Our commitment to the environment

We recognise that preserving our natural environment is an issue of increasing concern both to our clients and our employees. In addition to meeting the spirit and letter of all relevant legislation, we are taking steps to further minimise our environmental impact.

Key points of interest include:

• the firm is 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
• collaborative working with our Landlord and fellow tenants on the Broadgate Estate in the City of London to agree targets to reduce carbon emissions within our buildings, and pool waste management and recycling systems to further reduce our collective impact
• we take the opportunity to implement energy-saving lighting systems whenever possible. For instance, our Exchange Square office is fitted with motion sensitive lighting to increase energy efficiency
• our London offices recycle over 175 tonnes of paper per year. Staff are encouraged to reduce paper usage e.g Duplex printing has been rolled out throughout our London offices to reduce paper consumption
• other recycling initiatives include cans, glass, mobile phones, library books, batteries, CDs and toner cartridges
• FairTrade products are available in our kitchen areas and restaurants
• redundant IT equipment is disposed by End-O-Line who ensure it is disposed of in an ethical manner
• we have worked closely with our catering supplier to introduce more environmentally friendly food containers
• our cleaners use environmentally friendly cleaning products
• our Facilities team includes CR-related selection criteria in all its supplier-selection documentation.

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.