Go Green with Scott Richards
At Scott Richards, we are passionate about the sustainability of our local environment, businesses and community. Our team is committed to providing comprehensive legal services in a straightforward and reliable way, whilst maintaining our social and environmental responsibilities. For a first-class service, delivered in a sustainable way, go green with SR Solicitors.
Race to Zero Pledge
Declaration of Participation – Community Member Company
Our company recognises the importance of making a full and lasting commitment to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from our activities, in support of the wider commitment of the world to limit global temperature increases and the impact on the planet.
As a signatory member of the FNZ CBN Expert SME Community we commit to the following:
1. For our company to achieve Net Zero in line with the Science Based targets set out by the UNFCCC i.e. to achieve Net Zero no later than 2050 and target a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030.
2. To set realistic short and long term targets that are designed to achieve our Net Zero commitments.
3. To report the total Greenhouse Gas emissions of our business regularly and for our performance to be part of the Community’s annual reporting back to the UNFCCC.
We acknowledge that our commitment will be reported on the FNZ CBN Expert SME Community website.
Scott Richards made its pledge to the Race to Zero via the FNZ CBN Expert Community on 25th June 2021. The record of the pledge can be found at www.futurenetzero.com.
Jamie Dyson, Managing Partner of Scott Richards Solicitors, spoke to future Net Zero about how our business has teamed up with Balanced Energy to undergo a green transformation:
Specifically, we aim to:
- meet or exceed all applicable environmental laws and regulations
- identify and measure the environmental impacts of our firm
- establish annual targets to reduce our environmental impact and strive for continuous improvement
- integrate environmental impact as a factor in the firm’s decisions
- educate employees, clients and suppliers to make more sustainable choices at work and at home
- encourage employees, clients and suppliers to be environmentally responsible
- communicate this policy and our environmental programs to employees, clients and suppliers.
Our commitments are :
- To reduce our carbon footprint
There are several different ways to measure a firms carbon footprint. By being members of the Legal sector Alliance we have adopted a protocol which improves transparency, consistency and comparability within the sector. The protocol has been developed in consultation with the Carbon Trust. The calculation methodology and technical content of the measurement tool have been verified by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management. - To reduce our use of resources
There are generally recognised three main areas where our effect on the environment is arguably the greatest. These are energy usage in buildings, business travel and paper/resource usage. - To engage our employees
Collectively the legal sector in England and Wales employs around 150,000 people. Therefore, engaging employees in climate change activities is a key way for firms to reduce their carbon emissions and for those employees to practice at home what is being preached at work. - To work with our client and suppliers
At Scott Richards Solicitors we feel we can make a significant environmental impact both upstream (the impact of its suppliers and their products) and downstream (the impact of transactions conducted by clients with the firm’s advice).
These are some of the steps already taken by Scott Richards solicitors:
- Recycling/ Resource Use
- Staff and clients are provided with mugs or glasses
- We have banned single-use plastic in our offices
- We recycle as much as possible; paper, card, glass, plastic, aluminium, CDs, batteries, old phones
- We compost food waste
- We recycle used toner cartridges
- We recycle old computer equipment by giving it to local charities or community groups
- At Christmas, we make a donation to charity rather than sending cards
- We use local suppliers/caterers where possible
- We have a staff book exchange scheme.
Paper Use:
- We only print when necessary
- We use 100% recycled paper
- We recycle all ‘scrap’ paper
- We print double-sided
- We send internal memos electronically
Energy Use:
- We minimise our energy costs by ensuring that all equipment and lights are turned off when not in use
- We turn off the heating before opening windows
- Our energy is sourced from a 100% renewable energy firm
