Janet M. Whittaker

Senior Associate (Non-resident), Energy Security and Climate Change Program
5Whittaker

Janet Whittaker is a highly regarded legal and policy professional with extensive experience in issues at the intersection of energy, climate change, sustainable development, and international trade and investment. She is currently senior counsel at Clifford Chance U.S. She has advised clients and plays a leadership role in the firm’s thought leadership work and has written extensively on novel issues of law and public policy, including the international climate change framework, environmental and social governance, just transition, climate-related finance, human rights obligations relating to the environment and climate change, and international trade and investment. Janet sits as arbitrator in international disputes. She was appointed by the UK government and the European Commission to the select lists of individuals eligible to serve as an arbitrator and trade and sustainable development expert in disputes under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (Brexit agreement) and EU trade agreements. Janet is a member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) green trade community and Climate Trade Zero Steering Committee, and a former member of the WEF’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment. She serves on the governing committee of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and has been recognized for her contributions to its work on international environmental issues, including her leadership of groundbreaking projects undertaken for both UN special rapporteurs on human rights and the environment. She was formerly legal counsel at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and an adjunct lecturer at Stanford Law School. She has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Who’s Who Legal and Legal500, speaks fluent Italian, and has worked in French and Spanish.

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Experts React: Decoding COP28's Impact and Outcomes

COP28 unveiled numerous clean energy announcements, from new methane abatement strategies to the acceleration of nuclear energy, but also faced challenges in finding consensus. As COP28 ends, experts weigh in on the biggest outcomes from the global climate conference.

Commentary by Joseph Majkut, Ben Cahill, Gracelin Baskaran, Jane Nakano, Mathias Zacarias, Cy McGeady, and Janet M. Whittaker — December 15, 2023

Experts React: The IRA One Year On

The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law one year ago today, has initiated a new era of federal investment in the energy and climate sectors. Experts weigh in on the domestic and international impact so far and the political challenges that remain.  

Commentary by Kevin Book, Cy McGeady, Jane Nakano, Kartikeya Singh, and Janet M. Whittaker — August 16, 2023