Our approach
Whilst our operational coverage spans across the planet, a comparatively small ecological footprint is produced when compared to other sectors. Nevertheless, we are committed to being leaders in environmental sustainability and our firmwide Environmental Policy is guided by the United Nations Global Compact environment principles; the International Standards Organisation Environmental Management Systems 14001:2015; and the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure continuous improvement.
Leadership and commitment
The Corporate Responsibility Committee, with delegated authority from the Partnership Board, endorses the firmwide environment programme, including the environmental policy. This support intersects with the skills, enthusiasm and capabilities of those responsible for environment in their jurisdiction, most of who manage environment in addition to other core responsibilities e.g. operations, office management, finance.
We are one of only two global law firms to hold firmwide accreditation of the environmental management system (EMS) to ISO 14001:2015; this external audit provides the confidence to our people, clients, and other interested parties that environmental improvements are always underway across our locations.
The EMS has enabled the identification of six areas of focus: climate change, resource conservation, waste management, pollution prevention, biodiversity and taking action. Therefore, environmental impacts are monitored, measured and reduced through innovative initiatives; and engagement is fostered with our people, clients, supply chain partners and other relevant stakeholders.
As CDP (formerly known as Carbon Disclosure Project) supply chain responders since 2012, Linklaters is the only global firm to have consistently disclosed firmwide greenhouse gas emissions. An A- score was achieved in 2018, putting Linklaters in CDP environmental stewardship leadership position, and the highest a global law firm has achieved to date. This demonstrates Linklaters is ‘implementing current best practices’.
Advising clients
The Environment and Climate Change practice is recognised as being a thought leader in the field. Our lawyers advise clients on a range of critical issues which affect their business, including clean technology, low carbon energy, climate finance and markets, environmental regulation, sustainable finance and sustainable real estate.
For more information on the breadth of the Linklaters Environment and Climate Change practice, see the microsite.
Carbon neutral business
In celebration of the UNEP World Environment Day, in 2017 Linklaters became a carbon neutral business and in 2018 a new three year partnership was announced with ClimateCare to offset unavoidable emissions through the Gola Rainforest Project.
Achieving carbon neutrality followed a 10 year programme of reducing operational greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, business travel, waste and water. Emissions are offset from all scope 1 (e.g. gas use, refrigerant losses), scope 2 (i.e. purchased electricity which is not 100% renewable sourced) and scope 3 (e.g. business travel, electricity transmission and distribution, waste, waste and couriers). New environmental objectives which will ensure emissions continue to reduce are set annually.
Engaging our people
Since 2007 the firm has marked UNEP’s World Environment Day as the primary vehicle in raising awareness across the firm as a call to action for some of the world’s most challenging environmental issues. Themes have covered climate change and carbon emissions, energy efficiency, wildlife conservation, plastic pollution, sustainable and local food sourcing, resource conversation, re-use and upcycling and environmental law.
For almost as long as this, the firm has marked Earth Hour. Depending on the issues which are most important to our environment teams across the world, Earth Day, World Water Day and other days of significance are celebrated.
Collective action
We are both founding and executive members of the Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA), an inclusive network of law firms and related organisations committed to working collaboratively to improve the environmental sustainability of their operations and activities. Linklaters is represented on the Leaders Group, the Taskforce, and the Reporting Working Group. Linklaters subscribes to the LSA Principles.
Other partnerships include the City of London Corporation’s Air Quality Champions Awards and Clean City Awards Scheme, Business in the Community, and with EWS-WWF in the UAE.
Sustainable by design
Consideration is given to environmental certifications and/or ratings of new and existing buildings. For example, Linklaters are occupants in:
- an A-label building in Amsterdam, a LEED platinum and DGNB gold pre-certification building in Frankfurt,
- a ‘Class A’ building in Milan,
- a BCA Green Mark Scheme building in Singapore,
- a LEED Silver accredited building in Stockholm, and
- a BREEAM rated Excellent building in Warsaw.
Environmental, health and wellbeing aspects are also included in the design process for fitting out new office space or when office space is refurbished. This has included using materials made from recycled components, re-using existing materials, and minimising waste.
A positive dialogue with building management is key to the ongoing environmental performance of office space, and, in many locations for managing environmental data. In Hong Kong, for example, the building manager hosts tenant sustainability meetings.
Tangible Results
In 2017 the firmwide base year was re-stated to 2010 (previously 2007), achievements include greenhouse gas emissions:
- across scope 1, 2 and 3 reduced by 26%
- resulting from electricity reduced by 42%
In 2018, 73% of electricity was sourced from a 100% renewable supply.
Linklaters Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statement
Firmwide | Carbon Emissions | Units | 20101 | 20162 | 20173,5 | 20184 |
Scope 1 | Company Vehicles | tonnes CO2e | 48 | 62 | 58 | 57 |
Fugitive Emissions | tonnes CO2e | 58 | 43 | 158 | 119 | |
On-Site Combustion | tonnes CO2e | 1,431 | 1,285 | 1,403 | 1,446 | |
Scope 1 subtotal | tonnes CO2e | 1,529 | 1,390 | 1,620 | 1,622 | |
Scope 2 | Electricity | tonnes CO2e | 15,125 | 10,088 | 9,950 | 8,773 |
Direct Heating & Cooling | tonnes CO2e | 3,200 | 833 | 739 | 543 | |
Scope 2 subtotal | tonnes CO2e | 18,325 | 10,921 | 10,689 | 9,316 | |
Scope 2 subtotal (accounting for renewable energy purchased) |
tonnes CO2e | n/a | 13,498 | 7,166 | 4,411 | |
Scope 3 |
Business Travel | tonnes CO2e | 9,889 | 10,343 | 9,704 | 10,937 |
Hotel Stays | tonnes CO2e | n/a | n/a | n/a |
644 |
|
Transmission & Distribution | tonnes CO2e | 1,450 | 940 | 846 | 770 | |
Waste | tonnes CO2e | 288 | 76 | 64 | 65 | |
Water | tonnes CO2e | 102 | 80 | 78 | 69 | |
Scope 3 subtotal | tonnes CO2e | 11,729 | 11,439 | 10,693 | 12,485
|
|
Total emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) | tonnes CO2e | 31, 583 | 23, 750 | 23, 001 | 23,423 | |
Total emissions intensity (Scope 1, 2 and 3) |
tonnes CO2e | 5.45 | 3.75 | 3.60 | 3.61 | |
Total emissions (accounting for renewable energy purchased) | tonnes CO2e | n/a | 26,327 | 19,479 | 18,518 |
12010 data limited assurance to the principles of AA1000 (2008): inclusivity, materiality and responsiveness.
2 2016 data limited assurance in accordance with (ISAE) 3000.
32017 data limited verification in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14064 – part 3 standard.
42018 data limited verification in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14064 – part 3 standard.
5to ensure consistency across greenhouse gas emissions factors for electricity and due to DEFRA ending the production of electricity factors for overseas locations in 2016,electricity emissions factors were instead sourced from the IEA and rebaselined for all years. Therefore, years 2010 and 2016 above have been updated since the previous assurance years.
The 2018 Greenhouse Gas Assurance Statement is here.
Environmental Performance
Firmwide | Unites | 20101 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | ||
Business Travel | Air | Million km | 44.9 | 62.4 | 62.1 | 68.1 | |
Road | Million km | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | ||
Rail | Million km | 4.5 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 | ||
Energy | Electricity | Million kWh | 35.7 | 24.6 | 23.8 | 23.3 | |
Renewable Tariff | Percentage | 61 | 64 | 61 | 73 | ||
Other2 | Million kWh | 20.9 | 10.5 | 11.1 | 10.4 | ||
Resource Use | Paper | A4 Reams | 207,351 | 173,883 | 170,580 | 165,843 | |
Water | M3 | 97,831 | 76,203 | 71,485 | 72,879 | ||
Waste Disposal | All waste3 | Tonnes | 2,453 | 2,154 | 2,109 | 1,893 | |
Recycling4 | Percentage | 57 | 77 | 78 | 77 |