Roo Patel (left) and Ariane Tadayyon (right) are Co-Chairs of Greener Litigation, home of the Greener Litigation Pledge, which is a collective commitment by law firms, chambers and other disputes professionals to reduce the environmental footprint of their dispute resolution practice.
Roo Patel is the Director of Commercial Operations at Opus 2, while Ariane Tadayyon is a Solution Consultant at Opus 2 and a qualified solicitor in England and Wales.
2026 marks 5 years of Greener Litigation. This guest blog provides more details about the initiative and how legal professionals can come together to support the initiative by making environmentally sustainable choices a normal part of litigation practice.
The story behind the pledge
In 2021, a collective of solicitors' firms, barristers' chambers and other disputes professionals, convened by Mishcon de Reya, launched Greener Litigation and the Greener Litigation Pledge to help the profession rethink established ways of conducting litigation, and consider how litigation can be conducted in a more sustainable way.
The pledge was, and remains, open to all organisations engaged in the conduct of litigation. Founding signatories include Mishcon de Reya, 3 Hare Court, Addleshaw Goddard, Fountain Court, Freshfields, Herbert Smith Freehills, HFW Litigation, Kennedys, Simmons & Simmons, Vodafone and Opus 2.
At its heart, the pledge is a voluntary commitment to change the way litigation is conducted. Signatories undertake active steps to reduce the environmental impact of their disputes work, with practical measures including reducing unnecessary printing and travel, using electronic bundles and correspondence, considering remote hearings and video evidence where appropriate, and working with suppliers who share similar environmental commitments.
The longer-term ambition is more fundamental: to make environmentally sustainable approaches a normal part of litigation practice, so that the greener option increasingly becomes the default. Since its launch, the initiative has attracted growing support from law firms, chambers and other litigation professionals, as well as interest beyond England and Wales. There are currently over 150 signatories to the pledge.
Objectives of the pledge
Greener Litigation’s objectives focus on:
- Reviewing and continuing to publish guidelines for court users to adopt when conducting litigation
- Analysing how the responsible use of technology can assist in the journey to Net Zero
- Engaging with the courts to recommend and promote meaningful change to the rules of litigation practice
- Expanding the reach of Greener Litigation within the UK and internationally
Resources to support sustainable litigation in practice
To support legal professionals on their sustainability journey, Greener Litigation has a variety of resources freely available, including:
- Blog: Quick wins to boost your organisation’s sustainability which provides a comprehensive overview of quick and easy steps to take to reduce an organisation’s environmental impact, starting with measuring your carbon footprint
- On-demand webinar: Your carbon impact: Measure it to manage it which sets out the core principles of measuring your carbon footprint and ways to measure your emissions
- Toolkit: Supporting sustainable conduct and behaviours during the litigation lifecycle which helps legal professionals better understand the ways in which to implement the behaviours encouraged by the Pledge
- Article: Recommended wording for sustainable conduct for use at different stages of litigation (pre-action, CMC or PTR stage)
What’s on the horizon?
In addition to celebrating 5 years of Greener Litigation this year, the initiative’s current projects include examining the environmental impact of AI in litigation, streamlining court bundling, and engaging with the judiciary on sustainable practice.
Last year, the decision was made by the Greener Litigation Steering Committee to introduce minimum standards to promote greater consistency, transparency and accountability across the membership. The minimum standards require all signatories to measure and report their carbon emissions and commit to reducing them year on year.
Signatories that do not yet have these measures in place are asked to implement them within 12 months. There is ongoing work by the Steering Committee to ensure that all signatories have signed the minimum standards.
Join the pledge
Joining the pledge is a simple, visible way to hold ourselves accountable to making more sustainable choices in our day-to-day practice. To sign the pledge, fill in the form here, or contact us for more information.
Corporate organisations can sign the Associate Member Pledge.
Greener Litigation are celebrating their 5-year anniversary with an event on 17 September at 6pm, hosted by Freshfields and featuring a keynote speech from Chair of the Bar Kirsty Brimelow KC.
The event will bring together in-house and private practice perspectives to explore one of the most pressing questions facing legal teams today: How do we make dispute resolution genuinely greener, without sacrificing efficiency or outcomes? Register your interest here.
Climate change is not confined to environmental law - it's reshaping the full breadth of legal practice. You can hear more at our dedicated climate panel at Bar Conference 2026.