LCANZI Newsletter - September 2022

Kia ora koutou,

Please see our September newsletter below for an update of the last month.

LCANZI panel: Kick-starting the transition in New Zealand – the role of corporate governance in the transition to a low-carbon economy

LCANZI’s Corporate Governance sub-committee is hosting a free online panel on Thursday 6 October at 12pm-1pm.

Momentum is building in the race to net zero, but the most recent IPCC was a sobering reminder that we are running out of time to keep warming below 1.5 degrees. While the rate of emissions is slowing, annual emissions are still rising and any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. It is clear that corporates have a significant impact on our ability to meet domestic and global emissions targets - yet NZ boards are primarily being asked to focus on how the changing environment (physical, social and regulatory) impacts them. Join a panel of legal, governance and sustainability experts to discuss current state of play on New Zealand boards and the levers available to kickstart transition planning.

We have an outstanding, experienced panel with varied backgrounds and roles. It promises to be a really insightful session. Our panelists are:

  • Simon Jensen (Buddle Findlay)

  • Jonathan Mason (Professional Director, Chapter Zero)

  • Julia Jackson (Kiwibank)

  • Laura Hillis (Investor Group on Climate Change)

You can learn more about the event and speakers, and register for the zoom link here.

AGM minutes

We hosted our 2022 Annual General Meeting on 11 August. Thank you to those of you who attended, it was great to see you all! Here are the AGM minutes, president’s report, sub-committee reports, and financial statements.

Following the AGM we have had a change in our Committee members. We want to say thank you to our outgoing Committee members; Carol Weaver, Duncan Ballinger and Tania Te Whenua.

Big welcome to our new Committee members; Frankie McKeefry, Jennifer Campion and Dr Grant Hewison!

Our current LCANZI Committee is:

  • President: Jenny Cooper QC

  • Treasurer: James Every-Palmer QC

  • Secretary: Sophie Meares

  • Zoe Brentnall

  • Lloyd Kavanagh

  • Michael Sharp

  • Cassandra Kenworthy

  • Frankie McKeefry

  • Dr Grant Hewison

  • Jennifer Campion

LCANZI submission independent review panel

On August 31 LCANZI made a submission to the independent review panel on lawyer’s obligations and climate change. You can read our submission here.

In January this year, LCANZI wrote to NZLS asking the NZLS Board to pass a resolution to provide support for the profession in developing new essential skills needed to build climate conscious practices. LCANZI’s proposed resolution draws, to a large extent, on a similar resolution passed last year by the Law Society of England and in Wales.

LCANZI has been working with NZLS on refining this concept and this submission to the independent review panel has been part of that work.

All Aboard Aotearoa appeals JR decision

An appeal has been lodged against the High Court’s decision that Auckland’s transport plan is lawful despite not reducing emissions.

The original challenge was brought by All Aboard Aotearoa Inc, a coalition of climate and transport advocacy groups, in relation to the Regional Land Transport Plan for 2021-2031. The plan would increase Auckland’s land transport emissions by 6% by 2031 compared to 2016 levels. Even with government interventions in the form of Clean Car Standards and biofuels improvements, only a 1% reduction would be achieved. All Aboard Aotearoa argued that AT and the Council acted unlawfully in adopting the plan.

The High Court decided that AT and the Council had not acted unlawfully in adopting the RLTP.

All Aboard has filed an appeal against the decision. “We maintain that a transport plan which does nothing to reduce emissions must be unlawful. If it is lawful, then the law needs to be changed to compel councils and transport agencies to make the emissions cuts everyone accepts are necessary. Either way this appeal is an important step towards getting our elected officials to take meaningful climate action” says All Aboard Spokesperson and LCANZI Committee member, Zoe Brentnall.

You can read the full press release on our website here.

Sub-committee volunteer call

We’re always looking for more volunteers for our sub-committees, please email admin@lawyersforclimateaction.nz if you are interested in joining any of the following sub-committees:

  • Corporate governance sub-committee

  • International climate issues sub-committee

  • Māori, tikanga and Te Tiriti sub-committee

  • Financial disclosures sub-committee

  • Agriculture and food supply sub-committee

  • NZBORA sub-committee

  • Local government sub-committee

  • ETS sub-committee

  • Greenwashing sub-committee

Ngā mihi maioha for your support and we will update you again soon.

Kia pai tō rā whakatā! 

LCANZI Committee

LCANZI