Climate action and the environment

Tackling the climate crisis is the world’s defining task. As transformative climate and environmental policies continue to be implemented locally and across Europe, every business and public sector organisation must be ready.

The landscape is complex, however, and organisations must contend with the implications and stipulations of everything from the European Green Deal and Ireland’s Climate Action Plan to demands from investors and consumers. And they must prepare for the risk of climate-related litigation, an increasing trend in recent years.

Our deeply knowledgeable Energy, Infrastructure & Natural Resources group and Environmental & Planning group advise our clients on achieving green and climate targets in Ireland. And of course, we ensure they comply with all relevant law and regulations.

As an island, Ireland has extraordinary potential to develop offshore wind projects. With over 5GW of renewable energy projects across established and emerging technology, our renewable energy team is known for its specialist local knowledge and can-do appraoch.

Our teams also include lawyers specialising in other growth areas, including Ireland’s hydrogen industry, investment in the circular economy and biodiversity action plans.

To come to fruition and operate successfully, large-scale infrastructure, real estate and energy projects must comply fully with all planning and environmental law.

Our public and private sector clients trust our deeply experienced Environmental & Planning team to advise and act for them on everything from strategic environmental assessments and judicial reviews to climate action and waste management.

With 13 dedicated lawyers in Dublin and Belfast, our multi-disciplinary team has advised on many of the island’s largest infrastructure projects. We collaborate often with colleagues across our Real Estate, Projects & Infrastructure, Construction, Corporate and M&A teams to ensure our clients get unparalleled service.

Human rights breaches, greenwashing cases, nuisance claims and disclosure-related litigation are increasingly frequent business challenges.

That’s due to the rise in climate litigation in recent decades as activists, public authorities and others try to raise awareness and achieve climate objectives.

And as governments come under pressure, companies become subject to tighter regulation or stricter enforcement on carbon reduction, securities laws or consumer protection, for example. 

Moreover, companies face severe reputational risk if they’re seen to be doing less than they should (or acting too slowly) on climate change and carbon reduction.

Our Climate Litigation XXX do we need to say something about what the team does here?

Renewable energy-related projects are inevitably ambitious and complex. And they’re urgent, as Ireland invests to achieve its 2023 targets and harness its exceptional renewable natural resources.

From consenting and financing to site acquisition and development and further to operation and manufacturing, our Renewable Energy team has deep expertise across onshore and offshore wind, solar power, battery storage, data centres, retrofitting, green hydrogen and more.

Advising developers, lenders, investors, utilities and government entities, this team has worked on more renewable energy transactions than any other across Ireland. That’s down to our specialist knowledge, collaboration across practice groups, commercial savviness and drive to get the deal done.

Experience

  • Transport Infrastructure Ireland

    on the MetroLink project in Dublin, one of the largest transport infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the State. This included shaping the EIAR, NIS and all related planning documents, and leading the developer’s preparation for the oral hearing.

  • Uisce Éireann

    on the Greater Dublin Drainage Scheme Strategic Infrastructure Development planning application to an Bord Pleanála. This included a 13.7km orbital sewer, 500,000 PE waste water treatment plant, marine outfall and a separate waste facility.

  • Oriel Windfarm Limited (a joint venture between Parkwind NV and ESB)

    in relation to the development of the 370MW Oriel offshore windfarm and for Parkwind on its joint venture with ESB for the development of the 800MW Clogherhead offshore windfarm.

  • Developers, investors and lenders

    in over 4GW of onshore wind developments.

  • Barranafaddock Wind Farm

    on the defence of s.160 injunction proceedings alleging breach of planning conditions (High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court).

  • ESB/Bord na Móna

    in successfully obtaining SID planning permission representing their JV company at the oral hearing held by An Bord Pleanála on the 172MW Oweninny windfarm. We then successfully defended two judicial reviews.