Our Environment team has been designed to meet the cross-sectoral environmental needs of our international client base. We believe that as environmental law grows in complexity, scope and implications, the way we assist our clients with the environmental elements in acquisitions, developments, innovation and compliance must keep pace.

Our Environment Group acts across sectors for a large number of international and local companies, organisations and governments. Our lawyers advise on the environmental elements of mergers & acquisitions, product compliance, infrastructure & construction, water & waste management, climate change and renewable energy, as well as assisting with the interpretation and implementation of regulation.

Our practice is driven by a commercial and comprehensive understanding of the implications of environmental law for our clients.  We are particularly strong in relation to climate change and energy management regulation, allocation of liability for contamination, environmental legislation and risk registers and product compliance.

Bird & Bird & the Environment

Recent highlights of work

  • Product Compliance (RoHS, WEEE, REACH, batteries)

    • Advised Administrative court proceedings relating to hazardous substances, packaging and labelling issues under German and European law

    • Advising manufacturers of microprocessors and other components of IT equipment on application of WEEE Directive across the EU.
  • Contaminated Land

    • Advised international gas supplier on liability relating to oil contamination.
  • Infrastructure & Construction

    • Advising on an investigation on environmental liability for a Nordic recycling company related to contamination at an industrial site.

Accolades

  • "Bird & Bird’s Matthias Lang gains recognition for his “first-class practice” that regularly deals with sector-related infrastructure matters such as renewable and conventional energy generation projects"

    Who's Who Legal 2017, Energy

  • "At Bird & Bird, practice head Kristina Forsbacka gives ongoing advice to the Swedish Energy Agency on climate change law as well as issues relating to clean development mechanism and joint implementation projects"

    Legal 500 2016

  • "Bird & Bird LLP has ‘a high-quality practice with specialist expertise in energy and product-related environmental law’. Associate Joanna Ketteley is strong on climate change and emissions trading and provides ‘focused advice that is pitched at the right level’"

    Legal 500 UK - Environment

Publications

Joanna Ketteley and Michael Rudd: The impact of Brexit on environmental businesses –Infrastructure Intelligence, 15 November 2017

Joanna Ketteley and Veronica Webster: The carbon challenges in the aviation industry  - Environmental Law & Management, 21 April 2017

Kristina Forsbacka: Article on Climate Acts presented at the Nordic Lawyer Meeting (Nordiska Juristmötet) 24-25 August 2017 on the topic whether a Climate Act will provide a better climate ("Kan en klimatlag ge ett bättre klimat?")

Kristina Forsbacka: Article in the legal publication ERT (Europarättslig Tidskrift) issued by Stockholm University "Ålands Vindkraft – EU moving towards market based and cost effective support to green energy. Will nationally restricted support schemes be phased out?" Cowriter is Camilla Rosenberg, Chief Legal Officer at the Swedish Energy Agency

Kristina Forsbacka: Article in the legal publication Juridisk Tidskrift Debatt on a parent company's liability for its subsidiary's environmental debt: "Ny miljörisk för moderbolag. Finansiering av dotterbolag kan medföra direkt ansvar för miljöskuld". Cowriters were LL D. Malou Larsson, Birgit Flening, Director of Sustainability, Ernst & Young and Karin Dunér, Advokat

Matthias Lang: Approval procedure for electromagnetic fields (sec. 3, 4 BImSchV)

Matthias Lang: Requirements for the establishment of high pressure Gas-pipelines (sec. 1-4);

Matthias Lang: Euromoney Expert Guide Energy and Environment 2017, page 7,8, article “The Digitalization of the Energiewende” 

News & Events

  1. 2009-2018

    The move to update WEEE classification

    EU member states had until 15 August to update waste classification rules under the WEEE Directive. Joanna Ketteley explains what has changed and how the UK plans to implement the amendments.