Shoosmiths wins People in Law Award - Best Environmental, Social and Governance Initiative

Shoosmiths is delighted to have won People in Law’s ‘Best Environmental, Social and Governance Initiative’ award announced 2 May 2024.

People in Law is a network that aims to advance people management across the legal sector. It welcomes HR, L&D, Recruitment, D&I, Reward, Senior Partners, Managing Partners and other professionals with an interest in the people agenda. The annual awards recognise the very best people achievements across the industry, supported by professionals in law.

Shoosmiths entered its net zero strategy detailing how the firm is on an ambitious pathway to decarbonise its business across the value chain by 2040 including near-term and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). 

Measures of our success during the last twelve months to February 2024 have included:

• SBTi validation of our near-term and long-term targets.
• Our 2022/2023 total carbon footprint reduced by 16% versus 2021/2022 for both total scope 1, scope 2 (location-based), scope 3 emissions and total scope 1, scope 2 (market-based), scope 3 emissions.
• 93% of electricity usage came from renewable energy contracts, with emission savings procured from renewable electricity equalling 463 tCO2e. In addition, both of the Shoosmiths’ locations using gas had 100% of gas usage covered by a 100% biomethane gas contract from its selected energy provider.
• Installation of 126 photo-voltaic panels in Shoosmiths’ Northampton office using only Microgeneration Certified Scheme (MCS) certified products.
• Air travel emissions reduced by 56 per cent between 2019/2020 baseline year and 2022/2023 financial periods, while rail and road travel have seen a 15 per cent and a 9 per cent drop, respectively.
• Employee bonus scheme launched August 2022, awarded bonuses in July 2023 which included a business travel spend metric in support of our net zero strategy. (Other metrics were profit and client feedback.)
• In December 2023 Shoosmiths was ranked for the second time as a recommended firm in the second annual Legal 500 Green Guide UK.
• In December 2023, Shoosmiths was crowned ‘UK Law Firm of the Year – Large sized firm’ at the British Legal Awards for its stand-out strategy, which is already making an impact in all areas including clients, brand, people and ESG.

The judges were impressed by the innovative and practical steps the firm has taken to help achieve its net zero strategy. Including re-investing funds from a business travel carbon levy and introducing a travel spend metric as part of 2023 employee bonus award considerations.

See details about the People in Law 2024 award win here.

For further details about Shoosmiths’ net zero strategy, including policies, annual carbon footprint, annual Carbon Reduction Plan and progress against targets see here.