Our world view

The Partnership believes that climate change and pollution of the natural environment represents the greatest threat to the viability of our planet for human habitation of modern times.

The Partnership recognises that changes in the global climate occur naturally, but considers the scientific evidence to be overwhelming in its conclusion that human activities, particularly those which have resulted in emissions of greenhouse gasses are the leading cause of climate change. These activities need to be halted and the damage that they have caused repaired. The Partnership recognises that this will take time and innovation.

The Partnership notes that climate change has become an intensely politicised topic at both a national and international level. The Partnership notes also that many powerful vested interests exist within the current system, which are lobbying to preserve the status quo for their own financial interests.

One result of this lobbying activity has been the suppression of scientific evidence, and a ‘watering down’ of the assessment of the current situation in formal reports and other documents. The Partnership believes that unbiased scientific evidence should be a key guiding force in all decisions relating to climate change. The science must be respected, and scientific reports and assessments should never be impacted by lobbying activities which seek to preserve particular industries or interests.

The Partnership recognises that many of the most polluting activities, such as air travel, eating meat and fish, mass ownership of cars and mass consumption of consumer electronics and fashion, etc. are a result of individual choices to do these things. We naturally recognise the role that individual actions can therefore have in reducing our global carbon footprint and polluting impact on the planet.

Whilst such individual actions are to be commended and encouraged, the Partnership does not believe that individual actions are the solution at a global scale. The reality is that humans will always seek to travel, a significant portion of the population will want to eat meat and fish, and people will wish to enjoy the benefits, comfort or even status of the latest consumer goods or fashion. Indeed, as the global population increases and people generally become wealthier, our demand for these things is likely to increase. These activities are not inherently ‘bad’, and nor should we be seeking to stop them in their entirety on a global scale – this is not viable.

The Partnership believes that the solution therefore lies in a combination of technical innovation and a gradual change in culture to naturally help reduce the impact of these activities. This must be supported by an appropriate legal and regulatory system. Critically, businesses must be required to play their part by both consumer pressure and appropriate legislation. In short, the solution must focus on systemic change and technological innovation, supported by a gradual shift in individual behaviours. The narrative around tackling climate change should not, however, prioritise or focus upon individual actions. Any such approach is too divisive, takes the focus away from the much more significant role of politicians and businesses and is, in the Partnership’s view, bound to fail.

The Partnership recognises the significant impact on the planet of the production and consumption of fossil fuels. Whilst some responsibility for the current situation must lie with fossil fuel companies, the Partnership also recognises that we, as consumers, have used these products to power our lives and vehicles for many generations, and benefited from the development that these cheap sources of power have provided.

The Partnership also recognises that fossil fuel companies have a critical role to play in the fight against climate change. They have the resources to invest in the required innovation and infrastructure and have much of the technical knowledge that we need to develop a sufficient, and sufficiently reliable supply, of clean energy.

Gen-R Law will be pleased to work with any fossil fuel company that is seeking to transition away from their focus on fossil fuels by developing green energy infrastructure or projects, on those initiatives. We will not, however, play any part in the development or exploitation of fossil fuel resources, notwithstanding our acknowledgement of the role that these resources must still play, for many years yet to come, during the course of the energy transition.

Gen-R Law is an advocate of nuclear power. Whilst we understand the associated risks and the need to manage the toxic by-products appropriately, we also recognise that nuclear power is the only source of zero carbon, grid scale electricity, which does not suffer from intermittency or the current lack of viable grid scale storage. Critically, at a time when demand for electricity is increasing, nuclear power offers a solution which we are able to begin deploying now, using known technologies and tested designs.

The partnership also notes the importance of taking a holistic approach to the energy transition. The land required to support nuclear power infrastructure is significantly lesser than the space required to reliably generate the same quantity of power from solar or wind projects for the same output of electricity. Solutions which require less space mean more land is ultimately left available for nature, which is a relevant consideration in weighing up the attractiveness of nuclear power as part of the infrastructure to support our electricity needs in the coming decades.

The Partnership notes the rapid growth in the development of carbon capture technologies, and carbon offsetting initiatives. The Partnership also notes that many companies are now seeking to reduce their carbon footprint by capturing or offsetting their emissions.

The Partnership notes that companies should always prioritise avoiding emissions, rather than relying upon capturing or offsetting emissions. Carbon capture technologies and carbon offsetting schemes have frequently been shown to be unreliable, based upon an unclear or incorrect scientific footing, or worse.

The Partnership recognises that the use of carbon capture and offsetting is inevitable during the current transitional period. These approaches should not, however, be relied upon as a long-term solution. Where carbon capture, or carbon offsetting is being used, it should be proven, verifiable, quantifiable, and a short-term measure whilst emissions free alternatives are being actively sought.