Sustainability

Sustainability is assuming increasing significance for businesses across all industries with growing scrutiny of governance and corporate behaviour. It can no longer be considered either a discrete or ancillary area of focus; the changes needed to achieve ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050, as well as meet other environmental obligations arising from the transition to an environmentally sustainable society, impact upon us all.

From start-ups seeking to engage with eco-friendly business strategies to blue-chip companies working to adapt existing policies and protocols to minimise liability or asset managers fulfilling their responsibility to incorporate green criteria in their investment decisions, organisations of all sizes are facing an operating environment that is more complex and challenging than ever before.

At Penningtons Manches Cooper, we draw upon many elements of our multidisciplinary service offering to help our clients respond to the challenges they encounter. We can help you ensure compliance with current legal requirements and commitments, assess and mitigate risks and anticipate future developments. But more than this, we believe that engaging with sustainability brings opportunities and adds long-term value. We are equally committed to making our own business and the services we provide to our clients environmentally sustainable.

Our experienced teams advise on identifying the options and creating the legal frameworks to deliver sustainability objectives, whether in corporate commitments (for example shareholder agreements), commercial contracts (for example dealing with supply chain obligations), codes of practice, property and infrastructure new-builds and retro-fits, renewable energy projects, property investments, employment policies and practices, and much more besides.

We assist clients with sustainable investments and finance products as well as commercialising new innovations. Our specialists provide practical guidance on legal, regulatory and contractual obligations, enable you to understand and comply with ESG and other criteria and advise on mitigating and managing corporate risks.

Alongside our market leading technology practice, we offer expertise in renewable energy, cleantech, electric vehicles, heat and the wider energy transition. Our shipping lawyers support clients on offshore energy projects and help improve the environmental performance of maritime and trade organisations. In the real estate sector, our top-ranking teams frequently work on green property investments and developments across the full spectrum of service areas, from social housing to commercial property.