Environment

Freshfields’ commitment to environmental sustainability has been longstanding. We were one of the first law firms to offset our emissions in 2007 and, more recently, have committed to ambitious science-based targets (SBTs) to reduce our emissions to net zero in line with the Paris ambition.

We are supported by a number of environmental business partners. With decades of experience in corporate sustainability, they allow us to verify our performance and contribute credibly to addressing the climate crisis.

Freshfields global environmental policy

Together with our colleagues, clients and business partners, we share responsibility for moving the world onto a more sustainable footing. To help others make meaningful change, we must transition ourselves, considering our environmental impact, making ambitious and effective plans, and highlighting our progress transparently.

Our global environmental policy outlines our priorities, targets and commitments to continually improve our environmental performance.

Purpose and scope

We aim to demonstrate leading environmental practices, which are independently verified for our stakeholders. Our global environmental policy helps us to mitigate our negative environmental impacts (including greenhouse gas emissions) and to encourage others. This policy defines how we will:

• deliver on our commitment to reduce business-related carbon emissions in line with science-based targets;
• embed sustainability through our procurement practices, office behaviours, smart travel, catering and focus on waste;
• transition to a modern office network with high sustainability standards in design, development and operations; and
• maintain our carbon neutral status through purchase of offsets on our way to net zero and beyond.

Our global environmental policy focuses on environmental performance across:

• workplace (energy, carbon and nature);
• travel (business and commuting);
• waste (paper, plastics, food and e-waste);
• catering (sourcing and diet); and
• procurement of products and services (RFPs, contracts and engagement).

Our environmental priorities are made clear to everyone from their first day at Freshfields and throughout their time at the firm. But we understand that organisations across the global economy must also strive to address environmental challenges. As well as setting an example, we provide market-leading ESG and sustainability advice to clients.

Our environmental targets and commitments

We are committed to:

• continuous improvement in our environmental practices – where we identify risks and impacts, we address them with an appropriate plan, with best practices shared across our Global Green Group;
• meeting all applicable regulatory requirements regarding environmental disclosures and compliance across all jurisdictions where we work, as well as making voluntary disclosures including to CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC);
• establishing and meeting ambitious environmental performance targets related to carbon emissions, paper, waste and building quality; and
• offsetting our annual carbon emissions comprising all Scope 1, all market-based Scope 2 and Scope 3 categories: waste, business travel, employee commuting, fuel and energy-related activities, and water and paper (from purchased goods and services).

We have published near-term science-based targets (SBTs) on carbon emissions, affirming our commitment to ambitious climate action. These are an important and necessary step on our continued pathway to a net zero future.

We are committed to meeting the following targets, all of which are to be achieved by 2027 against a baseline year of 2018/19 unless stated otherwise:

Our progress towards these targets is published annually and communicated to various sustainability agencies and organisations. We report our environmental performance, including our carbon footprint data, through a number of voluntary disclosures and mandatory regulatory obligations. Our reporting includes all applicable scopes and categories as outlined in the GHG Protocol (including carbon assurance statements). We offset carbon emissions through various projects including our flagship Reforestation in East Africa Programme (REAP). Our Environmental Delivery Group (EDG) drives the actions necessary to deliver our ambition.

Our environment-related client work

In tandem with our client sustainability practice, we have committed to the Greener Arbitration Pledge and the Greener Litigation Pledge. Freshfields is also a member of the Legal Sustainability Alliance, and is an official dialogue partner of Legal Charter 1.5, an initiative to help law firms align with the Paris ambition to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

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