Reducing travel between offices, cutting waste and taking lunchtime walks were among the activities introduced by regional law firm Royds Withy King during its fifth annual Green Week.
The firm, which has an office in Swindon, has been taking steps to reduce electricity and paper consumption, with regular ‘switch off’ campaigns and a green desk-side bin policy resulting in significant improvements.
It has also tackled inter-office travel by introducing an upgraded video conferencing system that calculates the miles saved for each session – so allowing staff to understand the difference they are making by using an alternative to travelling.
The firm-wide Green Week gave partners and staff a chance to find out how small changes in the workplace can have a big impact on the environment.
Initiatives included lunchtime walks, video conference training sessions, green commutes and a photography competition to find the most creative visualisation of ‘My green Swindon’.
Each was linked to an area for improvement identified by the firm, including paper consumption, electricity, waste management and inter-office travel.
Partner Ian Carrier, who chairs Royds Withy King’s Green Group, said: “Our Green Week is an opportunity for us to reflect on what has been achieved over the past five years, while at the same time encouraging collaboration and a bit of fun.
“The events were a great way to reinforce the larger aims that the Green Group are working towards in practical ways that individuals can apply to their own behavior. It’s also a time where we can look to the future and think about how we can continue to improve our sustainability and minimise our environmental impact.”
To demonstrate its commitment to further reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions, the firm has signed up to the Low Carbon Workplace Charter and is working towards certification in the Low Carbon Workplace Standard.
Bath-headquartered Royds Withy King is also a member of the Legal Sustainability Alliance, which allows UK law firms to benchmark their carbon footprint against others in their sector.
Royds Withy King, which also has offices in London and Oxford, has reduced its carbon footprint from 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per employee to 1.07 since 2013, giving it the sixth lowest carbon footprint per employee when compared with the data of 60 law firms, as set out in the Legal Sustainability Alliance’s latest annual report.
Pictured: Royds Withy King staff find greener ways to get to work to mark the firm’s Green Week campaign
