Thinking about a career in environmental law and/or policy?  

Join us to hear from three fantastic UoB alumni who know have amazing careers in environmental law and policy outside the corporate sector. 

The speaker are Ms Katie de Kauwe, senior lawyer at Friends of the Earth, Mr Peter Ashford, General Counsel at Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) and Mr Steven Bennett, policy team leader in the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).    

Informal networking over cake and coffee will follow the presentations. 

Speakers: 

• Katie de Kauwe specialises in environmental judicial review, and also has expertise in cases concerning the right to protest. Katie was listed in the ENDS Power List 2023 and 2024 of the UK’s 100 most influential environmental professionals, and was ranked in the Lawyer Hot 100 for 2023.  Katie led Friends of the Earth’s successful Climate Change Act challenges to the Government’s economy-wide decarbonisation plans, first the Net Zero Strategy, and then the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan which replaced it. She has worked on several critical challenges to fossil fuel projects. These include Friends of the Earth’s intervention in the landmark Finch appeal regarding oil drilling in Surrey, where the Supreme Court ruled in June 2024 that end-use emissions from fossil fuel projects must be included in the environmental impact assessment. Katie also worked on the organisation’s successful challenge to the grant of planning permission for a coal mine in Whitehaven, which was strengthened by Finch and ultimately succeeded on all grounds in September 2024, including those aspects relating to substitution, international impacts and carbon offsetting. Katie leads on Friends of the Earth’s casework on civil liberties, including its live application to the European Court of Human Rights, challenging the use of anti-protest persons unknown injunctions.  Katie holds a degree in Biology BSc and converted to law through her Masters in Law, both from the University of Bristol. 

 

• Peter Ashford is General Counsel at theOEP, one of the UK’s new environmental oversight bodies set up following Brexit. He has a wealth of experience in environmental law and plays a critical role in heading up the OEP’s legal team. That team ensures the OEP meets expected standards and delivers its strategic objectives to protect and improve the environment by holding government and other public bodies to account. Peter worked at Osborne Clarke for several years specialising in litigation, often working on disputes over environmental issues. In 2013 he joined the Environment Agency (EA) where he held several roles across commercial, environmental and public law. Immediately prior to joining the OEP in January 2022, Peter led the EA’s legal team specialising in flood risk and planning law, advising on issues with national or strategic implications. Peter has also been active in helping establish the European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment (ENPE) as a forum to support public prosecutors across Europe in tackling environmental crime. Peter holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Bristol, a GDL &LPC from the University of West of England and an LLM in environmental Law from Aberystwyth University. 

 

• Steven Bennett is a policy team leader in DEFRA. Steven worked on trade in live and animal products during EU Exit, before moving into marine conservation. Currently, Steven is leading on the introduction of a drinks deposit return scheme for the United Kingdom, including working closely on the introduction of joint secondary legislation with the devolved governments, key stakeholders, and other government departments. Steven holds a BA in Philosophy and an MRes in Sustainable Futures, both from the University of Bristol.  

If you would be interested in attending this event, please RSVP here