Travers Smith LLP has obtained the ISO 50001 for its energy management system following an independent audit by international certification body, Certification Europe.
The two-day audit included one to one interviews with colleagues including one of our senior partners, a site tour, and the review of around 100 items of objective evidence. The auditor found no departures from the standard, described the achievement as 'impressive' and recommended Travers Smith for Certification.
Pursuing ISO certification is just one of the ways that Travers Smith is demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. The firm also participates in various other initiatives aimed at reducing its environmental impact and promoting sustainability within the legal industry. Other recent highlights in our journey to becoming a sustainable business include:
- In the last 12 months the firm has reported a recycling rate of 93% providing a CO2 saving of 220t, up from a 60.363t saving in the previous 12-month period.
- The firm is also relaxing it's Agile Working Policy over the festive period, saving 14.2 tonnes of carbon emissions by closing parts of our office buildings.
- The firm onboarded an ESG verification tool, EcoVadis, to ensure that diligence is carried out along our entire supply chain to identify, prevent, or stop Human Rights and Environment issues including climate change, which are aligned to global standards.
- Heat free printing technology is now used throughout our buildings, and the new devices have seen a 94% reduction in energy compared to our previous devices. Desktop printers have been removed from all offices.
- In 2022, Travers Smith partnered with Bees in Our Community to sponsor a beehive. This hive has produced its first 24 jars of honey, all used in our office café Brathwaite's.
- Increasing the number of waste streams to 10, resulting in 94% of the firm's waste being recycled
- We send all wastepaper to a facility for shredding and then the waste product is despatched to a paper mill at which point it is turned into toilet paper. These are the toilets rolls we use throughout our premises.
Our in-house café, Braithwaite's has also taken great strides in ensuring the kitchen is as sustainable as it can be, including:
- Introducing plant-based compostable takeaway containers in the firm's staff canteen and removing single-use plastic across the firm
- Introducing meat-free Mondays and Use up Fridays to the firm's canteen and client dining rooms.
- Introducing a new supplier code of conduct to ensure its suppliers meet high ethical standards
- Introducing ethical tree-free paper made from sugar cane to all office printers
- Phasing out cling film in our kitchens and replacing it with beeswax wraps
- Putting a greater emphasis on fruit and vegetable choice and removing internal lunches and breakfasts in order to reduce food waste.
Managing Partner Edmund Reed says, "I am delighted that the firm has attained this ISO certification, which marks another step in Travers Smith's sustainability journey. As a firm we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and embedding a sustainable approach to working across our business. I am grateful to our Sustainability and Health and Safety Officer Paul Mullis and others, including our Environment Committee and Board, for the hard work they put in to attaining this accreditation."
You can read more about our efforts to improve sustainability here: https://www.traverssmith.com/difference/environment/
