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Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance

Environment & sustainability

Contributing to a more sustainable world

Managing our footprint not only contributes to a more sustainable world, it motivates our clients and our people. We target net zero ambitions at the same time as helping our clients with theirs. We are also aligning our community work and resources with environment-focused initiatives and climate change solutions.

We aim to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 80% by 2030 from a FY2020 base year, and to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions 47% within the same timeframe.

We signed the Business Ambition for 1.5°C commitment letter in October 2021. In March 2022 our near-term science-based targets for 2030 were independently assessed and validated as a key element to our longer-term aim of being net zero. 

Explore more of our highlights in this space below.

2022 Responsible Business Report

Our reporting for the year 2021/2022 showcases how our Responsible Business strategy is deeply embedded in our daily work. We take this opportunity to thank our clients (paying and pro bono) and recognise our people, whose efforts make Clifford Chance a leading international law firm known for the quality of the advice that we deliver and the responsible way that we deliver it.

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Progress in 2021/22

48.2% reduction

in scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions

*per FTE from the 2017/18 baseline

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74.63% reduction

in paper consumption*

*per FTE from the 2017/18 baseline

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Became a founding member of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance

accelerating the transition to Net Zero by 2050

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Case studies

Looking back at COP26

Clifford Chance played an active role at COP-26 in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021, including by launching a report on trade and climate change co-authored with the World Economic Forum (WEF), speaking on several panels on critical issues for our clients, and engaging in conversations with a wide range of key partners such as the International Chamber of Commerce. The platform helped our team at COP-26 further the conversation on issues including the just transition, the energy transition, and using trade policy to support the net zero strategies of businesses.

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Responsible sourcing

Action on climate change is a key imperative for us as it not only affects the firm, it also affects our clients and our suppliers. Like many responsible businesses, we have set ambitious near-term science-based targets for 2030 improving our environmental performance and supporting us with our longer-term aim to be net zero.

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Sustainable work spaces

Sustainability is important for our clients and our people, so we embrace systems and initiatives that support better use of energy resources and reduce CO2 emissions. One way we are doing this is by considering sustainability as part of the process when identifying buildings for new offices.

When the leases were running out on our offices Singapore, Sydney and Perth, we established a project called Nest to find suitable alternatives and worked alongside specialist consultants to ensure that each facility was as sustainable as possible. “Sustainability was one of the main criteria in Australia, and we only looked at buildings in Sydney and Perth that had a National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) five-star rating or above,” says Helen Kippax, General Manager, Australia.

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Reporting library

View our reporting

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Our insights

The latest points of view from our people on our responsible business activities

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Our commitments

Mapping our objectives

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