Carbon footprint measure for E&W legal sector

Alliance to develop new tool with advice and practical guidance

News, 28 April 2008

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The Legal Sector Alliance (LSA) in England & Wales is to develop a carbon footprint measuring tool for firms across the legal sector.

The LSA Carbon Footprint Protocol is being developed by the LSA, a collaborative movement which encourages environmental sustainability in the legal sector, in recognition of the fact that many law firms have not yet begun to measure their carbon footprint. Early results from an LSA survey reveal that many firms have not done so because they do not know where to start.

The tool being developed will include a document outlining its scope and methodology, a spreadsheet-based measurement tool, and practical guidance which will specifically address the most common issues faced by law firms.

Chief executive Des Hudson of the Law Society of England & Wales stressed that no firm using the protocol would be required to make the results public, but where firms chose to make the information available or it was requested by clients, the protocol would allow fair comparison.

The LSA aims to launch the protocol at the end of July when it has been tested by a range of firms.

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