Top law firms declare carbon footprint to lead the profession in tackling climate change
In a unique synchronised move, eighteen law firms and the Law Society of England and Wales are today unveiling their individual carbon footprints.
The firms and Law Society are publicly reporting their results simultaneously, in the same place and using the same methodology, having measured their carbon footprint using the Legal Sector Alliance [LSA] Protocol.
The eighteen firms and Law Society are Founding Members of the Legal Sector Alliance, an inclusive movement of law firms and organisations committed to working collaboratively to take action on climate change by reducing their carbon footprint and adopting environmentally sustainable practices.
The LSA protocol was developed by the sector for the sector to support firms in measuring their carbon footprint.
While emissions will vary significantly due to the size and business models of each firm, sharing the results will help the firms to better benchmark their own environmental performance, identify areas for possible improvement and share ideas for carbon reduction.
The LSA Protocol, which is freely available on the LSA’s website, is the first carbon footprint protocol developed by a sector for a sector. It consists of a spreadsheet-based measurement tool and step-by-step practical guidance, uniquely produced for profession.
While other firms joining the Alliance, or using the LSA protocol to calculate their carbon footprints will not be required to publish the results, the LSA’s founding members hope that by highlighting the benefits of doing so, other members will follow suit.
Nigel Knowles, LSA Chairman, said: “The significance of disclosing these figures is not at this stage the size of the individual footprints, but the process we have gone through to understand what they are and how we might minimise them. Commitment to reduce our footprints is the most significant thing that we are doing. We are all on a journey towards environmental sustainability - no one can claim to have reached the destination, but we are definitely heading in the right direction.”
Desmond Hudson, Law Society Chief Executive, said: “This move is an embodiment of the LSA's mission - to share knowledge and experience and develop best practice to support the whole profession in the necessary shift to a low carbon economy.”
Tim Roberts, British Land, Director and Head of Offices, said: “We are very impressed by the leadership shown by the members of the Legal Sector Alliance in publicly reporting their carbon footprints in this coordinated way. As a user of legal services with our own commitment to environmental sustainability, what is important to us is not the size of a firm’s footprint, but the fact that they have measured it and are committed to reducing it.”
Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community, said: “By reporting publicly in this way the LSA’s founding members are setting the agenda for the rest of the sector to follow. As well as demonstrating the participating firms’ commitment to reducing their carbon emissions, this level of transparency sends a positive message to clients and employees, and shows that even in the current economic climate, they are just as concerned about how they operate as with financial performance.”
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