Spotlight on London Climate Action Week (20-28 June 2026)
Climate Litigation, Planning & Environment
London Climate Action Week (LCAW), now in its eighth year, is one of the world’s largest independent climate events. It harnesses the power of London for global and local climate action. This year, the legal sector is strongly represented, and members of Cornerstone Climate are speaking at and attending a number of events. Here’s our take on the key events, some still open to register and some by invitation only:
Monday 22 June
The National Emergency Briefing for Law on the Climate and Nature Crisis
Supported by UKELA, ALBA, PEBA; CBA; PBA and the Bar Council, invite-only (but loads of info here)
Time/Location: 6-8pm, Pinsent Masons
A tailored briefing for lawyers based on the National Emergency Briefing for MPs. Chaired by Lord Sales.
- The climate and nature crisis presents growing threats to society, to business and to the rule of law.
- This affects every sector, from finance and insurance, to health, employment, infrastructure and crime.
- Climate literacy is a core skill for the entire legal profession and the judiciary.
- The briefing will increase the profession’s collective understanding of the risks our clients face.
- Leading scientists and experts offering cutting-edge insights on key risks and solutions.
Estelle Dehon OBE KC will be attending. Register interest for waitlist here.
Tuesday 23 June
UKELA x NZLA: Climate on the Books – the Impact of Climate Change on our Laws & Economy – Nina Pindham speaking
Time/Location: 2-4pm, Inner Temple Lecture Theatre
Tailored specifically for the legal practitioners, academics and members of the judiciary, this event will explore the financial impacts of climate change and the imperative of embedding climate considerations into legal practice. This is a unique opportunity to hear from members of the judiciary, alongside investors, insurers, actuaries and valuation experts.
Confirmed speakers and panellists include:
- Lord David Neuberger (former President of the UK Supreme Court)
- Nina Pindham (Cornerstone Barristers and UKELA Chair)
- Wendy Miles KC (Twenty Essex)
- Alan Rozenberg (Compass Lexecon)
- Maurits Dolmans (Cleary Gottlieb Hamilton & Steen)
- Natasha Landell-Mills (Sarasin & Partners, Carbon Tracker Initiative)
Reserve a free spot here.
Banks on trial: Tort liability for global fossil fuel finance
Time/Location: 8-10am, Blackstone Chambers
Join ClientEarth and a panel of legal experts to explore an emerging area of tort law: can banks be held liable for financing harmful new fossil fuel projects? Banks have channelled $8 trillion in finance to the fossil fuel industry since the Paris Agreement, enabling projects that contribute to dangerous climate change, pollute ecosystems and undermine the rights of Indigenous communities. Holding banks responsible for the negative impacts of their financing is a new frontier in climate and environmental litigation. This event examines the potential for climate litigation against banks through the lens of a thought experiment: a ‘mock’ judgment written by senior English law barristers. The mock judgment illustrates how the English Court of Appeal could uphold claims by affected communities against a bank financing fossil fuel expansion in the Brazilian Amazon. The panellists will consider arguments for establishing a novel climate duty in tort law, as well as addressing the potential legal hurdles to claims.
Register here.
Opportunity Green: Inspiration and resilience: a celebration of climate icons
Time/Location: 6-9:30pm, Stationer’s Hall, EC4M 7DD.
This event brings together a select group of climate leaders and activists who inspire us – Estelle Dehon OBE KC will be attending. The panellists will discuss what resilience means to them, how it shows up in their work, and what keeps them determined and motivated in the face of the climate crisis. The speakers are:
- Mary Robinson – Former President of Ireland and Climate Justice Advocate
- Tessa Khan – Executive Director, Uplift
- Mikaela Loach – Youth Climate Activist and Author
- Aoife O’Leary – CEO and Founder of Opportunity Green
- Paul Dickinson – Co-host, Outrage + Optimism, who will be moderating the discussion.
Please register your free place via Eventbrite here.
Rule of Law and Role of Lawyers in Climate Change
Time/Location: 6-8pm, The Law Society Hall
Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time. And lawyers have an essential role to play in tackling it. This in-person event will bring together a diverse panel of leading voices from across the legal profession to provoke constructive dialogue. They’ll be exploring how climate considerations now permeate every area of legal practice how international and domestic climate cases are shaping English and Welsh law; the intersection of climate change with the rule of law and professional ethics and the Law Society’s updated climate change guidance and National Survey on lawyers’ Climate Change progress. The speakers are:
- Advocate General for Scotland , Baroness Smith of Cluny KC
- Dana Denis-Smith OBE, Deputy Vice President, The Law Society
- Caroline May, Chair of the Law Society Climate Change Committee
- Kirsty Brimelow KC, Chair, Bar Council
- Laura Clarke, CEO, ClientEarth
- John Dernbach, Professor Emeritus, Widener University, American Bar Association
- Penny Kisiel, Managing Associate General Counsel, Global Corporate and Institutional Banking Sustainability Lead (Legal)
Wednesday 24 June
Net Zero Delivery Summit
Time/Location: 9am – 5 pm, Online
The Net Zero Delivery Summit brings together global leaders from finance, government and industry to address one of the defining challenges facing markets today: how to accelerate investment into the net zero transition. Nina Pindham is attending this invite-only in-person workshop. Speakers include:
- The Rt Hon The Lady Mayor of the City of London, Alderwoman Dame Susan Langley, DBE,
- Albert Cheung CEO Bloomberg NEF,
- Rt Hon Lord Alok Sharma KCMG, Chair of Transition Finance Council and UNFCCC COP26 President,
- Faith Ward, Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change,
- Jamie Fergusson, Global Director Climate, World Bank Group,
- Rachel Kyte, UK Co-Chair, The Coalition To Grow Carbon Markets,
- Andrew Wilson, Deputy Secretary General, Policy, International Chamber of Commerce,
- Professor Dame Angela McLean, UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor, Government Office for Science,
- Sebastian Troëng, Chief Executive Officer, Conservation International,
- Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, UN Convention on Biological Diversity,
- Tony Goldner, Chief Executive Officer, Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)
Free online registration for the summit here
Chancery Lane Project Informal Drinks
Time/Location: 5:30pm – 9:30pm, Nova Café, Hogan Lovells
The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) develops free, open-source model contract clauses that help organisations take climate action through commercial relationships. Join the TCLP team for an informal drinks reception to meet others working at the intersection of climate, law, and technology, and to explore how AI is reshaping the future of legal practice and climate-aligned contracting.
Fully booked, but for enquiries contact badara.jeng@chancerylaneproject.org
Thursday 25 June
The frontlines of climate law in 2026 and 2027
Time/Location: 11:30am-1:30pm, Terrace Gallery, London Museum
The panel will explore key strategies for climate litigation, where environmental justice is needed and the role of corporate accountability when governments fail to act. With an eye towards the cases that could make a significant difference over the next few years, the speakers will also discuss why, in an increasingly fragmented world with information integrity on the rocks, telling climate law stories will be ever more important.
Panellists:
- Ivan Couronne: Moderator. Future of the Planet; Global Editor, Agence France-Presse
- Kuberan Hansrajh Kumaresan: Head of Legal Advocacy, RimbaWatch
- Florencia Ortúzar: AIDA Climate Director and coordinator of the Climate Litigation Platform for Latin America & the Caribbean
- Alex Perry: Journalist and author of ‘Blood Will Flow’
- Adam Weiss: Chief Programmes and Impact Officer, ClientEarth
Book here.
Global Trends in Climate Litigation 2026 Snapshot Report Launch – Ruchi Parekh and Joana Setzer speaking
Time/Location: 6:30-8pm, London School of Economics (Malaysia Auditorium, Centre Building)
This event marks the launch of the Grantham Research Institute’s Global Trends in Climate Change Litigation 2026 Snapshot report, an annual report now in its eighth year. The report presents an overview of the expansion, complexity, and maturity in the global field of climate litigation. The report examines the way in which the field continues to expand, encompassing cases in new geographies and cases involving an increasingly diverse array of actors. It also examines the way climate cases can create a “ripple effect” that impacts the activities of both companies and regulators and considers the way in which the field has evolved to become more complex as the transition picks up pace, impacting corporate actors, but also communities and ecosystems. It examines the use of litigation that challenges climate policy and climate projects, situating developments in the courts alongside regulatory rollbacks and political backlash. It identifies signs that the field of climate litigation is rapidly maturing. States obligations to act on climate change are increasingly clear. While corporate obligations are less certain, several recent decisions on admissibility can be seen as building blocks towards emergent norms of transnational corporate accountability. The event will begin with a short presentation from the report’s authors. A panel of experts in climate change law will then provide their reflections.
Book to attend in person or online here.
Tipping points and managing risk through non-linear change
Time/Location: 5:00-6:30pm, Ashurst
On the theme of climate cooperation in a fractured world, networking drinks and a discussion of tipping points and operating through non-linear change. Chaired by Ellie Reeves, Real Estate Partner and Head of the London Environment and Safety practice and Becky Clissmann, Counsel, Sustainability. Guest speakers are Laurie Laybourn (Executive Director, SCRI) and Mike Geary (Principle, Climate and Nature, Anglo American). In attendance will be cross-sector lawyers and senior professionals that deliver or assess sustainability objectives for their company as well as financial services professionals from banks and other investor organisations.
Two more events to flag, as amazing start and end events for the week:
- The Burgess Park Climate and Nature Festival in Southwark (20 June, 9am-6pm, Burgess Park)
- A Forest Bathing Ceremony in Epping Forest (26 June, 2:30-5pm, meet at Holly Trail Café, Chingford)
