Overcoming barriers to sustainability in the legal sector
In June we had the pleasure of presenting at the Bar Sustainability Summit. This was a half day event run by the Bar Sustainability Network with the aim of supporting the legal sector to develop and implement successful carbon reduction programmes.
The event was attended by barristers, solicitors and other professionals in the legal sector. Here’s what people told us were their biggest barriers to sustainability:
Getting started with carbon reporting
Many people that we spoke to knew they needed to create a carbon reduction plan, but weren’t sure how to get started. With lots of different carbon reporting methodologies out there, along with specific types of emissions such as Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, starting a plan can seem like a significant task. We also received questions about how to find energy consumption and emissions data, and how to translate it into a useful plan of action.
How can you get started?
We understand it can feel daunting to start a sustainability action plan and we want to make this simpler for you. We have put together beginner resources for businesses starting out in their carbon reduction journey, and share our learning from our own journey with setting targets, such as through the Science Based Targets initiative.
As a first step, we suggest reading our article explaining how to measure your carbon emissions, which explains the difference between Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. We have included a video explaining to help you get started with reporting. The Bar Sustainability Network also has a carbon calculator for its members to use, with resources helping them to get started.
Involving colleagues in sustainability initiatives
Although some Chambers have sustainability committees and the knowledge and personnel to support sustainability initiatives, many do not. Chambers without sustainability support then rely solely on time-poor individuals wanting to do the right thing for the planet.
We spoke with professionals who were unsure how to make small changes to improve sustainability in their workplaces, and were waiting for outside pressure to accelerate change.
How can you get started?
There are plenty of small actions that people can take within the workplace to make a start on being more sustainable. What’s more, being proactive can bring more benefits than waiting for clients or other outside pressures to demand change.
If there is no one with a formal role in sustainability within the organisation, one solution is to form a voluntary action group that can assess what initiatives to introduce, so that the responsibility does not fall on one person. A good way to start can be ranking a few key initiatives that you want to focus on by their carbon reduction potential and how difficult they will be to implement. Some items may require more thinking and planning, and some may prove to be simple changes that have a big impact (like switching to 100% renewable electricity backed by power purchase agreements).
| Aim | How | Carbon reduction potential | Difficulty |
| Reduce carbon emissions from energy | Switch to 100% renewable PPA-backed electricity | High | Low |
| Reduce paper usage by X% | |||
| Reduce carbon emissions from business travel by X% | |||
| Reduce waste by X% |
For more support and ideas, draw on resources from organisations such as the Legal Sustainability Alliance.
Spotting greenwashing and making genuine changes
Sustainability is a buzzword, with companies labelling themselves as green as an opportunity to make more sales, but without the credentials to back up their claims. It is important to thoroughly assess green claims made by any product, service or company that you are considering, so you can be sure that you are choosing something that is genuinely going to help you achieve your goals.
With the Advertising Standards Agency and the Competition and Markets Authority both tightening the rules around making green claims in marketing materials, it’s important to be able to trust the credentials of any product that your company is using to increase its own sustainability.
How can Good Energy support you?
Good Energy is completely transparent about our electricity sourcing: we buy power directly from a community of over 1700 independent renewable generators, so we can match all the electricity our customers use with 100% renewable power. What’s more, with our own trading team, we manage to consistently achieve over 90% real-time matching with renewable sources for our customers.
You can learn more about how we source our electricity here, more about real-time matching here, and more about REGOs and greenwashing here.
It is clear that the legal sector has several barriers that are currently standing in the way of cutting carbon and improving sustainability. Switching to greenwash-free 100% renewable electricity is one of the most impactful way to reduce your carbon emissions and can be a good place to get started.
Get in touch with our business sales team today to find out more.
