Law firm’s new SDG award offers £50k & 500 hours pro bono work for winning NGO
Melanie May | 17 August 2021 | News
Law firm Clifford Chance has launched a global Sustainable Development Goals Award with the objective of supporting NGOs whose work contributes to the meeting of the United Nations’ goals.
The firm has previously offered Access to Justice and Racial Justice awards, and as with these the Sustainable Development Goals Award will see the firm donate £50,000 and 500 hours of pro bono support to the winning NGO.
The Award is open to NGOs around the world, with a focus this year on the environmental focused SDGs 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, which cover sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, and life on land.
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Those eligible to enter will be organisations seeking to address any of a broad range of environmental issues, including climate change, responsible supply chains, pollution, biodiversity, and water insecurity. Entries will be reviewed by the same criteria irrespective of the entrant’s size, geographical location, or previous interaction with Clifford Chance.
The application process is now open, and closes on 17 September, with the winner announced the following month. They will be chosen by a judging panel including representatives of Clifford Chance, the firm’s strategic pro bono partners, and clients.
Clifford Chance Senior Partner and Environmental, Social & Governance Board chair Jeroen Ouwehand said:
“I believe we must use the power of the law to work towards a sustainable future. As a business, we work towards environmental sustainability in our operations, as well as through the work we do in the communities in which we operate, through our work with clients, with NGOs and via the Clifford Chance Foundation. We are committed to working with organisations to contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and we look forward to announcing the winner to advance this cause.”
Clifford Chance’s Access to Justice Award ran from 2010. Previous winners included Columbia Law School’s Center for Institutional and Social Change, the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), Sierra Leone focused charity ADVOCAID, and the UK-based Hope and Homes for Children.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.