Environment

Climate Change and Emissions Trading

Climate change issues feature in an ever growing array of legal and policy contexts. Landmark barristers have gained specialist expertise in these contexts, both through advising on the relevant regulatory regimes and on policy development, and through representing those bringing and defending climate change related challenges.

Overview

In addition to our work on renewable energy and Carbon Capture and Storage development projects, Landmark barristers advise regularly in relation to all aspects of the increasing number of regulatory regimes, policy initiatives and statutory duties designed to move the UK to a low-carbon economy. These include the Climate Change Act 2008, the EU emissions trading system, and the Contracts for Difference scheme with the Low Carbon Contracts Company implemented by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

As well as advisory work, Landmark barristers have been involved in climate change related litigation in the UK including domestic challenges to the EU ETS carbon trading allocations, challenges to national policies on climate change grounds, and environmental challenges to nationally significant infrastructure projects. They have featured in some of the most significant cases, including Plan B Earth (Heathrow third runway), Finch (downstream greenhouse gas impacts) and the challenge to the Jet Zero Strategy.

Our public international law expertise also covers the various international law obligations arising from international agreements on climate change, including in contexts relating to the domestic implementation of those agreements.