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The Mediator’s Green Pledge

As a supporter of the World Mediators Alliance on Climate Change (WoMACC) Mediators’ Pledge, the MII invite all our members to become signatories and join other mediators across the world in contributing to minimising the effect of climate change, with a view to significantly reducing our carbon footprint. You can become a signatory to the Green Pledge at https://womacc.org/. Once signed up, you can use the Green Pledge Logo. The Mediators’ Green Pledge is a personal commitment to minimise the impact on the environment of every mediation that we are involved in.

Green Pledge

I/We have committed to minimising the environmental impact of each mediation in which I/we are involved in the ways outlined in the Pledge, including avoiding unnecessary travel and using electronic technology wherever possible.

The time has come to address our contribution to the climate emergency facing us all. The move which many of us have made to online mediation in response to the pandemic has shown us that environmentally friendly ways of mediating can be both easily accessible and highly effective. Signatories take a significant first step in committing to the words of the Pledge. It is for each signatory to decide what the Pledge means for them. But we all know that actions speak louder than words and so, during 2022, we are sharing the Ideas for Action that were inspired by signatories during events in November 2021 to coincide with COP26.
So far, we have shared the following:

  • Idea for Action No 1: Add the WoMACC logo to your email footer and website.
  • Idea for Action No 2: Bring the Green Pledge into one of your conversations.
  • Idea for Action No 3: Request that all documents are provided electronically.
  • Idea for Action No 4: Encourage another person to sign the Mediators’ Green Pledge.

This pledge is a commitment that has no end and whether it is formalised or just remains a contract to myself—it feels really good to have begun it. Thank you for giving me the nudge!

Call to Action

The time has come to address our contribution to the climate emergency facing us all. The move which many of us have made to online mediation in response to the pandemic has shown us that environmentally friendly ways of mediating can be both easily accessible and highly effective.Introduction: This illustrative Green Pledge outlines concrete steps that each of us can take to reduce the impact on the climate of each mediation we conduct. We acknowledge, as the inspiration for this, the Pledge for Greener Arbitrations by the arbitrator, Lucy Greenwood.

Please sign up to show your support for this initiative which could, we hope, have a real impact on our behaviour and fundamentally change the way in which we conduct mediations. The Pledge is broad enough to allow all those involved in mediation to make changes to their behaviour and to lead the way in responsible mediating. It offers a foundation which, we hope, mediators will build upon with their own further measures tailored to their practices. Please feel free to augment or adapt the pledge as you wish.

As a mediator committed to ensuring that I minimise the impact on the environment of every mediation I am involved in, I will ensure that, wherever possible.

The Pledge Outline

  • If screen sharing/video technology is appropriate, accessible and acceptable to all concerned, I will encourage its use in all aspects of my mediation practice;
  • At all times during the mediation process, I will consider the most environmentally friendly way to travel if travel is necessary;
  • I will offset the carbon emissions of any flights I make to and from mediations while recognising that this is not in any way a substitute for avoiding flying and will only fly when it is necessary to do so;
  • At all times during the mediation process I will only correspond through electronic means, unless hard copy correspondence is expressly required in the circumstances, while recognising that electronic communication itself is carbon emitting and should be limited to what is necessary;
  • I will not request hard copies of documents to be provided to me unless there is a special need to do so and I will discourage the use of hard copy documents generally;
  • I will encourage parties and their advisers to consider the necessity of participants attending mediation in person if that attendance involves significant travel and is not necessary;
  • Wherever possible, I will encourage parties and their advisers to consider the most environmentally friendly venue for their mediation. At mediation venues, in rooms in which I am mediating I will encourage, wherever possible, an environmentally friendly approach to the use of consumables and the use of energy;
  • I will consider the appropriateness of travelling to, and my mode of travel to and from, conferences and other events and wherever possible will encourage and use live streaming/remote participation options;
  • I will take steps to reduce the environmental impact of my office/workplace; and I will seek to raise awareness of this pledge, for example by referring to it on my website and/or email footer.”