Solicitors Creates a Culture of Sustainability
Roythornes is a law firm that has been thriving for more than 80 years. Being involved with clients in the agricultural sector, renewable energy projects and other environmental areas, they decided it was time to evaluate and improve their environmental processes and ramp up their sustainability. An iiE accredited member for four years, Roythornes decided to ramp up their efforts in 2018 to make a bigger impact.
How did accreditation help?
Investors in the Environment gave guidance and support to Roythornes on how to go about this, starting with the development of a good environmental policy to review resource use and advice on how to create an office culture that reflects its values of environmental conservation. A review of supplier practices was considered to ensure that suppliers share the same sustainable practices, many of which already hold, or are working towards, their own environmental accreditation. The use of local suppliers has also helped to reduce the firm’s carbon footprint by cutting down on the miles travelled through procurement.
Roythornes understand that change to a greener way of working can often hold wider business benefits. The investment in a video conferencing centre has meant that communication between staff and clients is being improved whilst also reducing carbon emissions and air pollution from unnecessary travel.
The journey to achieving green re-certification enabled the development of many different initiatives, for example, the planting of over 1,000 bulbs in the Spalding office, increasing recycling facilities and participating in Zero Waste Week. The choice to use suppliers with similar values has resulted in Roythornes offsetting carbon logged from fuel cards and confidential waste recyclers planting 155 trees on their behalf; a great move towards environmental sustainability. Moreover, iiE commends Roythornes on the near halving of their carbon footprint since 2012; and cutting it by 11% in the past year alone, which is an outstanding achievement.
Roythornes aren’t stopping there; they have set even higher targets for the coming year and are aiming to achieve full marks on their next through further improvements in their value chain and corporate social responsibility activities.
With the support of iiE, Roythornes have proven to their team, suppliers and clients that they are fully committed to environmental sustainability.
