South Africa

The Johannesburg office of UN Global Compact member Herbert Smith Freehills LLP has demonstrable experience advising on renewable energy projects and on innovative, multijurisdictional mandates handled by the firm’s global ESG team. 

In an international matter led by Ernst Müller, the ESG team advised the Green Hydrogen Organisation on its Green Hydrogen Contracting and Green Hydrogen Standard initiatives. For the contracting initiative, the firm assisted with drafting and reviewing briefing papers concerning policy and regulatory developments, financing, and sustainable development. For the standard, the firm reviewed the universal code which would be used as a certification by hydrogen-producing companies. Together, the initiatives will help authenticate the eco-friendly claims of green hydrogen producers and support future legal regimes that regulate the fuel’s production and consumption.  

The firm has demonstrable experience advising on corporate and project financing elements within South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP), which seeks to expand the country’s electricity capacity through private-sector investment in renewable energy. Pursuant to the REIPPP, the firm advised EDF Renouvelables and EDF Renewables South Africa on the building of three wind farms, and Scatec Solar as EPC provider in their successful bids for a 273 MW solar portfolio, under which the client will sell all power produced through a twenty-year PPA. 

Having established a commitment to become net zero by 2030 within its global sustainability strategy, the firm has certified its near-term reduction targets with the Science Based Targets initiative and verified its footprint data through the Carbon Disclosure Project.

In an effort to help share best practice, build lawyers’ capacity to support the green transition, and reduce the environmental impact of legal work, the firm is a member of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance, Legal Sustainability Alliance, and Campaign for Greener Arbitrations.

France

In Paris, UN Global Compact member Herbert Smith Freehills LLP has a strong sustainable finance practice. Its portfolio of major transactions recently included advice to customer service company Teleperformance on its inaugural issuance of €500m of sustainability-linked bonds, with the interest rate linked to reductions of their carbon emissions.

The firm is active in advising leading aerospace industry clients on sustainable financing matters, crucial to supporting the sector’s decarbonisation strategies. Highlights include assisting Safran with the negotiation of a €2bn ESG-linked syndicated revolving credit facility agreement and handling the negotiation of an €8bn sustainability-linked revolving credit facilities agreement for Airbus.

Notable individuals at the Paris office offer their expertise within the dedicated specialisms of the firm’s global, cross-practice ESG team. Within the cross-office Sustainable and Green Finance team, Louis de Longeaux is a key contact, while in the core Climate Change practice, Mathias Dantin provides experience on major energy deals which help corporate clients further their decarbonisation strategies.

Key to the firm’s offering is the provision of guidance notes, commentary, and legal updates through its ESG Transformation Hub, which produces podcasts, webinars, and development trackers across regulatory change, activism, reporting, and decarbonisation. 

Within its global sustainability strategy, and supporting its commitment to become net zero by 2030, the firm certified its near-term reduction targets with the Science Based Targets Initiative and verified its footprint data through the Carbon Disclosure Project. 

As a member of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance, Legal Sustainability Alliance, and Campaign for Greener Arbitrations, the firm has helped share knowledge and best practice to improve green expertise while reducing the environmental impact of legal work. 

An example of the firm’s international pro bono clients is the Legal Response Initiative, which supports developing nation delegations and NGOs in relation to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.