Growing environmental awareness and historic developments like the Paris Agreement are changing the way companies operate. From emissions trading to harnessing clean and renewable energy sources, sustainable business initiatives are gaining ground in markets across the world. At the same time, accountability standards are rising higher and sanctions growing more severe, creating greater repercussions for noncompliance.
Our Environmental Markets practice brings together its more traditional environment and planning law practice with its climate change, carbon markets and water practices to form a dedicated Environmental Markets practice group. Our Environment practice reflects what we believe is the future of the way in which environmental issues will be regulated and is more effective of the approach that many of our clients (notably investment banks and market players) are taking.
We continue to offer clients traditional environmental and planning law advice but also advice in relation to waste, biodiversity, forestry, agribusiness and clean energy markets. We provide both general advice to clients on the laws across all these areas, however, we also have a significant focus on transactions in the above markets.
Our Australian practice forms a key part of our Global Environmental Markets practice. It is recognised as a world leader in environmental markets and we continually play a leading role in advising clients in emerging areas such as structured carbon transactions, the post-2012 carbon markets, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in developing countries (REDD), Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS), green infrastructure and carbon disputes.