Climate & Energy Lawyer – community renewable energy (London)
ABOUT THE ROLE
In this exciting, challenging role, ClientEarth is looking for an experienced lawyer to lead a new work stream within the Climate and Energy Team. The focus of this work will be in depth legal and policy work to analyse and develop model regulatory frameworks at national and EU level to remove barriers, and improve support for community renewable energy projects. This role involves legal and policy analysis, ongoing legislative advice and legal support to project partners, development of national case studies and the production of reports and legislative proposals.
Based in ClientEarth’s attractive offices in east London, this role will involve some travel within the UK and within Europe.
ABOUT YOU
With a demonstrated track record in the law, you are ready to bring your strategic thinking and problem solving capabilities in a public interest law setting. You have outstanding thinking and analytical abilities that will enable you to bring a creative approach to the law and use of legal practice. The track record you have built in your professional field to date equips you to develop a strong understanding of EU climate and energy law, environmental law, infrastructure, energy market reform, competition and state aid, public law, and apply this in law and policy development, legislative, and implementation settings at national and European level. You are adaptable, resilient and able to take initiative to collaborate with others to develop relationships and strategies. You are committed to environmental issues and to urgent action on climate change.
ABOUT US
ClientEarth is a public interest environmental law group founded in 2007. ClientEarth brings together law, science and policy to create practical solutions to key environmental challenges. Working in partnership with civil society and policy-makers, ClientEarth is committed to securing the rights of citizens and civil society to participation, information and justice in environmental matters. In Europe and beyond, ClientEarth’s 50 strong staff includes legal experts qualified in more than nine jurisdictions based in offices in London, Brussels and Warsaw. Our programmes cover biodiversity and ecosystems, climate and energy, and health and environment.
Climate and Energy Programme Overview
ClientEarth’s Climate and Energy Programme aims to advance development of law and policy to drive Europe’s transition to a low carbon, efficient and sustainable energy system. We work on strategies to avoid lock-in to damaging high carbon infrastructure, and to promote solutions and action in recognition of Europe’s leadership role in global action on climate change.
Decarbonisation of the power sector is a priority issue for the EU, and over the next few years the EU and key member states will develop frameworks and policies to address the infrastructure, markets, and policy challenges associated with this challenge. We seek to offer practical solutions and make targeted interventions to address key questions. These questions range from the legal basis for EU action, approaches to public participation and planning of generation and network infrastructure to support for renewable and low carbon power and CCS, market reform, innovation policy and technology issues (including intellectual property rights), finance and energy efficiency. We act as independent legal advocates and experts in close cooperation with partner organisations and initiatives at EU level, and with a national focus in the UK and Poland in particular.
Recent highlights in the programme include challenging aspects of Poland’s derogation application for transitional free allowances to its power sector, design of the UK’s green investment bank, legal analysis in support of Commission’s powers to fix the EU emissions trading scheme, and engagement in advocacy on the new energy efficiency directive.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Lawyer, Climate and Energy – Community Renewable Energy, will be responsible for the development and delivery of the community renewable energy work stream. Requiring aptitude for technical, political, and economic analysis on a range of issues related to climate and energy law and policy, the role necessitates big picture thinking as well as detailed analysis.
Working relationships
The position reports to the Climate & Energy Programme Leader. The lawyer will also have key relationships across the Climate and Energy programme with lawyers based in Brussels and Warsaw and more widely across ClientEarth’s programmes and functions including development and communications.
Job responsibilities
The role will also involve leading the community renewable energy project, as well as ad hoc engagement in other files within the Climate and Energy programme. Key tasks and responsibilities will include:
- Research and analysis of national regulatory and policy frameworks related to community renewable energy projects, including the development of 5 in depth case studies
- Ongoing legal advice and support to core project partners throughout the project
- Development of legislative recommendations and proposals for 6 Member States, plus EU level to remove barriers to, and improve uptake of, community renewable energy projects
- Strategic input to core project partners regarding outcomes and successfully influencing legislative agenda’s in the target countries and at EU level
- Reporting and presenting findings to a range of project partners, including NGOs, regulatory bodies, industry and government
- Communicating findings internally, and working with ClientEarth’s communications team to produce press releases and other materials
- Effective liaison with the Climate & Energy Programme Leader and other staff to discuss and evaluate the development and strategic direction of the project
Qualifications and experience
- Law degree
- Fluent in English and ideally another European language
- At least 4 years relevant professional experience
- Sound knowledge base one or more of the following areas: EU law and institutions, public and administrative, environmental, corporate or infrastructure law and practice, climate and energy law and policy
Skills and competencies
- Excellent legal research and analysis skills
- Ability to think and plan strategically, and to break complex issues and strategies into defined, outcome-oriented activities
- Excellent written and oral communication skills to give authoritative advice and influence external audiences, to adapt language, content and style to make communications relevant to policy-makers, funders, press, etc
- Able to represent ClientEarth confidently in a range of forums
- Confident working with and assimilating complex technical (scientific, energy systems and technologies, economic, carbon and energy markets and policy), political and legal material
- Ability to engage constructively and develop relationships with partner organisations as well as a range of external stakeholders in government, industry and civil society
- Excellent organisational skills and able to set priorities and manage multiple tasks
- Collaborative working style, ability to work independently in a self-directed, self-motivated manner, to operate as part of a small team as a team member
This position is based in London. This role involves some travel within Europe.
To apply
Please send us your CV and a cover letter explaining your interest in joining ClientEarth and the contribution you believe you could make to the organisation.
Please include ‘Climate & Energy Lawyer’ in the email subject line, and identify the documents you are sending by including ‘[your name] Climate & Energy Lawyer cover letter’ and ‘[your name] CV’ in the file name.
Please address your application to Karla Hill, Director, Programmes, ClientEarth, The Hothouse, 274 Richmond Road, London E8 3QW and send it by email to jobs@clientearth.org.
Recruitment is open now and you should send your application as soon as possible. Applications close on February 3rd 2013. We intend to hold interviews on the week starting February 11th 2013.
Please note that ClientEarth will only consider candidates who have the legal right to work in the UK.
If you have any questions about the roles advertised or recruitment process, please contact Patricia del Rio (pdelrio@clientearth.org).
