Our sustainability report 2022: driving best practice at Mills & Reeve and beyond
At Mills & Reeve, we’re reviewing what we’ve been doing through a green lens. In October we committed to reaching net zero by 2050 and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 35% by 2031. You can read our full commitment to net zero here.
To communicate our pledge, we’ve produced our first ever wide-ranging sustainability report to give a comprehensive review of the strides we’ve taken in the last 12 months and the next steps in achieving our goals.
We’ve adopted globally recognised standards such as joining the United Nations Global Compact and aligning our ESG activity to the Sustainable Development Goals. We also recently committed to having our targets validated by the SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiatives).
We’ve launched an internal sustainability hub, set up mandatory training for staff and collected detailed data on the ESG commitments of each of our suppliers to certify that they align with our own values.
But this report is just the beginning as we continue to review where we can improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. We hope that by being open and precise about our values we can inspire everyone at Mills & Reeve to be actively involved in improving the sustainability of our legal processes and everyday lives, from opting to reusable cups rather than single use plastics to cutting down on unnecessary travel. By taking vital action we can cut carbon emissions at every touch point.
Neil Pearson, head of ESG and social value at Mills & Reeve, said: “We're not compelled to release this report. We're doing it to magnify the ripple effect we have and to hold ourselves to account, making sure that we continue to push forward. This isn't a question of stealing a competitive edge on another firm down the road. This is us saying, "Our sector needs to be better, so what can we do to drive best practice forwards?" Please ask us questions about our approach, tell us what's worked for you and create conversations. Quite frankly, we'll pick the brains of other firms and organisations as much as they might pick ours. We've all got to aim to achieve more, together.”
Jessica Wilkes-Ball, sustainability manager at Mills & Reeve, commented: “Investing in a role focusing solely on sustainability shows that Mills & Reeve is serious about environmental concerns. I have been met with openness at every turn. It’s never a “no”, even when my suggestions are radical. I look forward to continuing to drive change for our firm and the wider legal industry.”