denotes premium content | Sep 3 2010 Current issue
Volume 4 Issue 6
A climate of accord?
It was perhaps inevitable that the Copenhagen climate change talks in December last year would disappoint more people than they would please. The issue, so vital to address, also becomes so very emotional, prone to haranguing and hyperbole − and the higher hopes are raised, the more they are always going to get dashed.
The most cynical in society may also question whether a group of the most powerful countries in the world are ever really likely to ‘accord’ about anything. With their economies recovering from varying states of emergency, moreover, the likelihood of securing sizable commitments to adjust the engines of growth was surely lowered considerably.
Especially intense individual disagreements did not help matters of course, and in the days that followed much was made of the fact that the accord was finally only “noted” by those present. The waters of discourse, already contaminated, then seemed distinctly dirty. Many countries have since submitted their agreed pledges of greenhouse gas reductions, but there is still a strong sense of missed opportunity. As this issue goes to press we also learn that Yvo de Boer, the Dutch executive secretary of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change, has resigned from his post. A new face will be heading a fresh round of efforts in Mexico at the end of 2010.
It is quite refreshing then, that in this edition of Legal Marketing we cover the success that law firms have enjoyed collaborating over environmental sustainability. The Legal Sector Alliance (LSA), launched in 2008, has offered up its first annual progress report − and it has to be said it makes for very encouraging reading indeed.
More than half of the 150 member organisations have now calculated the carbon footprint of their entire business, with a further 33 per cent planning to do so in 2010. Moreover, although only a third have set specific targets for their energy reduction − and just over a quarter pledged to reduce emissions caused by their travel schedules − over a third (35 per cent) have already achieved a calculated carbon reduction.
Half of the firms have got involved in LSA activities locally, the report states, with three-quarters also designating a ‘champion’ of climate change efforts at a senior level to drive continued improvements. The 18 founding executive members, including Herbert Smith, Slaughter and May, Eversheds, Lovells, SJ Berwin and Taylor Wessing − and three of the four magic-circle firms − even clearly publish their current carbon footprints for any curious client, candidate or consumer to see.
It does not escape me of course − and hence its inclusion in this magazine − that this all also makes for rather good marketing!
It is also frequently pointed out that switching the lights off, or not taking that taxi to your business meeting two streets down the road, saves a few pennies as much as the future of the planet.
But in a business world all too often accused of paying lip service to social issues, a profession taking practical and transparent steps to make a difference can do no harm − and may well do a little good. If other industries then follow that lead, it can amount to a lot.
Richard Brent
Editor
Features
Thought leader: walking the talk
Perusing law firms’ corporate communication materials and browsing their websites is a pretty mundane pastime. In truth there are only so many ways in which even the most eloquent of wordsmiths can say the same thing over and over and over again.
Reaping what you sow
The decade leading up to the credit crunch was a bonanza for the UK legal industry. Liberalised financial markets, coupled with low interest rates, led to a transactional boom the likes of which had not been seen before.
Hiring in harmony
Recruitment and retention of vital talent in law firms bring numerous challenges, not least ensuring parity of salary.
High flyers
Law firms looking to secure and retain high-margin work must have a rigorous strategy for reputation management.
The (right) people on the bus
As Jim Collins wrote in his classic book on management Good to Great, one of the most important and difficult challenges facing any organisation is the need to “get the right people on the bus”.
Pitching to the papers
Professional services PR has always been fraught with difficulty. On the one hand, the firms only want to see positive news stories about themselves, but on the other, their traditionally conservative nature can make the PR manager’s job of maintaining strong relationships with the media a rocky path to navigate.
HIPpy shakes
Jackson Barret & Gass decided to try differentiating its service offering with a host of extra information related to home information packs.
Energy saving
The Legal Sector Alliance was launched in December 2008 to foster a spirit of collaboration among law firms looking to reduce their contributions to climate change. One year later, the organisation has released its first annual progress report.
