Clyde & Co’s Wynne Lawrence, who was recently named as one of Legal 500’s new UK Green Ambassadors, is a founding member of the firm’s climate risk and resilience practice group. In this Q&A, she discusses the genesis of her professional interest in climate change, building a team of ESG rising stars, and how junior lawyers can make a difference
What made you decide to engage with climate change, ESG and sustainability within your legal career?
We started looking at climate change in detail after the Bank of England published its Tragedy of the Horizon report in 2015. At the time, the understanding of the risks of climate change to the financial system was in its relative infancy. It grabbed my attention and that of my colleague [UK reinsurance team head] Nigel Brook, and we set out to understand what the implications of climate change would be for our clients, using the Bank of England analysis as an important vector for framing our discussions. It allowed me to translate my personal understanding of the risks of climate change into a practical and decision-useful framework with business applications.
By working at the forefront of thought leadership, we could help our clients stay ahead of the challenges posed by climate, and anticipate some of the regulation and litigation that has since come down the line.
What has been your proudest professional moment or biggest challenge in connection with your sustainability engagement?
The ongoing challenge with climate and ESG work is that it is constantly evolving. That is also what makes it so exciting and interesting; the ability to see norms, regulations and jurisprudence in action and in development. The ability to be part of that discussion and demonstrate leadership is an exciting opportunity.
I’m most proud of building a dedicated team of junior lawyers who are rising stars in this area. This means that we are growing the first generation of dedicated ESG lawyers in a corporate world that increasingly requires true ESG experience and understanding of business sustainability and its implications.
Since you’ve started practising, what has been the biggest change you’ve seen in your market when it comes to sustainability and ESG?
The biggest change is the transformation from what was a “nice to have” on corporate social responsibility to a business imperative through the advent of ESG relevant regulation including reporting and due diligence requirements. There are positives and negatives to this. It means a more level playing field and ensures those who are already on a sustainable path are not suffering a competitive disadvantage.
However, those who were already ‘walking the walk’ on sustainability have expressed concern that a shift in focus to compliance could be detrimental to meaningful action. The speed and scale of regulation has also caused friction with the costs of upskilling and responding to incoming legislation challenging the resource of in-house legal teams and other stakeholders.
What advice would you give to aspiring young lawyers who want to get involved with sustainability matters?
I truly believe that every lawyer has a role to play in sustainability, whether through engaging with clients on sustainability issues, or within their company or firm, or with suppliers. Junior lawyers can make a big difference through reverse mentorship regarding sustainability issues within their organisation, ensuring that the issue is raised and kept in frame by senior leaders.
There are dedicated ESG legal paths now available to junior lawyers, but ESG is relevant to every practice area and it makes sense for junior lawyers to keep abreast of developments in sustainability and consider how they will impact their practice.
Read more about the Green Ambassadors in each region:
Green Ambassadors: United Kingdom
Green Ambassadors: Latin America
Green Ambassadors: Asia Pacific
Green Ambassadors: United States