A climate change policy for NZLS

Photo by Beatriz Pérez Moya on Unsplash

Last year the Law Society of England and Wales published its climate change policy. It’s time the New Zealand Law Society did the same.  

The New Zealand Law Society does not have a policy around climate change. It has not publicly adopted strategies to limit its own impact on Earth or to support its members in understanding how to adopt climate conscious legal practice. Lawyers for Climate Action New Zealand Inc thinks that needs to change and in January 2022 they formally asked the board of NZLS to adopt a climate change strategy. In doing so they borrowed heavily from the language of the climate change policy created in England and Wales.

LCANZI challenged the board of NZLS to:

• support NZLS members to be fully informed about the climate crisis and on how they might act to mitigate it;

• urge lawyers, always in a way which is compatible with their professional duties, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the administration of justice, to engage in climate conscious legal practice (i.e. practice that takes into account the likely impact of any matter upon the climate crisis in a way that is compatible with their professional duties);

• provide guidance to lawyers on how to engage in climate conscious legal practice;

•  urge law firms and organisations that support the legal industry to operate in a way which is compatible with restricting the increase in global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and with supporting a just transition to a decarbonised society;

• encourage lawyers, law firms and organisations that support the legal industry to take an holistic and proactive approach to mitigating the climate crisis and promoting climate change adaptation by taking action; and

• report on the steps taken to meet these commitments and the outcomes of such steps and share its learning with NZLS members.

It called on representative groups and individuals to support the call to action. If you are a member of the NZLS, you can give your support to this initiative too. LCANZI will collate a list of individual lawyers who support the action taken. That list will be provided to the Law Society board. If you would like to show your support complete your details here. Your name will be added to the list of supporters.

© Debra Dorrington 2022.