Ashurst has appointed its first global sustainability partner as it seeks to assist clients paying more attention to the issue.

The international firm has appointed finance partner and global high yield head Anna-Marie Slot into the inaugural role, as part of an initiative to assist clients with navigating sustainability issues.

Dave Rome, strategy director in Ashurst's global loans team, will support Slot in the initiative. Ashurst is also introducing sustainability advocates across its global offices to ensure the approach is high on lawyers' agendas.

Ashurst will focus on advising clients on issues relating to climate change risk, green finance and wider environmental factors, as well as looking at the sustainability of its own operations.

Slot said in a statement: "Ashurst has been an active voice in the area of green finance and is a world leader in the power and renewables sector. Through our support of various sustainability-focused organisations worldwide, such as the Climate Bond Initiative, Ashurst has played a key role in this rapidly evolving area."

Slot joined the firm in 2014 as a partner, and was previously at White & Case.

Other firms have sought to boost their sustainability credentials recently.

In June, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer tapped up its New York-based partner Timothy Wilkins to serve as the firm's first global partner for client sustainability.

Meanwhile, Dentons launched a Warsaw-based sustainable investment practice group in the same month.