Sustainable Business
Being a Sustainable Business is one of the key focuses of our strategy for the future. We have a proud history of engaging in meaningful activities that benefit our people, communities and other stakeholders.
For many years our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme has been a reflection of these activities. As conceptual frameworks for corporate responsibility and sustainability have evolved in business, so too has our approach. We want to build on the solid foundation of our rich heritage of giving back to the community.
As a forward-thinking firm, we are keen stay ahead. In 2020 we took the decision to evolve our CSR programme into something more, and we established our Sustainable Business Programme to help us further integrate social and environmental concerns into our decision-making and our mainstream operations. We strive to continue to take responsibility for our impact on society and to integrate sustainable and responsible business practices into all of our decision-making as a firm.
We understand that sustainability is a journey not just for us, but for all businesses today. Our clients are at various stages of their own Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) journeys, and our dedicated multi-disciplinary ESG lawyers work seamlessly together to assist clients with the identification and integration of ESG priorities at all levels of their business. You can read more about our ESG services on our ESG Hub.
Governance of our Sustainable Business Programme is important to us. Our Sustainable Business Programme is overseen by the firm’s Sustainable Business Committee which consists of senior partners and business leaders from across the firm that report directly to the firm’s Management Committee. The programme is coordinated by a dedicated Sustainable Business Manager and is implemented by a number of sub-committees with staff representation from all areas of the firm. Through this diversity we ensure success.
Sustainable Business Impact Report 2024
Our 2024 report details the firm’s impact across the core dimensions of a sustainable business programme: Environment, Workplace, Community and Marketplace.
Being a sustainable and responsible business is aligned with our strategic plan and our core values as a firm. We have a long history of contributing to our wider community which originated with our founder, and we strive to build on this foundation year on year.
This year’s Sustainable Business Impact report demonstrates our activities for our financial year 2023/24. Since we first began to report voluntarily on our sustainable business activities in 2021, we have aligned our activities with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This year we do the same, as well as striving to align our future reporting with the requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. Highlights of this year’s report include:
- Environment: Updates on our carbon emissions targets, as well as our other initiatives focused on resource efficiency and minimising environmental impact
- Workplace: An overview of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy and our efforts to foster a culture where our people can thrive
- Community: Our work with charities, support of educational institutions, volunteering activities as well as our significant commitments to pro bono legal work
- Marketplace: Our approach to responsible procurement, with the aim of delivering long-term benefits to both the firm and our stakeholders
To view our 2024 Sustainable Business Impact Report please click here.
To read previous reports, click below:
Our Sustainable Business Programme
Environment
Marketplace
