Planet
Making a difference for our planet means committing to concrete change. That’s why we are working with Planet Mark to measure and reduce our carbon emissions and impact on the planet, accelerating our journey towards net zero.
- Working with Planet Mark, we’re accelerating our journey towards net zero by 2040 at the latest.
- We’re a certified B Corp – we have the highest standards of verifiable environmental targets in place.
- Five Freeths offices have zero energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and we are working to achieve this in all possible locations.
- We are one of only 27 UK law firms listed in the Legal 500 Green Guide.
Towards net zero
We are in the process of setting concrete targets to help us reach our goal of becoming net zero by 2040 at the latest. In partnership with Planet Mark, one of the UK’s most trusted sustainability certification schemes, we are putting in place an effective carbon reduction strategy and accelerating our journey to net zero.
"As a responsible business, it is testament to the hard work of our people and it highlights these important issues and embraces the values that are integral to our firm, our people, clients, and our communities."
Chris Freeston
Managing Partner, Nottingham
Planet Mark and our journey to net zero: a timeline
March 2024: Planet Mark certification announced
April-May 2024: data collection Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions
June-August 2024: data analysis and evaluation
September-December 2024: Freeths net zero transition plan announced and rolled outB Corp certification
We were extremely proud to become a certified B Corp in 2024, the largest UK law firm to achieve accreditation.
As a B Corp in the legal industry, we’re counted among law firms that are leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy.
Freeths' Green Groups
Freeths has an army of company-wide Green Groups, who do everything from advising staff members to take an electric scooter from the train station instead of a taxi (hello, Milton Keynes), to approaching allotment holders to see if our used coffee grounds can help their plants grow better (answer, they can, as our Leicester Green Group found out).
Our Green Champions are in charge of ensuring we reduce waste wherever possible, segregating food waste for composting, offsetting CO2 emissions for courier shipments, buying goods and services as locally as possible and saving clothing from landfill through the ReLived scheme in Nottingham.
Influencing industry
Freeths is one of only 27 UK firms listed in the Legal 500 Green Guide, a recognition of our internal and external socially responsible and green commitments. We were pleased to again be listed in the 2024 Guide.
We are signatory to the Greener Litigation Pledge, which supports courts and court users to become carbon neutral (and ultimately carbon negative). And we are a pro bono contributor to the Chancery Lane Project, a global network that produces open-source clauses for businesses around the world to put their sustainability aspirations into contractual commitments. We regularly train clients for free on how to use the clause in their business.
Catalyst Change
We sponsor candidates through Catalyse Change, a programme that supports women aged 18-24 years with a passion for sustainability and ambitions to pursue careers in the field. We also offer mentoring to young candidates.
"Freeths have been supporting our sustainability empowerment and green career programmes for over five years. It makes a massive difference to what we can achieve as a small social enterprise. It provides inspiration and confidence to young women and non-binary changemakers from underrepresented backgrounds, helping them get the guidance and support they need to work in the climate and social space. We are very grateful to Freeths for their valued and continuing support."
Traci Lewis
Co-Founder & Director, Catalyse Change
Landmark environmental win
Freeths Environmental Team are known as some of the best in the business, and for good reason. In November 2022 Penny Simpson, Head of Environmental Law at Freeths, won a landmark case confirming that European nature conservation laws remain enforceable in the the UK, despite us having left the EU.
The victory meant the Environment Agency was ordered to take immediate action to protect England’s rare wetland habitats from water abstraction, as well as tackling damage already done to internationally important wetlands in the Norfolk Broads.
The court applied a little-known legal provision in Brexit legislation that says even though the UK has left the EU, rules in European directives – in this case, the habitats directive – remain enforceable against UK public authorities if those rules have been recognised by a court as being enforceable prior to Brexit.
As a result of this ground-breaking work, Penny was named in the 2023 ENDS Report as one of the top 100 UK environment professionals making the greatest impact in the past two years.
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