Copyright : Re-publication of this article is authorised only in the following circumstances; the writer and Africa Legal are both recognised as the author and the website address www.africa-legal.com and original article link are back linked. Re-publication without both must be preauthorised by contacting editor@africa-legal.com
Discovery Green looks to the future by adding renewable energy lawyer Mathaabe Scott
The Discovery Green platform was established in recent years by Discovery, a South African financial services organisation, with a mission to establish the country as a global renewable energy leader. It has now added lawyer Mathaabe Scott to its team
Talented South African renewable energy, infrastructure, and natural resources lawyer Mathaabe Scott, who has spent the past few years working for elite global firms White & Case and A&O Shearman, has announced today that she is moving in-house, having joined Discovery Green this month as a Senior Legal Counsel.
“Stepping into this role feels both purposeful and exciting,” shared Scott. “I look forward to the work ahead and the opportunities to grow, collaborate and add value.”
Most recently an associate in White & Case’s Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance team, Scott is a University of Johannesburg law graduate who has worked on complex, high-value transactions and been part of teams closing deals involving key renewable energy, infrastructure, and natural resources projects.
Established in South Africa in 1992 as a specialist risk insurer, Discovery has grown into a multinational financial services group operating in 22 countries.
After setting a goal of carbon neutrality, and realising 80% of its emissions came from its electricity use but that emissions reductions needed to be at the source of electricity generation, in recent years Discovery harnessed its expertise - including principles of risk pooling and diversification - to develop the Discovery Green renewable energy platform alongside some of its corporate partners.
It is now developing some of South Africa's largest private-sector renewable energy projects to power corporate, industrial, and medium-sized businesses to replace 90% or more of their electricity consumption with cleaner, wheeled energy.
“We believe we have a crucial role to play in South Africa's decarbonisation journey and look forward to making South Africa's rich solar and wind resources available to energy consumers across the country,” says Discovery Green on its website.
A top student, Scott completed her law degree and commenced her articles during COVID, working for several years for leading global firm Allen & Overy (now A&O Shearman). Speaking to Without Prejudice for their Top Achievers issue in 2021, where she was featured, Scott said the pandemic had shown her the importance of adaptability and initiative, two things she believed would hold her in good stead for her career. “We should never be too comfortable with how things are,” she said. “We should always leave room for change, and always be prepared for anything.”
She is now making a change herself, shifting from private practice at leading global firms to an in-house role as Senior Legal Counsel at a South African business looking to directly impact renewable energy options and the energy transition.