Will support reforestation projects in the Nandi region
Eight City law firms have committed a combined investment of £4 million over the next decade to support vulnerable communities in Kenya.
The project, a collaboration between Save the Children Global Ventures (SCGV) and Legal Charter 1.5, aims to leverage private sector funding to drive climate adaptation and mitigation efforts while generating carbon credits for participating firms.
The firms involved include Freshfields, Clyde & Co, Slaughter and May, DLA Piper, Taylor Wessing, Charles Russell Speechlys, and Simmons & Simmons, with an eighth firm opting to remain unnamed.
Their funding will initially support agroforestry and reforestation projects in the Nandi region, a tea-growing area severely impacted by climate change and high levels of child poverty, malnutrition, and food insecurity.
The Legal Charter 1.5, launched in 2023 by a group of City law firms, helps firms align their strategies with a 1.5-degree climate transition — backing their commitments with pro bono work. The Charter partners with a range of organisations tackling climate change, including SCGV and the One Million Hours initiative, which mobilises law firms to provide free legal support for projects focused on climate adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity protection.
Jake Reynolds, Freshfields’ head of client sustainability and environment, commented: “Freshfields set a high bar on climate action through its ten-year funding of REAP, which concludes this year. Following 15 months of research and co-development with Save the Children, this new project, which builds on the outstanding success of REAP, is equally pioneering.”
