Gowling WLG Sustainability Partner Ben Stansfield is named among The Legal 500 United Kingdom Green Ambassadors 2026 for a second consecutive year. The 2026 list features 40 private practice lawyers who are recognised for their stand-out achievements in this specialist area of law and for their wider commitment to sustainability.
Launched in 2025, The Legal 500 Green Ambassadors list features those lawyers who are shown to be leading in client work that advances decarbonisation and the green transition, and demonstrate a wider commitment to sustainability. They are advocates for sustainability, shape environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, influence internal operations and lead industry dialogues to help create change.
Specialising at the intersection of planning and environmental law, with a focus on carbon and nature projects, Ben advises a broad range of clients, including developers, financial institutions and conservation bodies. He regularly speaks internationally on UK and European environmental law, and engages in key environmental summits including the annual UN COPs ('Conference of the Parties') and New York Climate Week. He also shares insights on sustainability and ESG through articles and thought leadership.
Ben is the longest serving Trustee of the UK's largest environmental law group, the UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA), and serves as a Vice Chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (ABA SEER) ESG Sub-committee.
Ben Stansfield commented: "It's a great privilege to be one of The Legal 500 Green Ambassadors. We're seeing such a huge amount of change and innovation across the private sector in response to the climate challenge, and as a firm we are committed to supporting clients in creating positive outcomes for their businesses and the environment.
"Having just returned from a series of meetings in New York for Climate Week it's been inspiring to hear how public and private sectors are coming together to support change, particularly in relation to natural capital. As an ESG team we continue to follow developments closely and focus on how we can best support clients as they evolve their ESG strategies."
Gowling WLG's specialist ESG team is fully engaged in developments around ESG. Comprising lawyers from a diverse range of practice areas and across the firm's international offices, the team supports clients on a wide spectrum of matters – helping them understand their responsibilities and identify areas of risk and opportunity as they move forward with their sustainability strategies and long-term ambitions.