CIArb supports the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance

As part of our commitment to tackling climate change and delivering a net zero world, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) is delighted to become a formal supporter of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance (NZLA), alongside our support for the Greener Arbitrations pledge and the World Mediators Alliance on Climate Change. As a global professional body of over 18,000 dispute professionals across the globe, we have a unique role to play in ensuring Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) plays a full and pro-active role in driving the shift to net zero by 2050, and we will use our involvement with NZLA to amplify our influence.

Climate change is the defining challenge of our era, and the transition to a net zero carbon economy will require unprecedented political, social, and commercial change. NZLA was formed to mobilise lawyers committed to accelerating transition to net zero emissions by 2050. In this context, disputes professionals will be indispensable facilitators of the shift to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in accordance with the scientific consensus on what is required to limit temperature rises to 1.5O. From the interpretation of sophisticated deal structures to deliver green energy infrastructure, to understanding the dynamics of regulatory change in climate-sensitive disputes, practitioners in arbitration, mediation and adjudication must all be equipped with the tools they need to accelerate the transition to a green economy.

As the global professional body for the sector, CIArb is committed to playing a pro-active role in that process, from the courses and guidance we provide to the influence we have on governments and policymakers around the world, we will ensure that ADR is an enabler of global efforts to tackle climate change. In the immediate term, our Alexander Lecture on Thursday 11th November will be given by Wendy Miles QC FCIArb direct from COP26 in Glasgow, and will explore precisely the question of how international arbitration can be a facilitator of sustainable investment.

CIArb Director-General Catherine Dixon:

“Our support for the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance demonstrates our commitment to supporting the ADR community to tackle net zero, not only through how we operate, but as a strategic enabler to facilitating sustainable investment and making green infrastructure projects possible. CIArb’s Alexander Lecture delivered from COP26 next week, will explore how this can be achieved. As, a professional body we are committed to equipping disputes professionals with the tools they need to be allies in the fight against climate change.”

Lewis Johnston MCIArb
Assistant Director for Policy and External Affairs
ljohnston@ciarb.org