Sustaining the green momentum

Many law firms have produced environmental policies and initiatives in the past year, but tackling climate change requires more than just jumping on the bandwagon. Basic staff behaviours need to be addressed, with firm targets and assessment criteria to meet.

By Nigel Knowles, Joint CEO, DLA Piper

There is no doubt that climate change is now a mainstream political, social and environmental issue. The world’s most powerful and populous nations are striving to agree on the solutions, particularly as new reports show our carbon emissions are continuing to rise. With the Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2012, what comes next has to include bold measures while the window of opportunity exists.

Much attention is given to the political will to develop, agree and implement measures that will reduce carbon. Calls for tough international action have also been fuelled by recent reports on China’s emissions growth. As the world’s most influential political leaders strive to step up international climate-change negotiations, however, we must not lose sight of the fact that individuals and businesses also have a huge role to play. Overwhelming scientific evidence suggests over 90 per cent of carbon emissions are due to human activity. Without the motivation to change the way we live and work, our social and behavioural actions will constrain government efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

The problem requires commitment on three levels – government, industry and individual. Fortunately the influential and the willing in the business community are already showing positive signs of leadership. Given that businesses are directly responsible for 40 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions, it is encouraging that 74 per cent of large British businesses in a recent YouGov poll saw climate change as a key issue.

On 1 May 2007 over 1000 British business leaders took part in the first Prince of Wales May Day Summit on climate change. The event, sponsored by DLA Piper and other leading businesses in the UK, brought together leaders from a range of sectors – retail; professional services; manufacturing; financial services; and the media – to stimulate action and secure a firm commitment to reduce carbon emissions within the business. On the day 82 per cent of participants saw climate change as a key business priority and 741 people pledged to raise staff awareness about the issue and help them take action. The May Day Summit and initiatives such as Lights Out London on 21 June act as important catalysts for change.

Law firms employ many hundreds and thousands of energy-consuming staff, who often travel between offices, which in themselves may be hothouses for unsustainable business practices. Many firms are already taking action, realising the somewhat painful process of establishing their baseline will also lead to cost savings, increased operational efficiencies, and result in a positive effect on the reputation of the business.

Our role as influencers is an important one, as by taking up the challenge we engage our clients, staff, suppliers and other stakeholders. DLA Piper launched its own global sustainability initiative in January 2007. When the board approved the strategy, two things were clear. We wanted to integrate a more sustainable approach with our existing business model to ensure it would be successful, engaging and rewarding our people for helping achieve goals. We also wanted to be able to use our activities as a platform from which we could collaborate with other organisations on climate change. Six months in and we have now measured our emissions across all our offices – 63 in total – and are setting reduction targets in four key focus areas: waste, business travel, energy and procurement.

Using ISO 14001 as our performance benchmark, we are now on target to achieve global certification by 2007. We also believe more professional-service firms will use this globally-recognised environmental standard to improve their sustainability credentials in the future. It supports a robust carbon-reduction approach without the focus on going neutral.

Of course, many firms and businesses have decided to go carbon neutral in the past 18 months. The principle behind this approach requires a company to calculate its carbon emissions in a given area, such as travel, and then offset the emissions created by paying a carbon-trading operator managing an initiative, or project a specific sum to reduce carbon emissions in the air by the same amount. Rogue traders in the emissions-trading industry have generated a backlash against the industry; however, the growth of carbon-trading companies does indicate that it is here to stay. It is encouraging to see a call for a voluntary carbon standard in the absence of any wider regulation, but the primary objective for firms who opt for this approach must first be to reduce carbon emissions. Going carbon neutral should be a last resort as part of a robust environmental strategy to offset unavoidable emissions. DLA Piper’s approach focuses on reduction but we will offset unavoidable business travel. Next year we will report on our progress; however, more benchmarking tools need to be developed to support businesses that want to learn how others are approaching, and solving, questions around emissions reduction. Beyond the headlines about the latest green initiative, there needs to be substance; firm targets; evidence of progress; and visible reports that can be compared within business units and with other companies. This will encourage observers to view business initiatives in this area as more than a brand-enhancement exercise.

In reality, direct emissions generated by law firms are relatively low, and will be easier to manage once a carbon-reduction management strategy is in place. The bigger challenge is influencing indirect emissions from suppliers and staff, which may pose a much greater threat to the environment.

Living by a carbon-reduction policy is fraught with the challenges of accurately measuring emissions, mobilising staff and suppliers and driving continuous improvement. It also comes at a cost. That said, cost savings, the introduction of innovative sustainable business processes and reductions in energy consumption should be enough of an incentive to join the global efforts to combat climate change. Law firms, large and small, have a role to play in supporting the UK’s move to a low-carbon economy. However, the momentum that this sector has the potential to generate first requires the support of the board. My message to all those who are yet to begin their environmental journey is to start now. Your strides will lengthen in time. Taking the first committed steps is more important. Here are some tips from the May Day Summit to get you started:

Mobilise the company

· Integrate a low-carbon strategy into your company's business model;

· Measure emissions (e.g. by carrying out an audit);

· Develop a carbon-reduction plan with SMART targets to minimise your impact;

· Commit adequate budget and resources to tackling climate change.

Mobilise employees

· Raise the awareness of staff about climate change and empower them to take action;

· Identify a board-level champion for climate change.

Mobilise suppliers

· Encourage suppliers to measure and minimise their own carbon footprint;

· Work collaboratively with suppliers to minimise the ‘end to end’ carbon footprint along the supply chain.

Mobilise customers

· Provide information to customers about the carbon footprint of your products and services;

· Raise customer awareness about the actions they can take to reduce the carbon-impact resulting from use of your products and services.

Nigel Knowles is Joint CEO of DLA Piper. He can be contacted at nigel.knowles@dlapiper.com