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Some predicted that COVID-19 might steal attention away from the climate change debate as the world focused on getting through the pandemic. And with an increased demand for face masks, plastic gloves, sanitizer bottles and pre-packaged everything, many have rightly been focussed on waste management issues. But this doesn't mean climate change hasn’t remained a key global priority. The pandemic has highlighted just how fragile and connected many of our natural and societal systems are and, over the last 18 months, people have become even more passionate about fighting for climate change, with companies getting behind them, too.

The Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which will be held in Glasgow this November, will be a pivotal moment as nations come together to strengthen climate change commitments and make a meaningful contribution.

COP26 is seen as crucial to the achievement of the Paris Agreement (agreed at COP21), as it gives Parties an opportunity to finalise its implementation, assess how far they’ve come in the five years since COP21 and set new ambitious targets for the next five-year cycle.

Special Report: COP26 – The Road to Net Zero

To prepare for COP26, we’ve pulled together some of the most relevant insights for those of us in the legal sector.

1) Sustainable living—making UK homes net zero by 2025

Debra Wilson, partner at Anthony Gold Solicitors, discusses the government’s plan to make new homes net zero by 2025. This plan will see the energy performance of all new homes improve, and force existing homes to reach a higher set of standards.

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2) Decarbonising transport—will polluting vehicles go by 2030?

Paul Dight and Suzanne Moir from Addleshaw Goddard Infrastructure, Projects & Energy discuss the government’s decarbonisation of transport plan to phase out all polluting vehicles by 2030. While it’s being executed 10 years earlier than initially planned, will all the many elements involved come into fruition?

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3) Making maritime shipping net zero—the viability of market-based measures

Simon Bullock, shipping researcher at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, and Alessio Sbraga and Gudmund Bernitz, both partners at HFW, discuss the market-based measures (MBM) in place in the maritime industry, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero.

The maritime industry currently accounts for 3% of GHG emissions on a global scale, and while the industry has been slow to put in place new standards, there are promising signs this will soon change.

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4) Organic means—the role of nature-based solutions in fighting climate change

Partner at Clyde & Co, Nigel Brook, discusses the increased international spotlight on biodiversity loss, as well as recent developments including the Business For Nature’s Call to Action, the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature initiative, and the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2021, which listed biodiversity among its top five threats.

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5) Putting the sun in a box—the search for marketable nuclear fusion technology

Ian Salter, Ian Truman, and Peter Ramsden from Burges Salmon LLP discuss the prospect of fusion energy and how it could be a game changer for renewable energy.

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6) 50 shades of green—getting to grips with taxonomy and sustainability standardisation

The Taxonomy Regulation has created a system which classifies economic activities based on their environmental impact, but some are arguing that the framework is fundamentally flawed and viable technologies are being ignored.

The environmental finance team from Latham & Watkins discuss the Taxonomy Regulation and sustainable finance as a whole.

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7) A green future for Bitcoin—is sustainable cryptocurrency possible?

Bitcoin, like all cryptocurrencies, requires large amounts of energy to run. Ben Mendelson, associate at Chronos Law, believes there is a more sustainable solution that will work for all.

8) Sustainable investments— the role of private finance in emission reduction

Kiran Arora, Dominic Gregory and William Rowell from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner talk about the private finance sector and its role in achieving the emission reduction targets of the Paris Agreement.

Discussions held at COP26 will be crucial to the sector’s success, as the balance between mitigation and adaption is still largely unclear, as is the role of the private sector and private finance.

9) The role of international arbitration in the landscape of climate change disputes

Pamela McDonald, partner at Pinsent Masons, argues that arbitration is crucial to the effectiveness of climate change discussions, and is well-suited to climate change cases, as it is a successfully tried and tested form of dispute resolution.

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10) Greening trade—environmental complementarity in new trade initiatives

Under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement, environmental protection measures are categorised as having a direct or indirect effect on trade – thus determining their ‘Green Trade’ status.

Rambod Behboodi, an international trade law and policy expert based in Geneva has some interesting insights into ‘Green Trade’ and the WTO agreement.

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You can read more about climate change in our special report, COP26 – The Road to Net Zero