Our approach

At Linklaters, we recognise the urgency and importance of strong environmental action and have taken many steps to reduce negative impacts and make positive contributions. We pursue further opportunities to reduce our impacts and associated emissions, including through energy and resource efficiency, waste prevention, by promoting conscious travel, circular economy principles, responsible sourcing and supply chain engagement.

Already leaders in our sector – both in operations and client advice – we know there is more to do and we are fully committed to playing our part.

Leadership and commitment

Linklaters is committed to achieving net zero by 2050 from our 2018/19 baseline, with approved Science-based Targets in place for 2030. These were approved in June 2021 by the Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and require firmwide reductions by April 2030 of:

  1. Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 70% and
  2. Scope 3 emissions by 50%.

Our verified progress against these targets to April 2024 can be seen below. Please note:

  • Following a rebaselining exercise of our FY19 carbon footprint in 2024, our FY19 carbon footprint decreased from 89,650 tCO2e to 81,299 tCO2e.
  • Since FY19, we have reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 54.2% and Scope 3 by 1.7%.
  • Emissions per person (market based) reduced from 12.3 tCO2e to 10.8 tCO2e between FY19 and FY24.
  • We continue to focus transitioning to a lower carbon way of working and doing business. 

GHG

Our leadership is longstanding. In addition to being one of only two global law firms to hold firmwide environmental management system (EMS) certification to ISO 14001:2015, we remain the only global law firm to have reported GHG emissions through the CDP Climate Change questionnaire since 2012, scoring a B in 2023. 

Governance for the programme is provided by the Sustainability Committee which has delegated authority from the Executive Committee to endorse the firmwide environment programme, including the Environmental Policy.

Externally, we are active members of the Legal Sustainability Alliance, a network of law firms in which members share best practice and work together to ensure law firms play a full part in tackling the climate crisis and environmental challenges.

Tangible Results

Science-Based Target progress: Between FY19 and FY24, we reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) equivalent emissions, reported in tCO2e, as follows:

  • Scope 1 & 2 by 54.2% and
  • Scope 3 by 1.7%, or by 7.3% excluding our Head Office fit-out emissions (20 Ropemaker).

These reductions were driven by improved efficiencies, procurement strategies and engagement with relevant stakeholders between FY19 and FY24 including:

  • reduced electricity consumption by 16%
  • reduced on-site fuel emissions by 9% and refrigerant gas losses by 82%
  • increased proportion of renewable electricity, from 73% to 91%
  • business travel distance reduction of 37% and a 48% growth in distance travelled by rail
  • decarbonisation of our supply chain, through targeted engagement with key supply partners, resulting in a 5% decrease in purchased goods and services emissions.

Long-term progress: Between 2009/10 and 2019/20, we reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) equivalent by 46% across scopes 1, 2 & relevant scope 3 sub-categories.

This included reductions arising from electricity (39%), water use (27%), business travel (23%), paper use (48.5%) and waste generation (36%).

More specific environment performance and GHG data is available below.

Sustainable by design

Our office fitout and move designs are informed by environment, health and wellbeing certifications and our own guidance and generic specifications which are built into our Global Design Guide and supported by Sustainable Design Checklists. 

We have leading environmental certifications across our offices and are working to enhance the health and wellbeing credentials of our sites through office moves and refurbishments. Examples include:

  • a LEED platinum (and DGNB gold) in Frankfurt, Dubai and Jakarta; LEED silver in New York and Stockholm
  • a ‘Class A’ building in Milan, an A-label building in Amsterdam and a BCA Green Mark Scheme building in Singapore
  • From 2026 our new headquarters will be at 20 Ropemaker, London, which is designed to BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and WELL ‘Platinum’. Our fit-out is designed to achieve the same BREEAM and WELL ratings and is now under construction with the move scheduled for late 2025/early 2026.

Carbon offsetting

Between 2018 and April 2023 Linklaters offset GHGs associated with our traditional business activities including travel and premises1 through the Gola Rainforest Conservation Project in Sierra Leone.

The Gola Project protects over 140,000 hectares of rare rainforest with numerous endangered wildlife species, by creating a National Park to protect the habitat for 327 bird species, 650 endemic plant species, and 49 species of larger mammals. This, in turn, supports local communities through education and sustainable agriculture within a buffer zone surrounding the Park.

Gola Project 

1 Emissions are offset from all scope 1 (e.g. gas use, refrigerant losses), scope 2 (i.e. purchased electricity which is not 100% renewable sourced) and the following scope 3 emission sources: water, waste, paper, hotel stays and business travel including plane, train and taxi journeys.  

Advising clients

Our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Practice has a robust understanding of the regulatory and policy drivers of the market and experience across a wide range of sectors and contexts. We take a holistic approach, covering a wide range of areas - from climate change and resource efficiency, human rights and community engagement, antibribery and corruption, transparency and disclosure, product governance, and risk management more generally.

Linklaters Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statement and Performance Data

The following firmwide GHG emissions, performance data and verification statement are true to the end of FY24 (April 2024).

From our FY19 baseline, calculated in line with the SBTi methodology, our carbon emission performance over the past five years is as follows. The scope 3 emission categories relevant to Linklaters are shown.

 Linklaters Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statement

Firmwide Carbon Emissions Units FY20191 FY20232 FY20243 
  Company Vehicles tCO2e 65 72 92 
  Fugitive Emissions tCO2e 170 59 31 
  On-Site Combustion tCO2e 1,477 1,167 1,345 
Scope 1 sub-total Scope 1 subtotal tCO2e 1,712 1,299 1,468 
  Electricity
(market-based)		 tCO2e 3,411 1,507 768 
  Electricity 
(location-based)		 tCO2e 8,038 4,569 4,574 
  District Heating & Cooling (market-based)  tCO2e  704  674  435 
District Heating & Cooling (market-based) tCO2e 704 674 538 
Scope 2 sub-total

Scope 2

(market-based) subtotal

 tCO2e 4,115 2,181 1,203 
 

Scope 2

(location-based) subtotal

 tCO2e 8,742 5,243 5,112 
  Purchased Goods & Services tCO2e 41,514 37,474 39,266 
  Capital Goods tCO2e 6,315 6,605 13,137 
  Fuel and energy related activities tCO2e 320 398 1,271 
  Upstream transportation and distribution tCO2e 712 192 77 
Waste generated in operations tCO2e 312 156 129 
  Business Travel  tCO2e 24,141 15,889 13,662 
  Employee commuting & working from home tCO2e 2,118 5,006 6,608 
  Downstream leased assets tCO2e 15 7 8.2 
  Investments tCO2e 1  n/a n/a 
Scope 3 sub-total Scope 3 subtotal tCO2e 75,472 65,729 74,148 
Total emissions (market based) Scope 1, 2 and 3 Total emissions (market based) Scope 1,2, and 3 tCO2e 81,299 69,209 76,829 

Total emissions (location based) Scope 1, 2 and 3

 Total emissions (location based) Scope 1, 2 and 3 tCO2e 85,926 72,271 80,738 
Total emissions intensity (FTE headcount market based) Total emissions intensity (FTE headcount market based) tCO2e 12.3  9.8 10.8 
Total emissions intensity (FTE headcount location based) Total emissions intensity (FTE headcount location based) tCO2e 13.0 10.2 11.4 
1-3 FY2019-24 scope 1, 2 & 3 data limited verification in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14064 – part 3 standard.

In addition, all scope 1 & 2 UK data has been verified to reasonable assurance in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14064 - part 3 standard for SECR requirements purposes.

The 2024 Greenhouse Gas Assurance Statement is here.

Environmental Performance

Firmwide Units FY2019   FY2023  FY2024
Energy Electricity Million kWh 23.4 19.9 19.6   
  Renewable Tariff Percentage 73 86 91   
  Other1 Million kWh 9.3 10.1 9.9   
Procurement Purchased Goods & Services £ spent (millions) 169.1 327 363.4   
  Capital Goods £ spent (millions) 22.6 19.3 42.8   
Waste Disposal All waste2 Tonnes 1,633 667 792   
  Recycling  Percentage 75  54 66   
Business Travel Air Million Km 71.5 50.0 43   
  Road Million Km 1.1 0.6 0.5   
  Rail Million Km 2.8 5.6 4.2   
Employee Commuting & Working from Home Employee Commuting Million Km 6.9 0.3 44.8   
  Working from Home Million kWh - 12.5 11.1   
Upstream Leased Assets Electricity Million kWh 0.01 0.01 0.01   
Downstream Leased Assets Electricity Million kWh 0.04 0.04 0.04   
Investments Investments £ invested (millions) 0.7 n/a n/a   
Resource Use    Units FY2019  FY2023 FY2024 
   Paper  A4 Reams  153,895  39,588 39,474 
   Water  m3  73,686  46,372 50,824

1 Includes gas, district heating and cooling.
2 This includes over 10 different types of waste streams, based on a combination of weighed and estimated waste data.