Deminor is very proud to be one of the first litigation funders to sign the Green Pledge of the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations and join its efforts to raise awareness for and also drive a reduction in the carbon footprint in dispute resolution.
Deminor joins the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations in its mission to tackle the carbon footprint within the industry of dispute resolution. The Campaign addresses the need for environmentally sustainable practices in arbitration and encourages all stakeholders (including counsel, arbitrators, parties to disputes, and institutions) to commit to the Campaign's Guiding Principles and reduce their carbon footprint when resolving disputes.
About Campaign for Greener Arbitrations:
The Campaign for Greener Arbitration is a group of arbitration practitioners committed to achieving sustainable change in the way in which arbitrations are managed. They promote awareness of the environmental impact of arbitrations and produce best practice guides to the ways in which practices can act to minimise their carbon footprint.
The Campaign for Greener Arbitrations began as a promise by an international arbitrator to manage her arbitrations in an environmentally friendly manner. In 2019, Lucy Greenwood, a highly regarded independent Arbitrator from the UK, launched what she termed her ‘Green Pledge’ to minimise the impact of her arbitration practice on the environment.
The Green Pledge caught the attention of the wider arbitration community, and soon, hundreds of individuals had signed up for the pledge. Lucy realised that while the Green Pledge worked for those who practised as arbitrators, the arbitration community was keen to get behind a broader campaign to address the waste and unnecessary travel that often occurred in international arbitrations. As a result, she brought together representatives of key stakeholders in international arbitrations to spearhead the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations.
Individuals from arbitration institutions, arbitrators, law firms, hearing venues, third-party funders, conference organisers, legal journalists, legal technology providers, and corporate clients have come together to reinforce the message that we all share responsibility for reducing the carbon footprint of our industry.
The Green Pledge:
Deminor commits to the Campaign's Guiding Principles in order to reduce our carbon footprint as a litigation funder.
The Guiding principles
As an arbitration practitioner committed to ensuring that I minimise the environmental impact of my practice, I commit to:
- Creating a workspace with a reduced environmental footprint by looking for opportunities to reduce energy consumption and waste;
- Corresponding electronically, unless hard copy correspondence is expressly needed in the circumstances, while also being mindful that email has a carbon footprint.
- Encouraging the use of videoconferencing facilities as an alternative to travel (including for the purposes of conducting fact-finding or interviews with witnesses);
- Avoiding printing, requesting the use of electronic rather than hard copies of documents and promoting the use of electronic bundles at hearings;
- Using, where possible, suppliers and service providers who are committed to reducing their environmental footprint (including for the purposes of arranging an arbitration hearing);
- Considering and/or suggesting, where appropriate, that witnesses or experts give evidence through videoconferencing facilities rather than attend hearings in person
- Avoiding unnecessary travel and using videoconferencing facilities as an alternative
- Considering and questioning the need to fly at all times and offsetting carbon emissions for any arbitration-related travel.
Comments from Deminor General Counsel Germany Malte Stübinger:
“We are very pleased to support the campaign for greener arbitrations and wish to extend our thanks to Lucy and the broader community for helping us to consider what we can adjust in our approach to managing arbitrations in order to help reduce the environmental impact they have. We look forward to learning from their experience and using this as a guide to help shape our approach going forward.”
To learn more about the campaign and to pledge your support, please click on the link below:
https://www.greenerarbitrations.com/about
