Almost all operations within a professional services company contribute to its carbon footprint. From waste, through business travel and building emissions, the industry must act to reduce its footprint is society is to reach the carbon reductions necessary to mitigate climate change.
Professional services companies will often have long and complex supply chains. Much as climate action can help professional services offer low-carbon solutions to its clients, the industry must also look to its own supply chain to reduce its own environmental impact.
In their first year of Planet Mark certification, Fieldfisher, a multinational law firm headquartered in London, measured and reported the carbon footprint of its London, Manchester, Birmingham and Belfast offices. It has set a target to reduce emissions by 5% annually which will save the same amount of carbon as is absorbed by 39 acres of rainforest.
Companies in the professional services industry would benefit from certification for a number of reasons. First, a concrete commitment to continuous reduction in carbon emissions will help keep internal stakeholders regularly engaged with the sustainability process. Certification will also easily demonstrate a company’s commitment to external stakeholders, from industry competitors to prospective clients through the use of a recognised and respected certification.
