Gowling WLG has been recognised in The Legal 500 UK Green Guide 2024 for its commitment to ESG, sustainability, climate change-related work and internal environmental initiatives.
The Legal 500 Green Guide is the first worldwide guide to recognise the top law firms advising on issues around climate change, governance and sustainability. The editorial highlights the leading practices and individuals in each jurisdiction, recognising a firm's contribution to 'Green Change' and ESG.
Gowling WLG is featured in the guide this year, following a comprehensive research process to identify the "key players" at the forefront of ESG that are contributing to a global "green transition".
The firm receives praise for offering clients across sectors "deep and broad ESG knowledge with a particularly strong UK presence" and for playing "a key role in several matters in the emerging UK carbon markets space", including to the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on the launch of the LEAF coalition.
At a sector level, partner Ben Stansfield is named for his leading role in driving Gowling WLG's sustainability offering as co-chair of the firm's ESG practice. While the Energy team is also commended for its market-leading role in a series of clean energy deals over the last year.
Corporate partner and co-head of Energy Gareth Baker is recognised for his role on a €6m investment in HH2E to fund the development of new green hydrogen projects in Germany. Meanwhile, project finance partner Nath Curtis is highlighted for his advice to Zenobe on its £235 million financing by five commercial banks to construct two Greenfield battery storage projects in Scotland. The project will see up to 600MW of storage capacity added to the UK transmission network.
Fiona Nicholls features for her role in overseeing Gowling WLG's internal environmental sustainability agenda. This includes the firm's commitment as a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact and its annual independent ESG audit by EcoVadis, its membership of The Chancery Lane Project and as a founder signatory to the 1.5 Charter to catalyse carbon reduction across the legal sector.
Ben Stansfield said: "We are delighted to be recognised in the Green Guide this year, which is testament to the commitment, expertise and passions of our firm. The ESG and sustainability landscape is constantly changing for all of our clients, no matter which sector or jurisdiction they operate in. We are proud to be advising our clients on these critical issues, but we are also keen to promote ESG excellence, and drive forward our own ESG commitments."
Gowling WLG's specialist Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) team is fully engaged in developments around ESG. Comprising of lawyers working across practice areas in our international offices, the team provides a wide spectrum of advice helping clients to understand their responsibilities and identify where risks and opportunities may lie, to support them in getting started and formalising their ESG pathway.