New Targets And Roadmap to 2040 Following World Environment Day

Irwin Mitchell has announced an ambitious environment strategy that includes new targets for renewable energy and Net Zero following this year’s World Environment Day on 5 June.

As part of a comprehensive range of new measures, the firm has pledged to target 100% renewable energy use in offices over next three years and carbon Net Zero by 2040.

Irwin Mitchell has been at the forefront of making corporate sustainability a core element of business objectives and the decision has been taken to go further, in a series of bold moves designed to accelerate the firm’s progress in tackling overall green targets.

New measures include setting a baseline for environmental impact, based on the firm’s carbon footprint and a commitment to implementing a new roadmap to carbon Net Zero by 2040.

The roadmap includes verifying climate targets by 2023 and as part of this, achieving 100% renewable electricity across all Irwin Mitchell offices by 2025. In the same year, the intention is to reduce emissions from the firm’s facilities and vehicles by 60%.

By 2030, the aim is to have halved emissions on everything from purchased goods and services to business travel and employee commuting, in order to achieve the wider carbon neutral goal.

The ambitious targets will involve working alongside the firm’s supply chain closer than ever before, to support them in reducing their own environmental impact.

Louise Needham, the Environmental Sustainability Manager at Irwin Mitchell, said: “With environmental sustainability taking centre stage in society, it’s never been more crucial to avoid ‘greenwashing’ and ensure a credible and authentic approach.

“Our commitment to sustainability and the environmental approach are being ramped up to ensure we’ll be leading the way in the transition to Net Zero and a more sustainable future for all.

“The roadmap we have set out today is ambitious, but it is an opportunity to challenge ourselves to do better and to proactively continue to lead on what we know is a key issue for our clients, colleagues and the communities in which we operate.

“These objectives give everyone within the business something to aim at and we’re looking forward to taking the steps necessary to achieve success and we hope, inspire others to follow in our footsteps.”

The announcement comes 50 years since the first international meeting on the environment, held in Stockholm in 1972 and follows this year’s World Environment Day on 5 June. With a focus on #OnlyOneEarth, the 2022 campaign is set to highlight the need to protect the planet and its resources, through transformative policies.

A founding member of the Legal Sustainability Alliance since 2008, Irwin Mitchell has continued to reduce the impact of the business on the environment. This includes new offices with high environmental and sustainability ratings, coupled with digital solutions and home working all contributing to a reduced carbon footprint across the business.