We recognise that responsibility for the environment is an integral part of good business practice, and our activities and initiatives in this area form a key part of our broader corporate social responsibility agenda. Our strategy is set out in our Environmental Policy, overseen by an Environmental Committee, and involves a series of sustained initiatives to meet our environmental objectives.

Environmental Objectives

These environmental objectives are:

Energy Consumption

• Minimise energy consumption levels
• Maximise energy efficiency
• Implement cost effective energy conservation measures

Waste Management

• Promote waste minimisation via strategies which aim to reduce or eliminate waste, including hazardous waste
• Increase the use of re-using/recycling products and materials

Pollution Prevention

• Prevent risk of pollution by avoiding wherever practical the use of environmentally damaging substances, materials and processes
• Identify and reduce any harmful emissions which arise as a result of the activities carried out at or which arise due to our occupation of the offices
• Undertake measures to minimize air, water and land pollution

Transport

• Aim to reduce congestion and pollution by appropriate initiatives related to business travel
• Promote the use by staff of public transport or other environmentally friendly modes of transport

Purchasing

• Promote a purchasing policy which will give preference, as far as is practicable, to those products and services which cause least harm to the environment

Awareness/Training

• Promote the communication of environmental policies and practices throughout the firm
• Increase awareness of environmental responsibilities amongst members of staff and partners

We have undoubtedly been helped in meeting many of these objectives by our recent move from 2 sites in Birmingham to brand new offices in the heart of Birmingham’s business district at 1 Colmore Square.

Carbon Emissions

An important part our efforts to minimise the impact of our business activities on the environment concerns carbon emissions. To help us identify and prioritise our activities in this area, and to enable us to measure progress, we have recently carried out work to calculate our carbon footprint. You can find out how we got on, and the assumptions and methodologies we used, by reading our case study.

Current initiatives to minimise our carbon footprint, and to offset its impact on the environment, are set out below:

Energy Efficiency:

• Use of motion activated lighting
• Use of photocopiers and printers with energy efficient standby modes
• A policy requiring switching off of PCs and screens at the end of the day
• Automatic hot water on demand, replacing need for kettles

Travel:

• Incentives for staff to use public transport
• Use of teleconferencing wherever practicable

Waste and Recycling:

• A policy to minimise use of photocopiers and printers where possible
• Designated recycling bins enabling us to recycle at least 50 sacks of paper per week
• In addition to paper recycling, staff are encouraged to make use of designated recycling bins for cans and tins, glass, plastic bottles and cardboard
• Our vending machines avoid unnecessary waste by not using disposable cups

Offsetting

We have introduced an offset scheme designed to partially offset the carbon emissions associated with our business flights.  Under this scheme:

• for each short, medium and long haul flight undertaken for business purposes, a levy is paid to a fund administered by the firm's Corporate Social Responsibility Committee on behalf of the firm's charitable trust 
• the fund is used to contribute towards projects which have a beneficial impact on the environment

Sponsorship

• Martineau is proud to co-sponsor a University of Birmingham project to create a zero-emission hydrogen-hybrid canal boat. A successful prototype has now been launched, for further details please click here.

Legal Sector Alliance We are one of 20 law firms and organisations who have committed to the work of the Legal Sector Alliance as founder members. The Alliance was set up by the Law Society, DLA Piper and Business in the Community to encourage the solicitors’ profession to address climate change issues by:

• adapting best practice to make more efficient use of resources
• influencing suppliers
• shaping legislation to tackle environmental harm, and
• advising clients on environmental law and best practice.

It is our expectation that in due course the Alliance will produce a standard methodology for law firms to use when calculating their carbon footprint, and an agreed basis for disclosure to enable useful benchmarking and the setting of sector based reduction targets.