Paris Agreement goals. The toolkit includes more than 100 climate clauses aimed at ensuring that contracting parties get ahead in the Race to Zero, the U.N.-backed global campaign encouraging businesses, communities, investors and others to halve global emissions by 2030. The clauses were developed by lawyers working collaboratively around the globe and are available for any lawyer to use free of charge.
Practical Law editors are part of the three-stage peer review process TCLP’s climate clauses undergo before being published. Sector specialist lawyers and expert environment lawyers scrutinize the clauses – given children’s names, such as Emma’s Clause, to remind readers of the impact these clauses can have on future generations – for technical accuracy, relevancy and usability.
“Whether a company is in the foothills of their net zero journey, unsure of what exactly net zero is or where to start, or if they have already implemented climate-aligned clauses and are looking to be more ambitious in their net zero drafting, this toolkit is for everyone,” said Matthew Gingell, TCLP chair and general counsel at Oxygen House Group. “It gives lawyers the tools they need to amend their agreements today to create the best climate outcomes as fast as possible and to lead the way in the Race to Zero.”
TCLP is hosting a series of workshops and webinars to introduce the toolkit, followed by sector-specific events in October and November to help lawyers use the tools. The events cover climate clauses that focus on a range of areas, including finance, supply chains, transactions and deals, corporate governance, and more.
Register for a TCLP workshop or webinar, and download the toolkit resources to learn more. For more on how Thomson Reuters is partnering with TCLP, read the Practical Law case study.
