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Now in their fourth year, the Law Society Excellence Awards are a showpiece in the legal calendar. The LSA Award for Excellence in Environmental Responsibility recognises original ideas and significant outcomes from environmental initiatives such as carbon management, energy efficiency and sustainable procurement.

The Legal Sector Alliance is hosting a series of regional events in 2010 to showcase the business benefits of taking a proactive approach to climate change, with a focus on key climate impacts and opportunities for law firms.

Expert comment by Mike Hooper, IT Energy

More and more areas of the business are being considered by law firms seeking to reduce their company-wide carbon emissions. Overall the IT sector will increase its carbon emissions by 6 per cent per year with PC ownership quadrupling to four billion devices by 2020 and emissions doubling, according to a 2008 report by The Climate Group. This compares with around 3 per cent growth in the aviation sector.

The Legal Sector Alliance hosted a free webinar for solicitors to learn about practical ways to achieve carbon reduction on Tuesday 22 June 2010.

A host of UK law firms and the Law Society of England and Wales are this week joining forces with WWF UK to raise awareness of a worldwide campaign to simultaneously switch off lights for one hour.

Expert comment by Shelley Bartlett and Jonathan Ekin, C-Change

It is impossible to talk about the issues of sustainability and climate change in a business context without referring one to the other. It is evident that they both represent real business opportunities, but also risks. Capitalising on the opportunities and minimising the risks is achieved by making the connections between these issues.

In a unique synchronised move, 32 law firms and the Law Society of England and Wales have unveiled their individual carbon footprints.

The results reveal an overall reduction in absolute carbon emissions of 4% among the LSA Executive members’ since the first public report in December 2008, demonstrating that carbon management remains a key priority for members, despite the economic downturn.

The Legal Sector Alliance is hosting a series of regional events in early 2010 to showcase the business benefits of taking a proactive approach to climate change, with a focus on key climate impacts and opportunities for law firms.

Expert comment by Tim Barker, PaperlinX Europe

Along with energy and travel, the legal sector views paper as a significant sustainability issue. Most firms use lots of the stuff, so it’s well worth finding out what the sustainability risks are and what can be done to minimise them.

2009 is the first year that LSA members have reported performance against the LSA Principles. The report details the results of the first ever survey of the LSA members’ climate change performance and preparedness, and is a significant sustainability milestone for the legal sector. It provides a baseline for understanding our members’ strengths and will ensure that we continue to provide the best possible support and resources to assist organisations in capturing improvement opportunities.