Sustainability in law firms

Climate Change

Sustainability in law firms

Charlotte Williams from the Legal Sustainability Alliance talks to Suzanne Padmore, a disputes partner and the Chair of the Environment Committee at Burges Salmon.

Suzanne Padmore reflects on the development of her roles: ‘When I started in my environment committee role it was very separate from my day job as a pensions disputes lawyer, but now there is increasingly convergence with ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors around investing getting closer to the top of pensions trustees’ agendas, and how much influence they could have.’ More and more lawyers are finding that ESG or climate change issues are raised by clients as well as for the firm’s own internal processes.

Suzanne Padmore joined Burges Salmon in 2007 as a junior lawyer, and immediately became part of the ‘BSustainable’ committee, conscious of the role large law firms play in managing and reducing their environmental impact. Her introduction to the firm and committee coincided with the founding and membership of the Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA) which was formed following Prince Charles’s 2007 ‘mayday’ call at the St James’s Palace conference and brought together more than 1,200 business leaders.

The audience of business leaders at the mayday conference did not necessarily correspond to the individuals who pushed climate change and decarbonisation up the agenda within law firms; Suzanne explained how even as a junior, there were opportunities for her to make her voice heard. In 2010, Burges Salmon set up an Environmental Committee with a key focus on managing environmental performance in coordination with the firm’s policy goals. Serving as deputy Chair – well before Suzanne herself became a partner and an externally recognised leader in the firm – she explained that this experience was an important opportunity to engage with senior management within the firm and to develop new skills which have supported her as a lawyer too. No doubt, having the chance to engage with a matter that is important to her personally has made her commitment to the firm more interesting and satisfying.

When Burges Salmon announced its Net Zero ambitions in 2020, discussions were simultaneously being held across different cohorts of Burges Salmon’s people about the firm’s policies and long-term vision; it is becoming increasingly evident that setting ambitious targets and commitments are essential for both recruiting and retaining staff, where the goals of profit targets and having a sustainable purpose become increasingly aligned – an ethos which strongly resonates with new recruits and existing employees in ways it simply hasn’t before.

Setting ambitious targets is not solely an internal process either and Suzanne reflects on the significance of the opportunity to participate in The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) as one of the most significant and well-timed developments for lawyers who are both interested in the practice of law and conscious of the climate emergency. TCLP is a collaborative project which creates ‘new, practical contractual clauses ready to incorporate into law firm precedents and commercial agreements to deliver climate solutions.’ With over 1,300 legal professionals collaborating, it is clear that such initiatives will be pivotal in helping the legal industry as a whole, come closer to reaching Net Zero alongside adjusting to new and different ways of working which facilitate collaboration and teamwork. The roles of TCLP and the LSA are key in highlighting that the economy is undoubtedly going to shift to Net Zero, and we are here to provide support and take you on that journey.

With COP 26 fast approaching, the climate crisis has never been higher on the agenda and represents a potential watershed moment for real action, transforming business operations as we know them. However, my view might be slightly too optimistic. Suzanne’s prediction? That COP 26 will raise expectations and opportunities. She hopes that the profile of COP 26 will bring conversations around Net Zero and decarbonisation even more to the fore, perhaps with clients who have not engaged before, pushing it up the agenda and making it easier than before to make important changes.

The LSA supports member firms, regardless of where they stand in their sustainability journeys. Since the restructuring of membership in January, we have nearly 100 member firms making use of our resources, such as, a carbon calculator. With a network ranging from a one-man practitioner to some of the world’s largest firms, the opportunity to learn from best practice is central to the LSA and enables collaboration with firms that might have traditionally been viewed as competitors. Furthermore, membership of the LSA gives your firm access to partnerships with Good Energy and Carbon Intelligence who can provide support in reaching Net Zero targets. Finally, access to exclusive member-only events provides an important to forum to widen networks and further benefit from the sharing of best-practice.

With role-models such as Suzanne, who highlight the important differences we can make at any stage in our career, along with the operational support provided by the Legal Sustainability Alliance and other similar networks, I am optimistic that COP 26 will push decarbonisation further up the agenda and ensure that meaningful targets can be set before it is too late.

If you would like to know more, about how the LSA can support your and your firm, please contact charlotte@ legalsustainabilityalliance.com. ■

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