Finding solutions to reduce plastic waste with Plastic Odyssey

Our Paris office works with Plastic Odyssey, a not-for-profit organisation developing a 3-year marine expedition to find local solutions to reduce plastic waste in the areas most affected by plastic pollution. The mission is going to 3 continents, 30 cities - and as many solutions tested and shared with the world.

We are supporting this mission by providing pro bono legal advice to Plastic Odyssey on structuring their operations and the preparation of their 3-year expedition, on aspects including shipping law and governance.

Partnering with the Global Maritime Forum

We partner with The Global Maritime Forum (GMF), an international not-for-profit organization committed to shaping the future of global seaborne trade to increase sustainable long-term economic development and human wellbeing. As the only international law firm partnering with GMF, we provide legal input and support for specific projects, that aim to reduce carbon emissions from ocean-going vessels.

We advised the GMF on The Sea Cargo Charter, which aspires to set a new benchmark for transparent climate reporting, and improved decision-making in line with the United Nations decarbonisation targets. The Charter follows in the footsteps of the Poseidon Principles, another GMF initiative, and is a further development towards the aim of sustainability in the maritime industry.

"Maritime transport is the most environmentally-friendly method of transporting goods internationally, and the whole of the world’s economy relies on efficient shipping. But there is a paradox: at the same time, shipping is one of the “hard to abate” industries, in which reducing emissions is particularly hard. It is fair to say that the maritime industry was late starting in its efforts to reduce emissions, but efforts are now gathering pace. The Sea Cargo Charter is an important step in that direction.” said Haris Zografakis, partner, Stephenson Harwood, who leads the firm’s partnership with GMF, and was a member of the drafting group that produced the Sea Cargo Charter. “Our firm has a long history of supporting and serving the maritime industry, and of being at the cutting edge of developments. Working with the GMF to produce this Charter is a prime example of this. It has been a real privilege to collaborate with GMF members on this ambitious project, which will help our industry to focus on the positive impact it can have on the environmental challenges we face.”

Firm launches UK Renewables Academy

In June 2022, our offshore renewables team, in association with HKA and Teesside University International Business School, launched a new training course with the UK Renewables Academy. The four-day course provides UK energy professionals with insights and training into all aspects of the renewable energy industry. Participants gain a comprehensive view of offshore wind projects, covering topics such as the UK market, major players, farm identification, ownership, contracting, foundations, floating wind, construction, insurance and hydrogen production.

Delegates also benefit from the unique opportunity to partake in offsite visits to explore some of the technologies and equipment that are changing the energy landscape. Site visits included a tour of Wilton Engineering's fabrication yard, demonstrations at RelyOn Nutec's globally recognised offshore training facility, and a visit on an offshore crew transfer vessel to EDF's offshore wind farm.

For details of the course, or to apply, click here.