The LSA is an inclusive movement of law firms and organisations committed to working collaboratively to take action on climate change by reducing their carbon footprint and adopting environmentally sustainable practices.
Birmingham and London law firm Martineau is one of the LSA's founding members who together over the past 12 months have led the development of the LSA's principles and a variety of tools and case studies to support their adoption.
The LSA principles which provide a framework for taking action on climate change, have been developed through extensive consultation with environmental experts and law firms of all sizes across the country. They cover firms' own operations, as well as their influence on clients, suppliers, employees and policy makers. Many firms, both large and small, have already signed up to the principles and the Prince urged the rest of the profession to follow suit.
Andrew Whitehead, Head of Energy at Martineau, says: "One of the tools which the LSA has developed to help firms adopt the principles is a bespoke carbon footprint calculator - the first developed by a sector for a sector. By agreeing to report our own figures using this standard methodology, we and the other founding LSA firms have taken a significant step forward together. We encourage others across the profession to do the same.
"For us, and I suspect for most law firms, measuring our carbon footprint and adopting sustainable business practices is not solely an altruistic exercise. There are some key business drivers that are pushing us down this road.
"It is perhaps inevitable that regulation in this area from Brussels and Westminster will increasingly affect all sizes of businesses, including law firms, and those who can adapt early on will reap rewards later."
As the LSA founding member representing the Midlands, Martineau is working to establish a regional network of lawyers keen to work collaboratively to contribute towards local carbon reduction targets."
