Kirsty Brimelow KC, chair of the Bar Council, on why every lawyer needs to understand the risks of climate change
Climate change and nature loss no longer sit at the margins of legal practice. They affect the advice we give, the risks our clients face, and the decisions taken by the institutions with which we work.
That was the message of the National Emergency Briefing for Law on the Climate and Nature Crisis on 22 June 2026, during London Climate Action Week. I was delighted to contribute to the briefing. Chaired by Lord Sales, deputy president of the Supreme Court, it brought together senior figures from across the legal profession and leading experts in climate science, extreme weather, food security, energy, nature, financial markets and national security.
Not just for environmental lawyers
The climate and nature crisis is sometimes treated as a matter principally for environmental lawyers. Its implications extend across the profession.
Under rule rC89.1 of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) Handbook, barristers in chambers must take reasonable
