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The Role of Law Firms in Environmental Sustainability

Sustainability has become a central pillar of contemporary law, driven by international commitments such as the Paris Agreement, the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, and the European Directive 2022/2464/EU.

In this context, law firms are not mere observers: they can actively contribute to the transition toward a low-carbon economy and to the consolidation of a legal culture that is more environmentally conscious. Sustainability has ceased to be an issue exclusive to science and politics and has become a cross-cutting commitment that also reaches the legal sector.

Law firms are, in essence, organizations that generate high resource consumption (energy, paper, staff transportation). Adopting sustainable practices reduces their carbon footprint while also demonstrating consistency with the values they promote. Some measures include:

Process digitalization to minimize paper use. The legal profession has traditionally relied heavily on paper. Physical case files, pleadings, draft contracts, and administrative documents make law firms offices with high forest resource consumption. According to data from the European Environment Agency, producing one ton of paper requires cutting down approximately 24 mature trees and consuming 26,000 liters of water.

A mid-sized firm (20–30 lawyers) can consume between 50,000 and 100,000 sheets of paper annually, equivalent to 250–500 kilos of paper. Considering that each kilo of paper produces around 1.5 kilos of CO₂ in its life cycle, this volume represents some 750 tons of CO₂ emitted annually, not counting the energy spent on printing, physical storage, and transport. If such a firm were to fully digitize its processes, the environmental savings would include around 12 fewer trees cut down and 13,000 liters of water preserved.

Advanced electronic signatures eliminate the need to print contracts and documents for validation, ensuring legal certainty. Digital document management replaces physical filing with secure cloud platforms, reducing storage space, costs, and resource consumption. Similarly, electronic court files, increasingly common in many countries, require firms to adapt to digital legal proceedings, drastically reducing paper use in pleadings. Finally, digital internal and external communication through certified emails, collaboration platforms, and videoconferences replaces the circulation of physical copies and avoids unnecessary travel.

Beyond environmental impact, digitalization brings efficiency and security benefits: lower printing and storage costs, easier remote access to information (improving productivity), and enhanced confidentiality against loss or misplacement of physical documents.

Energy efficiency. Although a law firm’s energy consumption does not reach the levels of heavy industries, it is significant when considering intensive lighting, constant use of IT equipment, and office climate control. Improving energy efficiency not only reduces the carbon footprint but also represents relevant cost savings in the medium and long term.

Replacing fluorescent or incandescent bulbs with LED lighting reduces consumption by up to 80%. An LED’s lifespan (30,000–50,000 hours) is 5–10 times longer than that of a conventional bulb, reducing waste and replacement costs. A 500 m² firm replacing 100 traditional lights with LEDs can save over 10,000 kWh per year, equivalent to avoiding 3.5 tons of CO₂ emissions.

Climate control (heating and air conditioning) usually accounts for 40–50% of office energy consumption. Installing smart thermostats and zoning systems allows temperature to adapt to actual occupancy, avoiding waste. Maintaining temperatures between 19–21 °C in winter and 24–26 °C in summer can reduce consumption by 10–15% without affecting comfort. Regular maintenance of heating and air conditioning equipment improves efficiency by around 15%.

With renewable energy contracts, a firm can reduce its electricity-related carbon footprint to almost zero. Some large firms already integrate green energy purchasing into their ESG (environmental, social and governance) commitments, reinforcing their reputation among institutional and corporate clients. Firms can also move toward building energy certifications (LEED, BREEAM, ISO 50001), which not only confirm environmental commitment but also translate into reputational value and advantages in public tenders. Annual energy audits allow monitoring consumption, identifying inefficiencies, and setting progressive reduction plans.

A mid-sized firm adopting these measures can reduce annual energy consumption by 20–30%, which translates into direct cost savings and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Sustainable mobility. Encouraging teleworking, use of public transport, or electric vehicles for client and court visits.

Lawyer and staff transportation is one of the most significant sources of a firm’s indirect emissions, especially in large cities where trips to courts, notaries, or client meetings are frequent. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the transport sector represents around 25% of global CO₂ emissions, and in Europe private vehicles account for nearly 60% of that total.

The pandemic accelerated the adoption of telework and videoconferencing, showing that much of legal activity can be carried out without physical presence. A firm allowing two days of remote work per week can reduce its staff’s annual commuting by up to 40%, saving both time and emissions, while also supporting work-life balance and efficient time management.

Encouraging lawyers and employees to use firm-subsidized public transport passes (metro, bus, commuter rail) helps reduce car use. Promoting bicycles or electric scooters, with facilities such as secure parking or showers, also fosters active and healthy mobility.

For unavoidable trips, such as client visits or court appearances in other locations, using corporate electric or hybrid vehicles significantly reduces emissions. An electric car emits on average three times less CO₂ per kilometer than a combustion car, even considering electricity production. Many cities also offer benefits such as access to low-emission zones, reduced parking fees, and tax incentives.

Firms can design a Sustainable Mobility Plan with concrete goals (e.g., reducing private car use by 30% in five years). Such plans are increasingly valued in ESG reports and public tenders, in line with Directive (EU) 2022/2464 on corporate sustainability reporting. A 50-person firm reducing car commuting by 30% (about 200,000 km annually) can avoid around 30 tons of CO₂ emissions per year, equivalent to planting 1,500 trees.

Responsible purchasing. Choosing suppliers with clear environmental policies and recyclable or reusable materials.

A law firm’s environmental impact is not limited to its direct resource consumption. A significant part of its ecological footprint comes from third-party products and services: from office supplies to cleaning, catering, furniture, or technology. Adopting responsible purchasing policies is a strategic tool to reduce environmental impact and promote good practices throughout the value chain. Key actions include:

·         Selecting suppliers with environmental criteria: requiring certifications such as ISO 14001, EMAS, or sustainable product labels (FSC, PEFC for paper and wood); evaluating ESG policies, prioritizing suppliers that publish sustainability reports with verifiable reduction commitments; favoring local services to reduce transport footprint and support circular economy.

·         Using recyclable or reusable materials: replacing single-use products with recycled or recyclable alternatives, such as 100% recycled paper, remanufactured toner cartridges, reusable kitchenware; promoting modular, recyclable office furniture; choosing eco-labeled technology (Energy Star, EPEAT) ensuring energy efficiency and reduced e-waste.

·         Hiring sustainable services: ecological cleaning companies using biodegradable products and water-saving systems; responsible catering with seasonal, local products and reduced plastic packaging; green transportation and courier providers using electric vehicles or bicycles.

In Europe, Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement already incorporates environmental criteria in contract awards, serving as a precedent for private contracting. Incorporating environmental clauses into supplier contracts reinforces the firm’s ESG commitment and offers reputational advantages with institutional and corporate clients. A firm directing its purchasing policy toward sustainability can reduce its indirect footprint (scope 3 emissions) by 10–20%, while contributing to ecological transformation in other sectors.

Waste management. Law firms, with their high consumption of paper, electronics, office supplies, and packaging, can have a significant waste impact. Poor waste management increases the carbon footprint and wastes resources that could re-enter production cycles. By contrast, implementing reduction, reuse, and recycling policies decreases landfill waste, saves raw materials, reduces emissions, and ensures compliance with environmental laws. Key measures include selective separation with dedicated bins for paper, plastics, glass, and electronics.

Conclusion.
Raising awareness among staff through internal campaigns that promote responsible habits and a culture of sustainability within the organization is key.