Martijn Wilder, head of the Firm’s Global Environmental Markets and Climate Change practice and is also experienced in broader environmental infrastructure and agribusiness. He is regarded as a legal pioneer in the development of legal mechanisms and regulations underpinning the emergence of international carbon and broader environmental markets. He has been ranked as one of the leading climate change lawyers by Chambers Global and is listed among the best lawyers in his field by Best Lawyers Australia 2009. He founded and serves as chair and/or board member of numerous climate change and emissions trading advisory groups and taskforces, including the International Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) , the Carbon Trust (Australia) and the NSW Carbon Markets Taskforce. Martijn is also a Professor of Climate Change Law at the Australian National University.

Practice Focus

Martijn advises clients on all aspects of environmental markets, particularly legal issues relating to climate change and emissions trading. He has advised governments and international agencies on the development and design of climate change and emissions trading laws, the building of market infrastructure and the procurement of carbon assets. Martijn regularly works on international carbon transactions and has advised on a broad range of investments and fund raisings in, and the establishment of funds for the broader environmental markets areas. Martijn continues to be a key adviser to governments and clients on post-2012 carbon markets and funds and the development of polices and transactions in relation to reducing emission from deforestation and degradation (REDD++). Clients particularly seek his legal advice on emerging areas of carbon law and policy, and the emerging opportunities in relation to the new environmental infrastructure in relation to renewable energy networks, electric vehicles and large scale sustainable land management and agribusiness.

Representative Legal Matters

• Advising governments and multi-lateral financial institutions on the design and implementation of climate change law and policy including the UNFCCC and Kyoto frameworks, the design of post-2012 legal frameworks and climate mitigation strategies.
• Advising governments, funds and companies on the development of carbon projects (CDM, JI, forestry, carbon capture and storage and REDD) and the trading in carbon and broader environmental rights (AAUs, CERs, ERUs, EUAs, VERs, biodiversity units, renewable energy credits and other domestic units).
• Advising on the development of environmental markets infrastructure including trading frameworks and exchange platforms, market registries and escrow arrangements.
• Advising on the establishment of environmental markets funds (especially in relation to carbon, forests, renewable energy and biodiversity investments) and their ongoing procurement programs.
• Working with clients on broader corporate transactions in the environmental markets area including IPOs, private fundraisings, syndications, acquisitions, equity investments and joint ventures and the sale of businesses and assets.
• Acting as counsel on the development of "green projects" including renewable energy and bio-fuels projects, the roll out of electric vehicles and the development of smart grids and renewable energy networks.
• Advising on large scale sustainable land management, forestry and agribusiness. This has also involved developing carbon and water value in relation to such projects and advising on public-private partnerships to develop ecosystem and biodiversity corridors and reserves.
• Undertaking developing country capacity building in relation to developing domestic legal capacity, domestic projects and training the local private sector, with a key focus on the Clean Development Mechanism and REDD.

Admission

High Court of Australia~Australia (1997)
Federal Court of Australia~Australia (1997)
New South Wales~Australia (1993)

Education

Hague Academy Centre for Studies and Research in International Law and International Relations (1994)
University of Cambridge  (LL.M.) (1994)
Australian National University  (LL.B. Honours) (1992)
University of Sydney  (Bachelor of Economics Honors) (1989)