by Hardwick Legal | Mar 15, 2019 | Purpose Built (LexisNexis)
<article><section><img src="[images%7COpenAccessDataProvider]67660f24-587a-4aae-91e2-a022d6b0e751" sf-size="100"><p>Environment analysis: As part of a series exploring the ‘blockchain boom’, David Brennan, partner and co-chair of global tech at Gowling WLG, considers how blockchain technology can address environmental issues</p></section></article><section><section><h2><mark id="CITEID_672010"></mark>How can blockchain technology tackle various environmental issues, for example climate change, recycling and supply chain management?</h2><p>Blockchain technology is already being used to tackle a range of environmental issues, such as recycling schemes which offer bitcoin-based reward tokens in exchange for those making the effort. However, the wider environmental benefits of using blockchain are, while possible, more challenging and complex in terms of their application.</p><p>For example, the current use of ‘smart grids’—which are designed to optimise energy consumption by detecting and reacting to changes in usage—is an ideal pairing with blockchain technology. Smart grid technology allows peer-to-peer energy exchanges between users on the same grid network. The use of blockchain technology will ensure that accurate user preferences are immutably logged and efficiencies are exploited, resulting in more energy being available across a network capable of delivering a customised and preferred level of energy to each user.</p><p>From a supply chain perspective, using blockchain to track the typically fragmented and complicated stages of the process has the potential to tackle discrepancies and revolutionise supply chain management. While all participants in a supply chain have the same goal in getting a product from the original source to the final customer, there is very often a lack of visibility and communication among supply chain participants. The traditional supply chain</p></section></section>
Source: LexisNexis Purpose Built
The blockchain boom—tackling environmental issues
by Hardwick Legal | Mar 15, 2019 | Purpose Built (LexisNexis)
<article data-sf-ec-immutable=""><section><img src="[images%7COpenAccessDataProvider]d5906733-fc95-4578-be90-88e6d92599d0" sf-size="100"><p></p><p>Energy analysis: As part of a series exploring the ‘blockchain boom’, Adam Brown, managing practice development lawyer in the energy, transport and infrastructure practice at Dentons, considers the potential for blockchain technology in the energy sector.</p></section></article><section><section><h2><mark id="CITEID_671925"></mark>What opportunities can blockchain technology promise the energy sector? What are some issues in the market right now that will benefit from such technology?</h2><p>At a high level, blockchain offers the energy sector what it offers many other sectors:<br></p><ul><li>a means of improving the efficiency of existing systems and processes</li><li>a tool for developing new markets</li></ul><p>In the financial sector, there is a great deal of interest around the potential for blockchain to be used to reduce processing costs in securities transactions. Similarly, in the energy sector, a number of banks, oil and gas companies and trading houses are working on platforms that could be used to trade cargoes of oil products or liquefied natural gas (LNG) and carry out the post-transaction processing of trades in a rapid, secure and paperless way.</p><p>This is because blockchain can maintain an immutable record of transactions and other information that is visible to all relevant parties, and so solve some of the problems inherent in current commodity trading, which is often based on bills of lading. These paper instruments exist in multiple copies that can easily be lost or falsified, and the need for them to be transmitted physically from one party to another creates a drag on commercial activity.</p><p>At the other end of the scale, in terms of individual transaction values, blockchain and the associated technology of smart contracts are perceived as key enablers of ‘peer-to-peer’ electricity trading networks. In theory, households with renewable energy generation or electricity storage facilities could become ‘prosumers’, taking advantage of movements in electricity prices to sell surplus power to chosen buyers (rather than just spilling it onto the grid or automatically selling it all to one utility). In practice, most people will not want to </p></section></section>
Source: LexisNexis Purpose Built
The blockchain boom—driving efficiency in the energy sector
by Hardwick Legal | Mar 14, 2019 | Purpose Built (LexisNexis)
In our March 2019 podcast, Chris Badger and Mark Davies of 6 Pump Court take us through:
– Continued scrutiny of the Environmental (Principles and Governance) Bill;
– Court of Appeal cases on abuse of process; and
– Whether invasion of privacy can be an actionable nuisance
To listen to the podcast, click here.
Continued scrutiny of the Environmental (Principles and Governance) Bill – listen from 0.40mins
Chris and Mark cover the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Environmental (Principles and Governance) Bill by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, discussing evidence given by Michael Gove, Thérèse Coffey and Davide Minotti on March 6, 2019.
A key theme around this discussion centres on the independence on the proposed Office for Environmental Protection, given its proposed funding.
Court of Appeal cases on abuse of process – 6.54 mins
Second, Chris and Mark take a look at some cases which look at a possible revival of the abuse of process, concerning planning cases considered by the Court of Appeal, but where the principles can also be understood as applying to all environmental regulators. The cases in question are:
– R v The Knightland Foundation [2018] EWCA Crim 1860;
– Ceredigion County Council v Robinson [2018] EWHC 2121; and
– Wokingham BC v Scott & Ors [2019] EWCA Crim 205
Whether invasion of privacy can be an actionable nuisance – 10.06 mins
In the final part of the podcast, Chris and Mark discuss a case which looks at whether invasion of privacy can amount to an action in nuisance – in particular, involving the new Tate Modern viewing gallery and visitors looking into the neighbouring properties in the NEO Bankside development.
For more information, see:
– Brexit- environmental law implications
– Court dismisses privacy claims by owners of overlooked flats (Fearn and others v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery)
Source: LexisNexis Purpose Built
LexisPSL Environment News Podcast – March 2019
by Hardwick Legal | Mar 1, 2019 | Purpose Built (LexisNexis)
<p><img src="[images%7COpenAccessDataProvider]a5e74b09-cea9-475d-8544-f0bf5d3b5517" sf-size="333746"></p><p>In <i>Freeborn v Marcal </i><a data-sf-ec-immutable="" href="https://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/legal/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=8TXV-HMF2-D6MY-P2B2&csi=316762&oc=00240&perma=true&elb=t" target="_blank">[2019] EWHC 454 (TCC)</a> the Technology
and Construction Court held that an architect had negligently produced a design which had not met the employers’ requirements or been approved by the employers. </p><p>In its judgment, the court set out a useful summary of the principles of law concerning the duties and obligations of architects:</p><ul><li>The primary basis for the duties owed by an architect is the contract pursuant to which it is engaged</li><li>The architect owes a duty to provide the services with reasonable care and skill (section 13 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982)</li></ul>
Source: LexisNexis Purpose Built
Duties and obligations of architects - a useful summary
