Conveyancing leaders reject a move to include climate risks as part of their day-to-day work.

The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) says conveyancers are not experts on climate risks to properties, and neither should they be.

The society ‘pushes back’ on what it calls a “move to place another burden on conveyancers”.

It is responding to a consultation by The Law Society called ‘Climate Risk and Conveyancing’.

Conveyancers are not equipped nor trained on climate matters.”

Simon Law, Chair at SLC (main picture), says: “Conveyancers are not equipped nor trained on climate matters.

“It is the Society’s view that firms’ terms and conditions should contain specific exclusions in respect of any liability relating to climate change reports and risks,” he says.

“Effects of climate change, be they long term or short term are issues that surveyors or other expert parties should be advising on.”

Drain of talent

And the society warns that “the profession is experiencing a drain of talent, loading ever more burdens on conveyancers can only hinder attracting new entrants into this area of law”.

The Law Society consultation says: “Climate change can lead to more frequent and severe weather events, impacting property resilience, value and insurability.”

It says conveyancers should “warn clients about potential legal liabilities arising from climate risks”.

And conveyancers should also “discuss climate risk with the client and explain that one way to gain further information on the physical risks posed to the property is to order a climate search, explaining their importance and limitations”.

Report search results

Conveyancers should report climate search results, and direct clients to specialists for detailed advice, it says.

“Climate searches provide future risk information not covered by standard environmental or flood searches, such as physical and transition risks”.