Laura Clarke

Laura Clarke is CEO of ClientEarth, a non-profit environmental group using the law to protect the planet. Since she took the helm in 2022, the organization has taken on some very ambitious cases, including a landmark legal challenge against an airline for greenwashing. In March of this year, a Dutch court ruled that airline KLM’s advertisements about “sustainable” aviation were misleading and illegal, setting a precedent for all corporate net zero claims. Now ClientEarth is taking aim at Blackrock, the world’s largest asset management company, in a greenwashing complaint that could result in tighter rules around how investment firms can market funds that are invested in fossil fuel companies.

What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government (other than your own), needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?

We must abolish subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. In 2022, there were $7 trillion in subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. Our tax money is fueling the destruction of our only home. It also skews the playing field for renewables which would leave oil and gas in the dirt in terms of efficiency and cost if it weren’t for fossil fuel subsidies. Imagine what else could be done with that money! We could accelerate the transition to renewables, support adaptation and a just transition, improve education and health.

Where should climate activism go in the next year?

Climate activism should go mainstream. We know that 80% of people globally want to see stronger climate action from governments, but many also feel helpless. Together, we can drive the systemic change we need by switching to banks that don’t finance fossil fuels; insisting that our retirement funds are not invested in destructive industries; holding our employers, schools, and universities to account for their transition plans; voting for progressive climate politics and policies; and, of course, writing, marching, and calling out for the urgent change we need.    

What's the most important climate legislation that could pass in the next year?We need to see the next generation of framework climate laws at the national level to ensure delivery of climate change commitments, galvanize action across governments and societies, provide certainty for businesses, and ensure a safe and healthy environment for current and future generations. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is clear that climate laws help deliver mitigation and adaptation outcomes. But currently only about 60 countries have them. At ClientEarth we’re working with partners to ensure that framework climate laws are a key part of the picture.