A legal initiative is drafting open-access clauses to make progress towards net-zero carbon at the contractual level, reports RICS.
image: for illustration – Open Government Licence v3.0
…[clauses] give construction professionals and their lawyers practical tools to contribute to meeting net-zero and emissions reductions…
RICS writes:
Organisations worldwide have set net-zero targets and climate commitments. However, there is often a disconnect between net-zero mandates and guidance for procurement and construction.
Achieving net zero will require a collaborative and strategic approach, with early engagement and a whole-life-cycle perspective – and contract clauses can help.
Clauses set contracts up for climate
The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) is a rapidly expanding initiative of lawyers, construction industry experts and sustainability professionals working to rewire contracts to combat the climate crisis. It envisages a world where every contract helps to tackle climate change.
With the support of 2,500 participants from more than 320 organisations, including many of the leading global law firms, TCLP has drafted more than 115 free, open-access clauses that can be inserted into contracts immediately.
These clauses, along with TCLP’s glossary of climate-related terms and net-zero toolkit, give construction professionals and their lawyers practical tools to contribute to meeting net-zero and emissions reductions targets.
TCLP has more than 30 buildings and land clauses covering property, construction, environment and planning practice areas. It also has more than 25 supply chain clauses and ten universal clauses relevant to the construction industry.
These clauses can be added directly to a contract or tailored to meet your specific requirements. Each of the clauses is given a child’s name, to remind users of the generation who will be most affected by the climate crisis.
Foot Anstey construction team managing associate Suriya Edwards says: ‘As I was the lead coordinator on Madhavi’s Clause, which focuses on off-site construction, I got to use my daughter’s middle name, which means ‘Earth’. I am looking forward to seeing practitioners use this clause and many others in the future.’
