Our Environment
What's next?
We are underway with an independent audit process — ISO 14001 — that will ensure robust third-party verification of our carbon data and allow us to track our progress against targets.
“ISO accreditation maps out a framework that we can follow to set up an effective environmental management system,” explains Neil Samson, Senior Facilities Manager at Charles Russell Speechlys. “This structured approach will allow us to monitor our progress to achieve targets set by the ISO standard and our own net-zero targets. It is also an internationally recognised accreditation so we will be able to adopt the same framework across all our offices in the future.”
Four ways we are making operational carbon savings
1. Power
We have invested in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which safeguards our energy flow as well as replenishes and maintains energy storage while utility power is flowing. In doing so, we have shifted from 96 12 VOLT batteries to three 20KW UPS Modules — cutting our energy consumption. Over the course of the year, this represents a carbon emissions saving of 10.61 tonnes – the equivalent of driving 47,995 miles.
2. Lighting
We are upgrading lighting across our UK offices. We installed LED panels at our Cheltenham office in May, helping slash our electricity usage by 25% from 7,704.60Kwh in April 2022 to 5,768.40 in June 2022.
3. Cleaning
We are introducing eco scourers, which are 100% plastic-free and made using fully compostable and biodegradable materials. They can be cleaned in the dishwasher for multiple use.
We are also trialling SOAP20 in our kitchen areas to replace pump soap with a view to rolling this product out to toilet areas. No water is transported as part of the production and delivery of SOAP 20 and a whole pallet of 5 litre liquid concentrate can be replaced with four packets of SOAP2O. This has the potential to reduce our emissions through fewer transport miles and greater capacity within transport vehicles.
4. Paper
Since ‘rolling out’ Naked Sprout bamboo toilet rolls to our UK offices, we have collectively used 6,672 rolls of unbleached bamboo toilet paper over the last 12 months. This equates to saving 1,366kg of CO2 compared with standard recycled toilet paper – the equivalent of driving a vehicle from London to Lisbon and back: 2,800 miles.
1,366kg of CO2
Using Naked Sprout bamboo toilet paper, the Firm has saved 1,366kgs of CO2 – the equivalent of charging a smartphone 162,580 times.
165 children
We have also supported 165 children across Africa, South America and India with clear water for one year through Naked Sprout’s partnership with Just a Drop.
Our next steps are to:
Refine our net zero transition plan and interim targets
Pilot a scheme for departmental carbon budgets consisting of fixed carbon (e.g., heating and lighting) and variable carbon (e.g., those associated with flights and other travel)
Launch a programme of internal communications and staff engagement to raise awareness, generate buy-in and seek ideas and feedback, laying a strong foundation for a Firm-wide rollout of departmental carbon budgets
Identify suitable carbon offset projects and implement a scheme to offset a full year’s carbon emissions during the course of our current 2022-23 financial year
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