Elisa de Wit

Elisa de Wit is an environment and planning, and climate change lawyer based in Melbourne. She leads the Australian climate change and sustainability practice and the firm’s global carbon markets practice. Elisa has practised in the areas of environmental, planning and climate change law for over 30 years, including eight years of practice in the United Kingdom.

Elisa’s environmental experience includes advising on various environmental permitting regimes, including waste management, pollution control and discharge consents, representing clients in connection with environmental offences or breaches of environmental legislation and undertaking substantial due diligence exercises. She also has significant experience advising in relation to contaminated land, both in the context of property and corporate transactions and in relation to liability issues.

Elisa’s expertise also extends to town planning and covers strategic advice, legal representation at tribunal and court hearings and negotiation of contractual documents for a wide range of developments including retail, residential, commercial, mixed use renewable energy facilities, landfills, incinerators, waste transfer stations, industrial plants, quarries and mining sites.

Elisa has a detailed understanding of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS), the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI), Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) [now rebadged as the Climate Solutions Fund], the Renewable Energy Target (RET) and the Safeguard Mechanism and has provided extensive advice to a wide range of clients on the obligations and opportunities which flow from NGERS, CFI, ERF and RET. During her time in the United Kingdom, Elisa advised various clients on the implementation and operation of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. Elisa’s climate change practice also includes advising on climate risk, climate disclosure and climate change-related litigation.