Law Firm Re-Affirms Net Zero Commitment Ahead Of COP27

Irwin Mitchell has announced its support for NetZero Action Day on 20 October by re-affirming its climate commitments ahead of COP27 in November.

Led by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), NetZero Action Day on 20 October aims to drive more ambitious corporate climate action, in line with the latest science and ahead of both COP27 and the G20 Summit in November.

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science. It is focused on accelerating companies across the world to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050.

Irwin Mitchell has committed to set near- and long-term company-wide emission reductions in line with science-based net-zero with the SBTi and submitted those targets in August 2022.

Activities around NetZero Action Day follow publication of Irwin Mitchell’s Responsible Business Report in September, which outlined the firm’s commitment to being a leading responsible business. The cornerstone is a roadmap to NetZero by 2040, and ambitious transition plans, incorporating targets such as 100% renewable electricity across all offices by 2025 and a 50% reduction in our total organisational footprint by 2030 (versus pre-COVID FY19/20 baseline).

Expert Opinion

“NetZero Action Day is an important marker to remind firms of the urgency and value of taking positive action on environmental issues. This matters not only from a reputational standpoint, but in terms of futureproofing to secure business resilience and that of the planet for future generations.

“We want to be clear about our ambitions, share progress on our own emission reductions and work in partnership with our clients, colleagues, suppliers and communities in support of the broader transformation that is required across society.

“NetZero Action Day is a great opportunity to share our support for the SBTi Net-Zero standard, which fully prepared our organisation to set stringent targets in preparation for validation with the SBTi. We call on our peers within and beyond the legal sector to take stronger action and demonstrate to your stakeholders the credibility of your environmental ambitions ahead of COP 27.” Louise Needham, Environmental and Sustainability Manager

In addition to working with the SBTi, Irwin Mitchell is a founding member of the Legal Sustainability Alliance and in July 2022 became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact.