Conveyancing body's net zero pledge sees members told to reduce climate impact

A conveyancing body whose members conduct a quarter of all property transactions will expect practitioners to take proactive steps to meet the government’s Net Zero targets – which could include refusing client instructions based on climate-related issues.

Net Zero is one of two new additions to the Conveyancing Association’s member pledges, unveiled today.

The pledge states: ‘Members will take pro-active steps to encourage clients to identify how they can improve the impact of their property on the environment to meet the government’s Net Zero targets, such as encouraging client reviews of material information to determine which properties are worth travelling to view and which are not.

‘Firms should also look at how they can reduce their own climate impact deploying up-to-date methodology in order to do so and being able to refuse client instructions from clients based on climate-related issues.’

The second new pledge relates to digital data storage. ‘Members will take steps to enable property data to be delivered and stored digitally to enable future digital interaction with the property throughout its life cycle. Firms should endeavour to provide their clients with a link to a digital storage area or digital property logbook to enable them to interact with their property details digitally when considering alterations, refinancing, retrofitting or sale.’

Existing pledges have also been updated.

On quality of service, members should review a seller client’s title and highlight issues that impact the sale, and highlight legal issues that might affect a buyer client’s intended use and enjoyment of the property. On title and registration, conveyancers should ask Land Registry to expedite registration of the title where delay would cause hardship.

Beth Rudolf, the association’s director of delivery, said: ‘The new and updated pledges follow the publication of our Digital Conveyancing Protocol document and our updated Technical Protocol, in terms of the CA providing member firms with a range of information and recommendations on how they can secure the best experience for all those they deal with, and how they specifically tap into the benefits that can be secured by using digital solutions.

‘This is all about delivering an improved home buying and selling process, and how we make that process less stressful and much more timely, which will provide huge benefits for all.’

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