Climate
Our approach to sustainability
We measure and actively reduce our environmental impact in all aspects of our operation. We also work with clients across our sectors, services, and international network to help them achieve their sustainability goals.
Operations
We are committed to minimising our carbon footprint by actively reducing our energy consumption, non-essential business travel, paper consumption, and waste production.
Planet Mark
We are a Planet Mark certified business and have been measuring and reducing our environmental impact since 2015. We have reduced our carbon footprint by over 40% during that time – and by more than 60% on a per-person basis.
Property
Sustainability is a key driver of our global property strategy. We prioritise buildings with market-leading credentials, that have been built with low embodied carbon and that are low carbon in operation.
People & Projects
We actively identify and support relevant projects relating to all aspects of sustainability, and harness the passion and expertise of our people to achieve the firm’s sustainability objectives.
Sustainability Syllabus
We run a ‘Sustainability Syllabus’ offering foundational ESG training to our lawyers and business services professionals globally. This involves sessions from HFW experts and external sustainability specialists from academia, the legal profession, and the wider business community.
HFW Green Vehicle Scheme
To support our employees in adopting sustainable and low-emission travel, we offer a flexible electric car leasing scheme that provides UK colleagues with cost-effective options to switch to an electric car.
Greener Disputes
We are founders and signatories of the Greener Litigation Pledge and the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations – two legal industry initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of dispute resolution.
Sustainability in our sectors
We seek to use our legal and sector expertise, networks, and corporate responsibility initiatives to enable sustainable practices across all our operations and the industries that we service, to drive meaningful and lasting change.
Explore our Sustainability Hub for details about our sustainability expertise
Other areas of responsible business strategy
Collaboration
Working responsibly with clients and suppliers, and partnering with them on shared sustainability and inclusion initiatives.
Colleagues
Creating an inclusive workplace and increasing diversity across the firm, so our people are supported to do their best work.
Communities
Supporting education, employability and access to justice, and engaging with social issues relevant to our sectors.