Insurance law firm Wotton + Kearney (W+K) has announced it has been working with climate justice organisations to address the impacts of climate change.
As the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) takes place in Glasgow – which is widely seen as the “last chance to close the gap between” the Paris Agreement's goals and organisations' commitment to reducing their emissions - W+K has revealed that its Community Footprint program has identified climate justice as the focus of its commitment to combat the impacts of climate change.
W+K pro bono partner Heidi Nash-Smith confirmed that the law firm has been teaming up with climate justice organisations to increase its impact.
Recently, the firm's lawyers have undertaken research for Community Legal Centres (CLCs) Australia to identify the international human rights treaties that Australia has signed up to and instances where climate impacts have been mentioned in the organisation's relevant observations on Australia's performance against its treaty obligations.
“We know that the negative impacts of climate change disproportionally affect people experiencing discrimination and disadvantage, so this is also a human rights issue,” Nash-Smith said.
CLCs Australia CEO Nassim Arrage said W+K's support allowed CLCs Australia to further develop its climate action strategy and boost the community legal sector's advocacy on the impact of climate breakdown on people and communities across the country.
“W+K [has] made an invaluable contribution in helping us to identify advocacy opportunities for the intersection of climate crisis and other social justice issues, as well as the policy language of climate that will have the most impact domestically and internationally,” Arrage added.
W+K lawyers also regularly contribute articles to the blog of Climate Justice Programme (CJP) to boost the climate justice organisation's capacity to raise awareness of human rights issues relating to climate change.
Keely Boom, EO of CJP, commented: “W+K has amplified our voice by providing us with insightful and informative analysis of cases of significance to climate justice, as well as the expertise of W+K lawyers writing about climate change risks for companies and investors.”
The insurance industry has been more environmentally conscious these past few months, with many insurance companies distancing themselves from controversial industries such as coal and oil sands.
This year, environmentalists claimed that insurers' decision to move away from fossil fuels has already impacted a massive coal mine project in Australia and a government-owned oil sand pipeline company in Canada, with coverage becoming increasingly expensive for these types of companies, according to E&E News.
