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The recently published Lexis Nexis report, Implementing the E of ESG: why in-house lawyers are instrumental, produced in partnership with Lawyers for Net Zero has revealed the extent to which in-house legal counsel can drive this agenda forward.

There is a groundswell of agreement amongst leading general counsel (GCs) that in-house counsel can and must support businesses to embrace the opportunities found in pushing environmental (the ‘E’ of ESG) considerations to the top of the boardroom, thereby staying ahead of risks and leading the imperative for change.

The overwhelming message: embrace the bigger picture, accept it is impossible to know everything, and just get started. But with the deluge of information available in this area, jargon, acronyms and inconsistent terminology, it can be hard to know where to go for quality guidance. To help in-house counsel to understand their ‘net zero’ from their ‘net negative’, ÀÏ˾»úÎçÒ¹¸£Àû has developed toolkits and bespoke content on climate change, biodiversity and waste, as well as the myriad of additional issues found within social (the ‘S’) and governance (the ‘G’) concerns.

The Sustainable business toolkit has more than 100 Practice Notes from across LexisPSL, drawing together the many ESG issues into a hub, to help practitioners navigate this extensive area. The toolkit groups ESG content in the following topics/context, covering many of the angles that ESG issues might be approached from:

• Competition
• Digital transformation
• Employment
• Energy efficiency
• Environment
• Finance
• Finance products
• Governance
• Mobility
• Reporting and disclosure
• Sectors
• Social
• Supply chain management

Given how pervasive ESG matters are, content can be found across PSL and so browsing is another way to access content. Below are some examples of relevant subtopics found within PSL. It is not an exhaustive list; it is more a starting point, depending on what ESG issues are being considered.  

Environment

Subtopic: Climate change and targets

Subtopic: Environmental reporting

Subtopic: Responsible business and human rights

Subtopic:

Subtopic: Sustainable finance

Subtopic: Sustainable procurement

Subtopic: Sustainable development

Employment

Subtopic: Sustainable business and responsible business: employment issues

Corporate

Subtopic: ESG issues

Subtopic: Relations with shareholders

Subtopic: The corporate governance regime

EU

Subtopic:

Financial Services

Subtopic: Sustainable finance and ESG

Banking & Finance

Subtopic: Environmental issues

Subtopic: Types of green financing

Commercial

Subtopic: Supplier management

Risk & Compliance

Subtopic:

Subtopic: Human rights and business  

In-house Advisor

Subtopic: Responsible business, CSR & ESG

Subtopic: Culture, regulation and ethics

Within each of the subtopics listed above, practitioners will find Practice Notes, news, precedents and checklist on relevant ESG issues. Some of the specific notes on the E, include:

Practice Note: Sustainable business – biodiversity

Practice Note: Sustainable business – decarbonisation and net zero

Practice Note: What is climate change litigation?

Practice Note: Climate change – emissions targets, carbon budgets and net zero

Practice Note: Mandatory environmental reporting

Practice Note: Voluntary ESG reporting

Practice Note: Voluntary greenhouse gas reporting

Practice Note:  Waste – the circular economy

Practice Note: Sustainable business and environmental, social, governance (ESG) – introduction for companies and advisors.

With the urgency for action on climate change and connected issues building, businesses can no longer ignore their responsibilities and the role they should take in this transformation. In-house legal teams are in a unique position to drive this change, with ÀÏ˾»úÎçÒ¹¸£Àû content available to support every step of the way.

Find out what practical steps influential General Counsel are already taking to guide their organisations on the path to net zero.

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