UK lawyers lead carbon footprinting push

UK law firms are quickly embracing more sustainable business models with many companies having already undertaken independent carbon footprint assessments of their operations.

That is the conclusion of a new global survey from the Managing Partners' Forum, a trade group for the professional services industry, which found that UK professional services companies in general and law firms in particular are well ahead of their international counterparts in the use of carbon footprinting.

The survey of 1,200 firms worldwide, including management and property consultants, law firms, accountants and architects, found that 43 of the 50 firms to have had their carbon footprint independently assessed were headquartered in the UK - and 28 of those were law firms.

The results underline the UK business community's continued leadership in the adoption of environmental best practices, but will also raise concerns that carbon footprinting remains a niche concern globally.

However, Nick Shepherd, managing partner of property consultant Drivers Jonas and carbon footprint campaign leader for the MPF, predicted the UK's support for carbon footprinting was likely to mark the start of a wider trend.

"The UK has a very dynamic professional services sector and a lot of big global firms grew out of the country," he explained. "It has a tradition of thought leadership and we'd expect this trend to expand – professional services are realising they cannot ignore sustainability."

He added that there was a strong business case for professional services firms to adopt carbon footprinting and establish carbon reduction strategies. " We are, by definition advisers, and if we are to point clients towards more sustainable practices we have to be seen to do it ourselves," he said. " Professional services firms also tend to have a staff base that is skewed towards ABC1s, graduate-level candidates and these are the people most concerned about their employer's environmental record."

The MPF said it would continue to update its list of firms that have had their carbon footprint independently assessed and will also launch a new service for its members recommending approved assessors.

"Hundreds of firms, especially in North America, are looking to follow the pioneers in the MPF Carbon Verified list, but are unsure which assessor to appoint," observed MPF executive director Richard Chaplin. "The MPF is therefore publishing the "MPF Register of Carbon Assessors", a free online showcase of the assessors recommended by MPF Carbon Verified firms."

He added that the trade group was also working with offset provider the CarbonNeutral Company to develop a free guide on how those firms that have carried out a carbon footprint assessment can then attempt to cut their emissions.