Welcome to this LSA Bulletin. Although winter is not over yet, there are some tiny harbingers of spring creeping through in the parks and gardens, hedgerows and fields. While these fragile green shoots are no match for the chaos created by governments and businesses rowing back on climate goals, they should serve as a reminder that our extraordinary precious planet is worth all the time, effort and hard work that LSA firms, and their clients, put into addressing the causes and effects of climate change. We learnt this morning that, against all expectations, January 2025 was the hottest on record, further confirming the urgent need to commit to sustainable business practice. At the LSA we continue to do all we can to support our member firms to tackle this issue by providing an ever-increasing range of resources and events, both online and in person, to equip sustainability professionals, fee earners and all colleagues with the skills, knowledge and tools they need.
Look out for our new Ask the Alliance section, where members can ask for help and share solutions to common problems. If you have challenges or successes that could benefit from or inspire our network, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Bulletin highlights include: - LSA working groups - why they matter
- A blog on nature related risks
- Profile of a working group lead
- 'Ask the Alliance' - a new section exploring common problems and solutions
- The latest news from LSA members
- LSA schedule of events with registration links
- Sustainability dates for your diary
Please encourage everyone to sign up to receive their own copy of this bulletin here. |
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LSA Working Groups: Why they matter |
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What makes the LSA unique is the way our members share ideas and information, across disciplines and across firms. This has always been the defining feature of the LSA – whether it is around the methodology behind carbon emissions measurement or how to inspire better engagement and buy in.
As the network continues to grow we have created new opportunities for firms to get together and explore best practice approaches to some of the biggest challenges facing the sector.
The LSA working groups aim to meet every six to eight weeks, for one to one and half hours. At least one meeting in four will be in person. Groups are chaired by a mix of industry experts and volunteers from within an LSA firm. Members of the group are expected to participate fully in the discussions, to ask questions and share information and ideas. See our Terms of Reference for further details.
The groups operate under Chatham House rules, creating a space for open dialogue and the sharing of both positive and challenging experiences.
Each week this bulletin will feature news of a different group - beginning with the newly formed Biodiversity and Nature working group.
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Jenni Ramos is Director of Scope 4 Nature, exploring tools to help advisory firms turn nature-related risks into client opportunities.
Through her legal work in nature-related business risk, Jenni has shaped how companies and their advisors approach sustainability, She has:
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Nature Related Risks and the Lawyer's Role in Protecting Biodiversity |
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Many assume that the intersection between law and nature is found primarily in litigation cases such as those pursued by Blue Marine Foundation, environmental law practice or planning law and biodiversity net gain regulations.
While these are important areas, the relevance of nature and biodiversity to many members of the LSA falls outside the sphere of environmental and planning law and emerges from the ‘business case for biodiversity’.
Read this blog from working group lead Jenni Ramos to find out more. |
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Law firms, One Million Hours needs you -
and your pro bono!
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One Million Hours is looking for law firms and not-for-profit organisations to join this exciting initiative which unlocks intellectual capital across the sector for the planet. They don’t just want lawyers - they also have lots of opportunities for skilled volunteering.
So if you want to do something active to help tackle climate change and are keen to work with a range of exciting civil society organisations - from wildlife to conservation to clean tech - then just get in touch or check out the website here.
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Less than one third of law firms in the UK believe they have the knowledge to help deliver ESG aims
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That is where the LSA comes in! But we have some work to do.
New research in the legal sector from consultants Greenarc found only 51% of businesses listed sustainability as a priority. More than three-quarters (78%) of law firms have appointed dedicated “green” professionals to deliver these goals, but just one-third of those professionals believe they have the knowledge and support they need to achieve corporate sustainability goals.
This knowledge deficit is compounded by cost, with 40% citing the price of implementing sustainability initiatives as a key barrier. A further 27% claimed they didn’t know where to start on their sustainability journey.
The LSA is a low cost solution, here to support you with knowledge and resources as you play your part in the sector's transition to net zero. |
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This new section of the bulletin is a place where can capitalise on our network and find solutions to the barriers to your efforts fighting climate change. Please get in touch with your questions, either with your name and contact details or anonymously, via the link below.
In this first week one of our colleagues asked... |
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When calculating carbon impact, how do I work out the carbon associated with colleagues’ commute to the office? |
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The carbon associated with commuting will depend on the mode and distance of travel and will obviously be different for each person. A staff survey may be a possible way to get this information (which will then need to be combined with the carbon emission factor for each mode). It is also possible to use average distances by mode of travel for various regions of the UK. Both approaches have their challenges and, in the absence of any other information, we suggest using an average of 5 kgCO2e per person per day for their commute.
If you can provide further guidance or advice on this subject, or can share learnings from dealing with a similar issue, please get in touch. |
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Congratulations to Ashurst, who now have validated science-based targets, including a commitment to reduce absolute scope 1, 2 and business travel emissions by 42% by 2030 from a 2023 baseline year, and that by 2029, 85% of their purchased goods and services emissions will come from suppliers that have set science-based targets. |
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| | Kennedys and Hogan Lovells have partnered with environmental consultancy Bright Tide to launch a new accelerator programme Sustain.AI.. This initiative will support 10 global startups leveraging AI climate and nature regeneration technology to advance sustainability. |
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| | Clyde & Co have collaborated with SB+CO to develop a set of guardrails for sustainability communications to help reduce legal and reputation risks, based on analysis of more than 30 greenwashing cases where common pitfalls were encountered in sustainability communications. |
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Please get in touch with your stories so we can feature them here. |
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Upcoming Events and Webinars
Please click the links to find out more and register, we look forward to seeing you! |
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| | Navigating CSRD: A Guide for Law Firms
12.30pm, 27th February 2025
Whether you're working towards compliance with CSRD, supporting clients on their journey, or taking inspiration from the best parts of the directive to uplift internal standards, CSRD shouldn’t be tackled alone. Join experts Louise Ayling and Rebecca Ward, from sustainability-focused communications and strategy agency Radley Yeldar, who will guide us through all things CSRD and answer your questions. |
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| | Calling all procurement professionals!
10.30am to 2pm, 2nd April 2025 - HOLD THE DATE Hold the date for our sustainable procurement event, kindly hosted by Linklaters in their 1 Silk Street, London office. Invited sustainable suppliers will be present to showcase their goods or services and answer questions. More details to follow. |
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Sustainability Dates for Your Diary |
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This isn't a comprehensive list, but these are the dates that have caught our attention:
World Wildlife Day – 3rd March
This is a United Nations International day to celebrate wildlife and plants around the globe. The theme for 2025 is Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet. The date was specifically chosen to cite the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which was signed in 1973. World Water Day - 22 March
World Water Day is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. The Great British Spring Clean – 21st March – 6th April
The Great British Spring Clean is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign. Keep Britain Tidy calls on us to pick up the litter, some of it decades old, which is causing harm to our environment; releasing greenhouse gases as it slowly breaks down in our soil and water, contributing to the climate crisis. Litter picking is a simple act that makes an immediate and visible difference to the places where we live, work and play. In 2024 400,000 bags of litter were collected by Keep Britain Tidy's #LitterHeroes. |
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Watch any of the four recent Green Brief events via the resource library on our website.
- 'The How, Why and When of Regulatory Frameworks' with sustainability consultant Stan Rayfield
- 'Outcomes and Impacts – Takeaways from COP 29' with Emma Lecavalier, Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Net Zero Regulation and Policy Hub
- 'Labour’s 100 Days - What does it mean for policy?' with Karla Hill of E3G and Sophia Adams Bhatti
- 'The Global Goals in Action' with Matt Sparkes, Sustainability Director at Linklaters and Mike Harvey, Head of Responsible Business at Pinsent Masons
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