Working towards
Greener Litigation,
one case at a time
Greener Litigation is an initiative to reduce the environmental impact of dispute resolution.
It is the home of the Greener Litigation Pledge, a commitment to action by solicitors’ firms, barristers’ chambers and other disputes professionals.
It is also home to the Associate Member Pledge, an opportunity for corporates to support Greener Litigation.
Greener Litigation is an initiative to reduce the environmental impact of dispute resolution.
It is the home of the Greener Litigation Pledge, a commitment to action by solicitors’ firms, barristers’ chambers and other disputes professionals.
It is also home to the Associate Member Pledge, an opportunity for corporates to support Greener Litigation.
Our goal
On 27 June 2019, the UK became the first country to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming by 2050, with the target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero.
In 2020, the Civil Justice Council’s Rapid Consultation on the impact of COVID-19 measures on the civil justice system prompted Mishcon de Reya to propose that climate change should be put at the centre of a review of how litigation is undertaken in English courts.
Greener Litigation aims to support the courts and court users to reduce their carbon and to encourage lasting change in litigation practice. Its primary focus is on the courts of England and Wales, but since its launch in 2021, there has been growing international interest to join and grow the initiative. Greener Litigation welcomes members from both the UK and internationally.
Our work so far
1.Securing signatures from leading law firms, barristers’ chambers, legal tech companies and corporate organisations.
2. “Highly Commended” for the Sustainability Initiative award at The Lawyer Awards 2022.
3. Promoting the work of Greener Litigation at events including London International Disputes Week 2022, LawScot COP 26 Conference and the Law Society’s Commercial Litigation Annual Conference 2022.
4. Launching the Associates Member Pledge, in recognition that non-litigation businesses have a significant role to play in supporting Greener Litigation’s work.
5. Publishing the Greener Litigation Toolkit to support sustainable conduct and behaviours during the litigation lifecycle.
Objectives
1. Reviewing and continuing to publish guidelines for court users to adopt when conducting litigation;
2. Analysing how the responsible use of technology can assist in the journey to Net Zero;
3. Engaging with the courts to recommend and promote meaningful change into the rules of litigation practice; and
4. Expanding the reach of Greener Litigation within the UK and internationally.
Projects
1. The environmental impact of the use of AI in litigation.
2. Understanding the maturity of signatories’ emissions data.
3. Streamlining court bundling.
4. Corporate engagement with the Pledge.
5. Engaging with the Judiciary in a meaningful way.
Who can sign the Pledge?
All organisations engaged in the conduct of litigation are welcome to sign up to the Pledge, provided they meet the Minimum Standards. It has been designed with flexibility in mind to suit law firms and barristers’ chambers, as well as legal tech companies. For corporate organisations, we encourage them to sign up to the Associate Member Pledge.
The Pledge
By signing the Greener Litigation Pledge, signatories commit to taking active steps to reduce the environmental impact of their practice and to minimise their emissions in line with the objective of restricting global warming to 1.5°C as outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The Bulletin
Greener Litigation’s Bulletin provides the latest updates, insights and resources on sustainable litigation, climate-related legal developments, member activities and upcoming events across the legal community.
Sign up to the Bulletin
From time to time, we would like to get in touch with news about the work we are doing. If you would like to receive the Greener Litigation Bulletin, please sign up here.
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