Are you looking into how law firms can fight climate change? Do you want to reduce emissions, carbon dioxide, and greenhouse gases? Are you interested in reducing the average temperature on Earth? What about preventing extreme weather? Read on!

How can a law firm save the environment? I do a lot of travel for business, and I hate how everything is single serving with plastic. To reduce the amount of impact from plastic on the environment (and my body) I travel with my own steel fork and spoon.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

I work in the divorce industry, and I can confirm there is no shortage of divorce. Sadly, there is also no shortage of single-use plastic. Travelling on planes and living in hotels is a world of fast food, plastic cutlery, single-use plastics, plastic bags, and possibly single-serving friends.

After I get off the plane, I go to my hotel. There are single-use plastic shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and styrofoam coffee cups. And we can’t forget the single-use utensils, coffee stirrers, and combs.

Law Firms Fight Climate Change

In the lobby, there are single-use plastic cups to pour your water. Of course, the easy fix to get away from needing those cups is a stainless-steel bottle, which I have used for years now.

I don’t expect non-environmentalists to change their own free will. So, I am advocating that companies stop offering single-use options. People should need to bring their own stainless-steel bottles, metal forms and spoons. If you forget it, you are out of luck.

To make matters worst, most airports don’t have recycling. The plastic ends up going into the trash and gets incinerated. This, of course, creates air pollution.

Prevent Heat Trapping With Global Warming Solutions

Single-use plastics are destroying the world, and it’s our job to stop them. These issues might not seem like a big deal since it’s just a bit of plastic. But according to a New York Times article, the average person produces 3 pounds of plastic and waste per flight. Also, there are 4 billion passengers per year, so this is 12 billion pounds of waste.

Environmentalists seem to like focusing on major battles, such as stopping oil pipelines from being built. I consider myself a micro environmentalist. I want to focus on small things, and then get a bunch of people to make small changes. Further, reusable cutlery is the biggest opportunity to “save the planet.”

Reduce Extreme Weather

I have been making other small changes as well. My law firm went 100% remote, which means my lawyers and staff don’t have to travel to and from work anymore.

The average car emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. So, if I have 20 lawyers and staff, this reduces 920 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year! This is something I’m very proud of.

If we can get 10 similar law firms to do this, that’s 9920 metric tons! Therefore, you can see where I’m going with this.

People are not going to fly less, and they certainly are not going to stop flying at all. That is way too hard of a sale for the average person. I wouldn’t get on a ship for three weeks to get to China when I can get there in 10 hours on a flight. Further, environmentalists need to focus on realistic changes and avoid theoretical thinking that doesn’t work.

Global Warming Solutions

When I go to the grocery stores, I see there are always plastic spoons. If I forgot my metal spoon for some reason, or it’s not clean, I head to the sushi section. There I can always find disposable chopsticks. It’s also a bonus that I can practice my chopstick skills when I go to China!

The problem is that plastic is cheap. The average plastic spoon costs $0.06, and the average regular spoon is $0.85. In addition, if a company needs to wash the cutlery, then it’s additional costs and operational requirements.

Companies won’t do this. So, we need to put the ball in the court of the consumers. Let the companies save their six cents, and the consumers will need to bring their own non-plastic cutlery.

Let’s make some small changes and save the world.

Reduce Emissions With Climate Action

The average person’s commute to and from work is around 20 km. This creates 4.6 tons of C02 per car, per year. All of our staff work from home. Also, this means that if we have 20 staff that work from home, we save (4.6 times 20). Further. this means we are saving 92 tons of C02 per year! This is something we are extremely excited about.

We are also pushing all our staff to stay away from plastic bottles, and to send things electronically instead of printing them out. Environmental protection is very important for our law firm.

How Lawyers Can Fight Climate Change

Climate change poses an existential challenge that requires an interdisciplinary response, and the legal profession is uniquely positioned to influence the trajectory of this global issue. Through informed policy-making, careful litigation, and ethical corporate advising, lawyers hold a strong arsenal to combat climate change.

Strategies to combat climate change using legal tools often pivot around policy-making. Lawyers have the capacity to construct comprehensive policies that both regulate emissions and promote renewable energy sources.

For example, in 2020, China pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2060, a commitment that requires extensive legal groundwork to translate into effective policies. The fine print of these decisions, drafted and scrutinized by experienced legal minds, defines how fast and how effectively nations can lower their emissions.

Ordered to cut its carbon emissions

Taking a step from the corridors of legislation, lawyers are also finding their battlegrounds in courts. A Dutch court’s ruling in 2019, where Royal Dutch Shell was ordered to cut its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030, demonstrates the power of litigation in this struggle.

The landmark case, driven by experienced attorneys, established a precedent for holding multinational corporations accountable for their contributions to climate change.

In a similar vein, strategic litigation against governments is becoming a powerful tool. In 2021, a group of German youths sued their government for inadequately addressing climate change, arguing that its insufficient action violated their constitutional rights.

Improve its climate protection measures

The German Federal Constitutional Court agreed, mandating that the government improve its climate protection measures. These instances underline the enormous potential of litigation as a tool to force large corporations and governments alike to accelerate their climate action.

Corporate lawyers advising businesses can also play a critical role. As more companies are recognizing the reputational, legal, and financial risks associated with environmental negligence, lawyers have the responsibility to guide them toward more sustainable practices.

They can advise on reducing carbon footprints, complying with evolving environmental regulations, and aligning with ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) standards.

Moving toward climate responsibility

Lawyers can also utilize financial law to push the finance industry toward climate responsibility. Green bonds, which are used to fund climate and environmental projects, surged to $269.5 billion globally in 2020 according to the Climate Bonds Initiative.

Lawyers can facilitate this market by advising issuers on legal requirements and helping investors understand the risks and benefits.

Another avenue lies in human rights law. In 2020, the UN Human Rights Committee ruled that countries could not deport individuals who faced climate change-induced conditions that violated the right to life.

This intersection of human rights and environmental degradation is a budding field, providing lawyers with the opportunity to use human rights law as a weapon against climate change.

Law Firms Fight Climate Change

The legal world can also influence education and public opinion on climate change. Lawyers are often trusted experts, and they can use this trust to educate the public about the legal implications of climate change and the urgency of legal reforms.

In truth, the capacity of the legal profession to combat climate change is far-reaching and multidimensional. From the legislative halls to the courtrooms, from corporate boardrooms to financial markets, lawyers are armed with the tools to tackle this pressing issue.

The effectiveness of these tools, however, relies on the will to use them, the recognition of the urgency, and the courage to take bold steps in uncharted territories. The battle is uphill, but with dedicated efforts, the legal profession can significantly influence the trajectory of climate change.

We hope you found this article on how law firms can fight climate change useful.

Author: Alistair Vigier is the CEO of ClearWay Law