Groundsure to host mortgage climate change summit

The in-person event will take place in on Tuesday, 14th June 2022.

The keynote speech, ‘Reporting from the Climate Front Line’, will be given by Roger Harrabin, BBC News’ energy and environment analyst, who will consider the UK's policy response to climate change and ask if it’s fit for purpose.

In addition, Matthew Jupp, mortgage policy principal at UK Finance, will discuss how regulatory compliance is shaping its members’ response and consider what lenders want property lawyers to do about climate risk, while Ben Elder, international head of valuations at RICS, will provide a property valuer’s perspective.

Other guest speakers include:

• environmental law barrister Stephen Tromans, who will clarify solicitors’ professional liability risks and their responsibilities to alert clients as to the geo-environmental impacts of climate change
• Seb Charles, chairman of the Law Society’s environmental law and planning committee, who will provide an outline on what the society’s response may be in terms of future guidance to commercial and residential conveyancers
• environmental consultant Stephen Sykes, who will discuss the salient data, risks and liabilities
• Jason Lowe OBE, head of climate services at the Met Office, who will offer his view of what our climate could look like in the future and how climate change will affect our communities, infrastructure and daily lives

Dan Montagnani, CEO at Groundsure, said: “We want this summit to be the mortgage market’s answer to COP26, and the stellar line-up reflects that.  

“We need everyone in the tent — including commercial brokers and lenders, as well as property lawyers — if we, as an industry, are going to figure out how to handle the risk that climate change poses and what our collective response is as we seek to act in the best interests of our clients and maintain compliance.“