We hope you’ve enjoyed a great summer and are ready for an inspiring autumn. This summer has been confirmed as the hottest on record; a stark reminder of why we must step up our efforts to cut emissions and find even more sustainable ways to work together.
Bulletin highlights:
New LSA guide on business travel – Every Step Counts
Elephants on the Horizon – Episode of the Sustainable Law Podcast
An update for smaller law firms
Member news
LSA event – The Sustainable Small Firm
Third-party events of interest
Sustainability dates for your diary
Please encourage everyone in your firm to sign up to this bulletin here, and stay in touch to let us know how we can support you.
Launch of the LSA Guide 'Every Step Counts – A Practical Guide to Business Travel'
Tackling the complex issue of business travel, this guide provides a concise and practical resource for law firms seeking to develop a robust and sustainable travel policy — or to enhance an existing one. It outlines how to build a compelling business case, collect and analyse meaningful travel data, identify key policy considerations, and implement practical steps to create an effective policy.
Following on from TCFD, 'Every Step Counts' is the second guide in the LSA's series of free resources, drawing on the collective knowledge and experience of our members to offer a best-practice resource tailored to the legal profession. We are hugely grateful to the members of the LSA working groups for their hard work.
You can explore the guide online as an interactive flipbook or download it as a PDF using the button below. Plus, catch the launch event recording, where members of the working group walk you through the guide and explain the methodology behind it.
Elephants on the Horizon – New Episode of the Sustainable Law Podcast
AI, climate change, geopolitics, the rule of law — the landscape of lawyering is changing.
Amanda Carpenter is joined by Sophia Adams Bhatti, a public policy expert with over 20 years’ experience working across law, financial services, tech, consumer affairs, healthcare, immigration and asylum, explore 'the elephants on the horizon’ for law firms and how individuals can have an impact. Also, in this episode, Amanda hands the mic over to Sophia, who is adding her voice as a new host of the show.
Struggling to explain to colleagues how they can use the LSA to maximise the impact of their efforts to tackle climate change? We’ve created a ready-to-use (and editable) presentation to help you showcase what your firm’s membership means — and how everyone can get involved to support and strengthen your responsible business agenda.
Contact our comms team via comms@legalsustainabilityalliance.com for a copy.
Calling Small Law Firms!
While many aspects of sustainable practice look the same no matter what size your firm, small law firms often face unique challenges - and opportunities - that differ from their larger counterparts.
To bridge this gap, the LSA is running a programme of events and resources which aims to support small law firms (around 500 employees or fewer) as they embed sustainability at the core of their practice.
During the week commencing 22nd September we will be launching a new page on our website packed with resources and signposting useful information of interest for smaller firms. Also, see the registration link for our event for small law firms in the events section below.
To enhance this content we would like to profile small firms and share what they are doing in the sustainability space. If your firm would be interested in being featured, please contact us at comms@legalsustainabilityalliance.com.
Member News
Please get in touch viacomms@legalsustainabilityalliance.com with your stories so we can feature them here.
LSA members Mills & Reeve, DWF, and Burges Salmon have each taken their own approach to investing in nature restoration, guided by a commitment to quality, local engagement, and long-term impact. Rather than treating carbon like a commodity to be offset and forgotten, these firms are focusing on tangible projects—places their people can visit, and initiatives they can help shape over time.
Simmons & Simmons senior lawyer Jemima Coleman has received a Churchill Fellowship to research Rights of Nature—an emerging legal framework that recognises the intrinsic rights of natural entities like rivers. Her work will explore global developments and support UK-based environmental activism. This aligns with the firm's previous pro bono efforts, including launching a whale rights law and hosting a Rights of Nature event.
As well as publishing their EMEA Responsible Business report this month, LSA Exec firm Norton Rose Fulbright have won an award with BM Caterers for their collaboration on phasing out single-use food packaging and coffee cups at the firm’s on-site restaurant.
Following a successful 'Plastic Free July', Taylor Wessing has set itself ambitious emissions reduction targets for 2030. Its 'near-term targets' have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. By 2030, the firm aims to 'reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42%, and reduce scope 3 emissions by 52% per million GBP value added'.
They have also achieved an ISO14064-3 verification statement with assurance from Carbonology (a CDP-accredited verification provider) for their FY25 carbon assessment.
Date: Tuesday, 23rd September Time: 12:30pm Location: Online
Why should small law firms embrace sustainability? Adopting sustainable practices can cut costs, boost efficiency, and strengthen relationships with both clients and employees. Small firms are an essential part of the legal sector’s efforts to address the climate crisis, and every step you take makes a meaningful difference. If you’re part of a small law firm (around or fewer than 500 employees), this event is for you.
This session will explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the climate and nature crises. Our speakers will reveal how they have successfully integrated sustainable practices throughout their firms. This session will not be recorded in order to give members the opportunity to share and explore solutions to common challenges.
Speakers: Katie Rogers – Programme Manager at Heart of the City Aimee Burns – Operational Sustainability Manager at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP Amy Dartington – Environment and Sustainability Manager at Birketts LLP Lynn Dickinson – Responsible Business & Sustainability Projects Lead at Forsters LLP
Interested in joining these events but not yet an LSA member? Sign up here.
Other Events of Interest
The Wild Summit
Wildlife and Countryside Link's inaugural Wild Summit will take place on Thursday, 11th September, at the Bristol Beacon. This will be a day to celebrate nature in the UK, and discuss the action we must take together to restore it.
The summit will bring together nature lovers, community campaigners, businesses, politicians, officials, and policy experts for a day of presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and conversations focused on the critical importance of investing in nature.
The goal? To help the UK meet its target of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030.
You can either attend in person or register for select events online.
Castle Debates Special: What Next on Climate Change & the Environment?
We are delighted to share this Castle Debate hosted by LSA executive firm A&O Shearman, in which leading experts discuss what businesses, governments and civil society can do to drive effective change at this disruptive time. An opportunity to explore how we can create a sustainable future together, this event will also celebrate the incredible work of Castle Debate founder Pamela Castle OBE, a familiar face to many in the LSA network.
Date: Thursday, 9th October Time: 5.30pm, dLocation: A&O Shearman, One Bishops Square, London, E1 6AD
Speakers: Stanley Johnson – author, environmental campaigner and former MEP Vice-Chairman of European Parliament Environment Committee Sarah Mukherjee – CEO, ISEP Kirsty Schneeberger – Founder, Athena Blue Matthew Townsend – Head of Environment and Climate Law, A&O Shearman
Chair: Micael Johnstone – Castle Debates Partner
Timings: 5pm – Arrival and drinks reception 6pm – Panel discussion and audience dialogue 7.30pm – Drinks and canapé reception 9pm – End
Nature in the Boardroom: Conscious Corporate Governance Panel
Nature loss and climate change demand bold and innovative governance responses. As part of the evolving Rights of Nature movement, a new wave of corporate leaders are recognising nature as a key stakeholder, essential to business success, yet too often overlooked in decision-making.
Date: Tuesday, 14th October Time: 6pm Panel, 7pm Networking and canapés Location: Kingsley Napley, 20 Bonhill Street, London, EC2A 4DN
Speakers: Alexandra Pimor – Director, Nature Governance Agency Jake White – Head of Legal Advocacy, WWF UK Kirsty Schneeberger MBE – Founder of Athena Blue Sophie Kemp – Partner and Head of the Public Law team, Kingsley Napley
Hosted by Kingsley Napley, this session will offer practical guidance for corporate leaders and ESG professionals interested in exploring nature-positive governance. The panel will explore how companies are responding to the nature crisis, the emerging governance models designed to give nature a voice in the boardroom, and why corporate leaders might take this innovative approach.
If you are interested in attending, please register your interest using the link below.
This isn't an exhaustive list, but a selection of dates we found particularly interesting:
Zero Waste Week– 1–5 September Join a global challenge to reduce waste at home, school, or work. It’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on our habits and take actionable steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
The Big River Watch (UK & Ireland) – 19–25 September This is a citizen-science event where you can measure the health of your local river using app-based surveys.
Great British Beach Clean – 19–28 September Run by the Marine Conservation Society, this event offers the opportunity to volunteer to clean up UK coastlines and contribute to vital data on marine pollution.
Climate Week NYC– 21–28 September This year's theme is "Power On" and the event focuses on how to use climate action as a driver for sustainable growth.
Recycle Week (UK)– 22–28 September This is a key week to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and to encourage better recycling habits across the UK.
World Rivers Day– 28 September A day dedicated to celebrating and calling for better stewardship of the world's waterways.
World Habitat Day– 6 October 2025 This is a UN day that calls for universal access to safe, sustainable housing and responsible urban planning to tackle climate change.
International E Waste Day – 14 October 2025 This day encourages better disposal and recycling of electronic waste. The 2025 focus is on how critical raw materials can be recovered from unused or broken electronic products.
COP30 – UN Climate Summit– 10–21 November 2025 (Belém, Brazil) This is a major global climate negotiation event where critical decisions will be made about emission reductions, adaptation, and climate finance.
Missed an LSA Event?
Sometimes we record our events, which you can watch via the resource library on our website.
LSA’s Guide to Business Travel – A webinar launching the LSA’s new guide to business travel with members of the working group who worked on the publication
LSA’s Guide to TCFD – A webinar launching the LSA’s new guide to TCFD with members of the working group who worked on the publication
Introducing the LSA Academy – A webinar launching the LSA Academy—designed to meet the growing demand for sustainability skills across our membership organisations, while leveraging apprenticeship levy funding
