Momentum Intelligence’s new research has shown that climate change is a top priority for those in the legal field when it comes to choosing who to vote for.
The following December 2021 events will be Momentum Intelligence Insight SurveySeveral studies were conducted to explore the Political leanings among sector participants in legal service provision, mortgage lending, financial advice, wealth management, real property, aviation, defense and national security.
The survey was completed by 360 lawyers representing all voting-age groups.
Overall, climate change was deemed the most important issue by those in the legal profession with 62% of respondents valuing it highly when evaluating their voting preferences.
This sector was the most surveyed, with 50% of the defense and national security sector, 49% of the aviation sector and 45 percent of the accounting services sector. It also includes 42 per cent and 42 per cent respectively of real estate and mortgage lending. 38 per cent were in the financial advice and wealth management sectors, which place climate change high on their priority lists.
Elaine Johnson (Director of Legal Strategy at the Environmental Defenders Office) spoke to Lawyers Weekly about the current impacts of climate change.
It is impossible to ignore the impact of climate change on every aspect of our lives. Recent extreme events include prolonged droughts, severe bushfires and flooding as well as heatwaves and coral bleaching. This includes the legal profession. She said that lawyers are not only personally affected by the climate impacts, but also professionally.
The climate crisis is affecting all aspects of society. It has an impact on every aspect of society. The climate crisis is relevant to all areas of law, including torts, corporate and commercial, banking, insurance and crime, human rights, administration, environment and planning, and even criminal law. Many legal professionals are realizing that understanding climate change issues is essential to their practice.
Lawyers Weekly reported this previouslyNearly three-quarters of the more than 3000 professionals surveyed plan to vote.A return Coalition governmentComparable to 1 in 3 (34%).
The survey revealed that voters have a range of priorities. Respondents were asked to identify the 10 most significant issues for them and the single largest issue.
Both Labor and Liberal voters found that the economy was the most frequently cited consideration. It was followed closely by climate change and the environment, taxation, small-business interests, and defence or national security.
Lawyers Weekly was informed by Katrina Bullock (Greenpeace Australia general counsel), that climate change and economics are interrelated.
Climate change is a significant threat to Australia’s financial stability and presents substantial systemic economic risk. The world is on track to experience a temperature rise of 2 degrees. A recent report by United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) predicted that a 2-degree rise in temperature would result in a loss of 0.6% GDP. She said that Australia would lose around $115 billion in earnings over 10 years and $350 billion over 20 years.
Every Australian is already affected by climate change. It impacts our work, our clients, our friends, and our families as lawyers. Climate change-driven floods have left many communities homeless and stranded. These same floods have caused death, severe physical damage, and widespread disruption of supply chains and business operations.
Each of these impacts has an impact on the business that lawyers advise. It also comes with its own set legal implications. As lawyers, we have the privilege to understand the legal and legislative system and are uniquely placed to assist in the advancement and protection of climate justice.
Ms Johnson said that the legal profession, in particular, has had to become more familiar with these effects and with climate science and how it affects different clients.
However, the profession can be part of the solution. Not only can the profession represent those trying to stop the worst effects of climate changes, but it can also give honest and candid advice to businesses and corporations about both the climate crisis and the global energy transition.
She said that traditional ways of thinking about law, business, and the economy no longer work. The world is constantly changing and lawyers must understand how this affects their practice.
Due to the pervasiveness and existential nature climate risks, environmental issues should be at top of priority list for all professions. It is impossible to separate environmental issues and the future of our chosen professions.
Lawyers Weekly will continue to cover the results of the survey. Momentum Intelligence Insight Survey will be held in the coming weeks. Jerome Doraisamy, at, can provide additional information about the survey and Momentum Intelligence. Spambots are blocking this email address. JavaScript is required in order to view this email address.Michael Johnson, Momentum Intelligence director, at Spambots are blocking this email address. JavaScript is required in order to view this email address..
