A group containing many of the world’s largest law firms has called for the urgent introduction of a new set of global regulations to help deliver steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
The lawyers argue that innovative legislation would create the “opportunity for new jobs, economic growth and improved global living standards”.
The Legal Sector Alliance, which represents 270 law firms, including global giants such as Linklaters, Taylor Wessing, Simmons and Simmons and Norton Rose Fulbright, issued a new communique to coincide with the United Nations climate summit in the Polish capital, Warsaw.
British environmental news website BusinessGreen reports the communique sets out the case for a significantly more ambitious legislative framework designed to drive investment in clean technologies and deliver rapid emission reductions.
“The nature of the threat posed by climate change means that there is an urgent need for mitigation and adaptation programs to be incorporated as a matter of course into national law,” the communique states.
“The Legal Sector Alliance calls upon governments to adopt regulations on a global scale to achieve this and to implement any commitments they make at the Warsaw conference (COP19/CMP9) expeditiously and in accordance with these principles.”
It argues there is a compelling economic case for more ambitious action.
The communique predicts that “by being creative and adopting a proactive approach governments can support businesses and individuals in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating the opportunity for new jobs, economic growth and improved global living standards”.
It also sets out a series of over-arching principles that should govern the development of effective climate legislation, including the establishment of effective global reporting, industry and product standards, and the development of regulatory regimes that remove “perverse incentives” and allow clean technologies to compete on a level playing field.
In addition, it argues governments should ensure climate regulations are enforced in an effective, consistent and proportionate manner and that where financial penalties are imposed revenues are recycled to support climate-related initiatives.
BusinessGreen reports Desmond Hudson, chief executive of the Law Society, said the United Kingdom’s legal sector was well positioned to help drive more ambitious climate legislation.
“The UK legal sector, with its position at the top of the global legal services market, is extremely well placed to push for more effective regulation,” he said.
BusinessGreen reports his comments were echoed by Sir Nigel Knowles, chairman of the Legal Sector Alliance UK, who said more businesses should use the Warsaw climate summit to highlight the business benefits that come with a greener economy.
“It is vitally important that we have a collaborative effort from governments internationally, in developed and emerging markets, to deploy effective regulation and to incentivise environmentally sound practices,” he added.
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It is high tome our Tony Abbot and his team of morons were arrested for criminal ignorance resulting in the death of millions!!!!