Case study: Sustainability action plan for Herbert Smith
Client: Herbert Smith
Using ecological footprinting (of which carbon footprint is a sub-set) provides a useful measure of our wider demand and impact on the Earth's ecosystems. Herbert Smith is an international legal practice with a 1,300-lawyer network across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
BioRegional worked with Herbert Smith to measure its environmental impact, and the data highlighted the huge impact of international travel and significant impact of food. A workshop with staff was a lively way to turn the problems into actions to reduce environmental impact. The main actions were resolving the international working culture by optimising and reducing travel, creating the management systems needed to get the sustainability plan working and a sustainable procurement policy. BioRegional also covered in detail the communications and commitment needed from management to create behaviour change and inspire staff into action. Using BioRegional’s guidance as a basis for their overarching sustainability strategy, Herbert Smith will create year on year targets to help them towards one planet living.
Date of completion: January 2009
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