Navigating the landscape of climate law and regulation: A briefing for boards

How this report will help you:

Split into five bitesize sections, this report navigates you through climate law from regulatory and operational compliance and transparency and reporting to capital-raising and investment, transactions, and disputes. By the time you’ve read it you will be better equipped to inform your board discussion about planning strategically to adapt to regulatory challenges, litigation risks and, importantly, how your organisation can use a deeper understanding of climate law to drive better strategic decision-making around investment and transactions.

Key highlights:

Regulatory and operational compliance

Discover how economy-wide and sector-specific climate laws aiming to reduce emissions from British businesses are becoming broader in scope and more stringent in application.

Transparency and reporting

Develop a clear understanding of climate and sustainability disclosures and the board’s role in governance and regulatory compliance, as well as how organisations can go beyond compliance to use reporting to make strategic, climate-aligned decisions.

Capital-raising and investment

Explore how capital-raising and investment decisions are increasingly being informed by climate law and regulation, with capital providers looking to organisations to provide clarity on climate reporting and strategy to unlock financing.

Transactions

Understand how mergers and acquisitions can radically change the sustainability profile of organisations, and how boards need to be aware of how these risks and opportunities can affect climate strategy.

Disputes

Be aware of how complaints and litigation relating to the climate transition can impact organisations, and how boards can take steps to mitigate these risks.

Our Knowledge Partners for this report:

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is a global law firm with a long track record of successfully advising the world’s leading national and multinational corporations and financial institutions on ground-breaking and business-critical challenges.

Our team of more than 2,800 lawyers and other legal professionals delivers global results from our 28 offices worldwide. Our commitment, local and multinational expertise and business know-how means our clients can rely on us when it matters most.

In a world of increasing regulation, stakeholder influence and rising expectations from society, it’s clear that sustainability is a board and C-suite-level priority for our clients. Understanding the legal landscape of environmental, social and governance issues across jurisdictions has become an essential tool for companies wishing to build resilient businesses. Freshfields is committed to supporting our clients throughout this journey.

freshfields.com

The Centre for Climate Engagement plays a unique role in bringing leading academic research to a targeted audience of chairs and non-executive directors to accelerate climate leadership on boards in the private and public sectors. The Centre is uniquely placed to develop insights drawing on academic expertise from across the University of Cambridge and the wider research community, together with independent expertise from the business sector.

climatehughes.org

Additional resources

Good Governance: explore our page of content and tools to the essential aspects of good governance in driving climate action