The International Bar Association (IBA) ESG Accelerator Training Programme, with emphasis on the legal profession in Africa, has been brought to conclusion. Over six months from the inaugural session in October 2024, the programme attracted more than 1,500 registrations from over 115 countries. The environmental, social and governance (ESG) programme featured insights from experts in private practice, civil society and business from jurisdictions across Africa, including Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.

The aim of the ESG Accelerator Training Programme was to equip lawyers with core knowledge on the key sustainability issues that they face.

Click here to watch the sessions online and access further free resources.

Caliis Badoo, former Chair of the IBA African Regional Forum, commented: ‘In a world of escalating climate change and biodiversity risks, and rising expectations among regulators, consumers and investors on organisations to act in a sustainable way, every lawyer – whether in-house or external advisors and across every practice area – benefits from understanding the legal ESG landscape. As Chair of the IBA African Regional Forum in 2024, it was a pleasure to launch this programme and to help to cultivate a community of legal practitioners who are enthusiastic about expanding their knowledge of this critical dimension of legal practice.’

Mr Badoo added: ‘The IBA African Regional Forum thanks Webber Wentzel, the IBA Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law Section, the IBA Business Human Rights Committee and the IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit for their support in delivering this programme, and the many attendees who made the programme a truly global success.’

Across seven webinars, each lasting an hour, the ESG programme explored a variety of topics relating to the integration of sustainability efforts into legal practice. The individual sessions are listed below with direct links to each one.

• Session 1: Introduction to ESG for lawyers
• Session 2: ESG disclosures, reporting and due diligence
• Session 3: ESG litigation and dispute resolution trends
• Session 4: Sustainable finance
• Session 5: Climate change, nature and just transition
• Session 6: Business and human rights
• Session 7: Governance

Dr Babatunde Ajibade, SAN, FCIArb, Managing Partner of S. P. A. Ajibade & Co, and Chair of the IBA Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI), stated: ‘This programme was about empowering lawyers to spot key ESG issues that come up in legal practice, and it was fantastic to see so many practitioners from across the globe attend and contribute to each session. All sessions are available online and I encourage practitioners to watch them and consider how they can embed ESG into their daily practice.’

The ESG Accelerator Training Programme is one of many IBA initiatives addressing the climate crisis and the legal profession’s continuous efforts to bring about constructive change. Other recent projects include the IBA Climate Registry, a climate knowledge-sharing platform for bar associations and law societies, and a co-hosted roundtable which brought together over 70 representatives from almost 50 bar associations and law societies to discuss their experiences in formulating and implementing climate initiatives in their jurisdictions. A full list of IBA events, reports, articles, podcasts and films relating to the climate crisis can be viewed here.

Garyn Rapson, Partner at Webber Wentzel, and Emily Gammon, Knowledge Lawyer at Webber Wentzel, remarked: ‘Our clients across Africa are increasingly asking us to advise on the financial, reputational and legal consequences of ESG risks and opportunities. To harness local expertise in this rapidly developing legal area, ongoing training and upskilling is important. As Webber Wentzel, we were proud to support the IBA in delivering it's Africa-focused ESG Accelerator Programme, and to moderate several of the panels. The high calibre of speakers and engagement of attendees made for a rich learning opportunity and demonstrated the unique capability of the expert panellists to tackle ESG on the continent.’

Looking ahead, the IBA will continue to support efforts to raise awareness among the legal profession of the importance of integrating sustainability into legal practice. Upcoming conferences on ESG issues include Championing sustainability in changing times: how can law firms adapt and thrive? on 3 June, and two conferences in Paris: ESG Primer: levelling up technical expertise in sustainability reporting and due diligence on 18 June; and ESG: The Brussels effect at a crossroads on 19-20 June.

ENDS

Contact: lpru@int-bar.org with questions or feedback relating to the IBA ESG Accelerator Programme

Media contact: IBApressoffice@int-bar.org

Notes to the reader

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