Sustainability firmly on the agenda as law firm celebrates Planet Mark recognition

"The British Chambers of Commerce's report highlights the importance of innovation in a resilient, net zero future. The UK's financial ecosystem should nourish green businesses with capital, and support them with a robust institutional framework underpinned by longterm vision, clear goals, and the agility to adapt."

A Midlands law firm has been awarded sustainability certification in recognition of its commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

Wright Hassall, based in Leamington, has been awarded Planet Mark certification, an internationally-recognised sustainability award for organisations acknowledging continuous progress, encouraging action and committing to cut carbon emissions by an aim of 5 per cent, and continue to do so year-on-year.

Ben Goodwin, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, said: “The role of businesses in the transition to a greener economy is fundamental, but for this to materialise the appropriate policy and regulatory conditions must be in place. The BCC’s report carefully sets out what is required on this front so that businesses right across the UK can succeed.

Yasmin Diamond, Executive Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs at IHG Hotels & Resorts and member of the BCC Business Council, said: “IHG is committed to supporting our owners and hotels with decarbonising their operations and giving them the tools to become more sustainable.

more energy efficient by encouraging staff members to turn off electrical items such as lights, monitors and electric heaters when not in use, increasing the firm’s focus on recycling, encouraging staff to only travel when necessary and educating them on the most effective ways to travel.

“To achieve this, we’re actively engaging in conversations with governments, the hospitality industry and business communities around the world, advocating for stronger options and innovative technology to make decarbonisation easier and more cost-effective.

The announcement came on Earth Day –a global event which aims to highlight the importance of protecting the environment.

The year-long certification process involved submitting a range of data to measure the firm’s carbon emissions before taking a number of steps to reduce this. This has included being

“As a group it’s important to have the BCC’s support, helping the industry, advocating for change and together, we can continue to create a more sustainable future for hospitality.” efforts to reduce carbon emissions across the business.

“Innovation will continue to be at the core of the city region’s ambitions both through the work of our network of Innovation Districts, our UKGOVT Innovation Accelerator Status and of course the ongoing work our businesses - and particularly our SME community - are doing to unlock the innovative solutions we need to see to realise our climate targets.

“As the host of COP26, this city has been championing green innovation and circular economy and we at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce have been at the forefront of fighting for the right economic and policy conditions to empower businesses to accelerate and scale action supporting the move to net zero.

Going forward, Wright Hassall will be working with its landlord to improve the overall energy efficiency of its building, moving to renewable energy sources, and will look at introducing further multi-use tenancies within the building to ensure the space is being used as effectively as possible in a bid to continue to reduce emissions.

Mark Shrimpton, HR Director at Wright Hassall, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce our Planet Mark certification in recognition of our

“Businesses produce an incredible amount of carbon – often more than people realise – and it is extremely important to look at ways to reduce this and improve environmental performance.

“Each individual plays a part in helping to reduce carbon emissions, and we have been working hard to improve our processes, educate our employees on what they can do to support this and ask them to ensure that they do the right thing to help us achieve our goals.

"As we approach the Congress of Business summit to again be held in Glasgow on 14 May, as part of Glasgow Climate Week, this report provides a perfect overview of the challenges and opportunities business face and what support is still needed to achieve our ultimate objectives."

“Now we have achieved our first certification, we are already looking at ways we can do more to ensure we continue to reduce our carbon footprint in order to receive certification year-onyear and achieve our environmental goals.”