Ask a bunch of lawyers five years ago what their business was doing about reducing its impact on climate change and you will have expected more than a few blank stares. Even today, there is less than universal understanding and buy-in as to what firms might sensibly do in this area.
The first challenge is around establishing what you are managing and why. A law firm’s business is not about managing its carbon footprint, but it is operated against a backdrop of 24/7 energy needs and international travel. Carbon is one of the consequences of doing business, and the challenge is first and foremost about accepting responsibility.
