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Freshfields commits to Greener Litigation Pledge
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has signed the Greener Litigation Pledge, a commitment to reduce the environmental impact of litigation in England and Wales.
The Pledge is the first act of the Greener Litigation Project, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of court disputes in line with the objective of restricting global warming to 1.5°C as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The signatories to the Greener Litigation Pledge have committed to take active steps to reduce, with a view to minimising, the environmental impact of dispute resolution, including the two principal sources of emissions incurred by litigants: printed documents and (especially international) travel.
Sarah Parkes, head of the dispute resolution practice at Freshfields in London, commented: “Over the last 15 months, we have all seen that litigation in England and Wales can be conducted differently, without letting go of our values or making compromises on client service. Signing the Greener Litigation Pledge is Freshfields’ commitment to keep finding ways of conducting litigation that reduce the environmental impact of our practice. It also aligns perfectly with Freshfields’ five-year global environmental strategy, that aims to build a sustainable future for the firm, which we announced in January. We look forward to working with our clients on effecting change in the way that litigation is practised in England and Wales.”
Global Partner for Client Sustainability, Tim Wilkins, said: "Our clients have moved their sustainability agendas into their core working practices and I am proud that Freshfields can do the same. How we deliver our services has a profound impact on our environmental footprint and by working smarter around paper consumption, travel and other practices, we can materially reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the fight against climate change."
Freshfields’ commitment to the Pledge is a further step in the firm's global environmental strategy announced earlier this year, and follows the firm’s signature of the Green Pledge, an initiative led by the Campaign for Greener Arbitration.
For more information on the Greener Litigation Pledge, please visit www.greenerlitigation.org or contact info@greenerlitigation.org