Spreadsheet tool launched to help law firms track carbon footprints

Eighteen UK law firms are to measure and publish their carbon footprints as part of an initiative to create a commonly used benchmark for measuring emissions across the sector.

The Legal Sector Alliance (LSA) has developed the LSA Carbon Footprint Protocol in consultation with the Carbon Trust and is now trialling that standard with a number of its members.

"You can't manage what you haven't measured, so calculation of your carbon footprint is absolutely crucial before you can take action to reduce it," said Des Hudson, Law Society chief executive, announcing the protocol.

The spreadsheet tool is tailored to record emissions arising directly from law firms' activities, although it is based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and calculates emissions according to commonly accepted practices.

The firms agreeing to disclose their results include Allen & Overy, Bond Pearce, Burges Salmon, Herbert Smith, Linklaters and SJ Berwin.

In the US, the American Bar Association and Meritas Leadership Institute have created similar programs and guides to educate firms and help them reduce impact.