Can you talk about you or your company’s efforts relating to renewability, sustainability or other environmentally-friendly activities?

Our company is dedicated to advancing renewable energy and sustainability efforts. We are part of UPC Renewables Group, a leading worldwide renewable developer with over 20 years of global experience pioneering and building world-class wind and solar projects. Our mission is to meet our world’s growing energy needs with clean electricity and improve the lives of local people and communities.

In Vietnam, we constructed the Lac Hoa and Hoa Dong wind farm projects in the southern region of the country. We are currently awaiting approval to put them into operation. Each project has a capacity of 30MW and utilizes eight Vestas V150 turbines on 162m tall towers. With piled foundations up to 70m long, these are some of the tallest wind turbine structures in the world.

Soon, we will form a Joint Development Agreement with IPC Group to seize opportunities to jointly develop wind power projects. We are both committed to providing sustainable renewable energy development solutions to minimize negative impacts on local environments and taking this opportunity to implement advanced turbine technology.

Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change in their organisations?

As a legal counsel for a renewables developer, I believe in-house lawyers are well positioned to drive change within their organisations. In-house lawyers have a unique understanding of the legal and regulatory landscape in which their company operates, alongside an appreciation for the company’s business operations and strategic goals. This combination of knowledge and expertise allows in-house lawyers to identify opportunities for change and provide guidance on how to implement those changes in a legally and business compliant way.

Additionally, in-house lawyers often work closely with other departments within the company. This cross-functional collaboration allows in-house lawyers to gain a broader perspective on the company’s operations and identify areas where changes could have a positive impact.

It can be difficult to truly measure a company’s track record and accomplishments in terms of their environmentally friendly behaviour. What do you think has, until now, been mostly missed when discussing how green a company is?

Accurately measuring a company’s environmental track record and accomplishments can be challenging. In discussing how green a company is, an aspect that may be overlooked is the full scope of their supply chain and the environmental impact of their suppliers. While a company may have strong internal sustainability practices and environmentally friendly products or services, their overall environmental impact may still be significant if their suppliers do not share the same values and practices.

Another aspect that may have been missed is the long-term sustainability of a company’s actions. Some companies may engage in short-term initiatives to improve their environmental footprint, but these efforts may not be sustained over time. It is important to consider whether a company has made a long-term commitment to environmentally friendly practices and these practices have been integrated into their overall business strategy.