Sustainability

Preserving our natural environment is an issue of increasing concern both to our clients and our employees. We are taking steps to minimise our environmental impact still further through:

  • our work as a founder member of the Legal Sector Alliance - 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
  • introducing new, improved recycling facilities in December 2007 
  • encouraging our staff to contribute to a firm-wide reduction of waste and energy use by switching off lights and PCs
  • collaborating with our business neighbours to consolidate recycling activities - reducing pollution and congestion in the area
  • contributing to the debate about the role of business in helping to combat environmental issues as a member of various business networks and discussion groups


Our employees are the key to Herbert Smith becoming more environmentally responsible and we conduct regular feedback sessions with a group drawn from across the firm.

The results of our campaign include:

  • completion of a carbon footprint assessment in January 2007 and repeated in January 2008. We reduced our carbon footprint by 236 tonnes CO2e in 2007 compared to 2006, mainly through energy efficiency measures
  • formation of the Sustainability Group of partners and senior support managers who meet regularly to agree actions to help us reduce our environmental impact
  • collaborative working with our landlords and fellow tenants on the Broadgate Estate in the City of London to agree energy efficiency targets within our buildings, and to pool waste management and recycling systems to further reduce our collective impact
  • recycling 180 tonnes of paper and cardboard from our London offices in 2008 and encouraging staff to reduce paper usage through Duplex printing
  • disposing of redundant IT equipment by EOL IT Services in accordance with the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
  • making Fairtrade products available in our kitchen areas and restaurants
  • introducing an on-site water filtration system, providing purified water to our conference facilities and eliminating the need for bottled water
  • including CR-related selection criteria in our facilities team’s supplier-selection documentation.