Defence & Security: The road to net-zero
Written By
Senior Associate
UK
As an associate in the Tech Transactions team in our Commercial Group, I advise on a variety of technology contracts with a focus on complex and cutting edge procurement. Artificial Intelligence is a particular interest of mine.
Partner
UK
I am a specialist in outsourcing and large scale technology projects and co-head the firm's Technology Transactions and International Outsourcing practice groups.
The defence sector, like most others, has seen shifting expectations that require more diversity, inclusion and awareness of social and governance changes needed to fully support an increasingly diverse workforce. Commitment to this change has been solidified on a global scale, with one example being the European Commission’s strategy to reach social protection KPIs as set out in its Action Plan towards a stronger social Europe by 2030.
In relation to climate change, although defence is tasked to protect and operate on a vast scale and under the most sensitive of conditions, key players both at state level and in industry have created roadmaps to achieving net zero by 2050, with many smaller members of the industry aiming to do so even sooner. Further changes in legal reporting requirements are also being called for. The Greens-European Free Alliance notes that military emissions reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is currently voluntary and is calling for the EU to be active in changing this to a mandatory regime, to fully implement the Climate Change and Defence Roadmap in the EU.
Increasingly, industrial defence contractors are seeking legal advice concerning their net zero goals for projects such as on-site renewable energy for heat and electricity and sleeved corporate power purchase agreements to reduce energy costs, increase sustainability and improve the sector’s resilience to energy disruption and market volatility.
Our international defence and security team have worked with Lexology on the publication of Lexology Panoramic: Defence & Security Procurement. The team has written the global overview, the France, Germany, Italy, Poland, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary and Australia chapters and Mark Leach and Will Bryson are contributing editors for the publication. All content on the hub is reproduced with permission from Law Business Research Ltd and was first published in Lexology Panoramic. For further information please visit: https://www.lexology.com/panoramic
