Annual Report & Accounts 2026
17
ENVIRONMENTAL
The activity of a law firm inherently has a low environmental impact. Furthermore, the Keystone model engenders an even lower impact due to its minimal property footprint and a workforce which uses technology to support remote working and avoid commuting. Even so, the Board believes that we have a responsibility to minimise the limited impact we have, where possible. Since 2022, when we first carried out an assessment of our carbon footprint and decided to become certified carbon neutral, we have taken steps to reduce our carbon footprint where possible and to the extent that this is not possible to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions. Through our Keystone Species initiative, we have supported both international and domestic projects which seek to protect the most important parts of our ecosystem.
This year, through the purchase of carbon credits, we provided support to the Sabah rainforest rehabilitation project in Malaysia. This project rehabilitates and conserves 25,000 hectares of degraded forest through enrichment planting with indigenous dipterocarp species, fast-
growing pioneer trees and forest fruit trees, while also preventing future re-logging in the project area. The project is expected to remove more than 250,000 tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere and is actively restoring 12,385 hectares of tropical rainforest, sequestering carbon and conserving globally significant biodiveristy. The forest provides vital habitat for endangered and threatened keystone species, including orangutans, red lanfures, Bornean elephants and rhinoceros hornbills. Beyond its environmental impact, the project delivers meaningful social benefits employing and training opportunities for local community members.
On the domestic front, we continued our honeybee project with the adoption of 20 British honeybee hives from Bees & Co, a certified carbon neutral honey farm. Whilst the honeybee is one of the smallest keystone species, its contribution to the ecosystem is vital, with an estimated one third of our food depending on pollination. These hives are handmade from British sustainable cedar wood and become home to over 1.5 million honeybees during the peak of summer. Our lawyers also benefit directly from this experience as a few are able to spend a day “bee keeping”, bringing a real connection between our people and our environmental efforts, whilst the honey from our hives was sold at other charitable fundraising events which we ran during the year. Our aim is to continue to reduce our carbon intensity and minimise our footprint wherever possible and, to the extent it is not possible to avoid emissions, we will continue to offset the impact through the use of the carbon credit system. The table below shows the results of both this year and last year’s assessment, which has been carried out independently in accordance with the methodology outlined by the GHC protocol. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG)
STRATEGIC REPORT
ENVIRONMENTAL
The activity of a law firm inherently has a low environmental impact. Furthermore, the Keystone model engenders an even lower impact due to its minimal property footprint and a workforce which uses technology to support remote working and avoid commuting. Even so, the Board believes that we have a responsibility to minimise the limited impact we have, where possible. Since 2022, when we first carried out an assessment of our carbon footprint and decided to become certified carbon neutral, we have taken steps to reduce our carbon footprint where possible and to the extent that this is not possible to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions. Through our Keystone Species initiative, we have supported both international and domestic projects which seek to protect the most important parts of our ecosystem.
This year, through the purchase of carbon credits, we provided support to the Sabah rainforest rehabilitation project in Malaysia. This project rehabilitates and conserves 25,000 hectares of degraded forest through enrichment planting with indigenous dipterocarp species, fast-
growing pioneer trees and forest fruit trees, while also preventing future re-logging in the project area. The project is expected to remove more than 250,000 tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere and is actively restoring 12,385 hectares of tropical rainforest, sequestering carbon and conserving globally significant biodiveristy. The forest provides vital habitat for endangered and threatened keystone species, including orangutans, red lanfures, Bornean elephants and rhinoceros hornbills. Beyond its environmental impact, the project delivers meaningful social benefits employing and training opportunities for local community members.
On the domestic front, we continued our honeybee project with the adoption of 20 British honeybee hives from Bees & Co, a certified carbon neutral honey farm. Whilst the honeybee is one of the smallest keystone species, its contribution to the ecosystem is vital, with an estimated one third of our food depending on pollination. These hives are handmade from British sustainable cedar wood and become home to over 1.5 million honeybees during the peak of summer. Our lawyers also benefit directly from this experience as a few are able to spend a day “bee keeping”, bringing a real connection between our people and our environmental efforts, whilst the honey from our hives was sold at other charitable fundraising events which we ran during the year. Our aim is to continue to reduce our carbon intensity and minimise our footprint wherever possible and, to the extent it is not possible to avoid emissions, we will continue to offset the impact through the use of the carbon credit system. The table below shows the results of both this year and last year’s assessment, which has been carried out independently in accordance with the methodology outlined by the GHC protocol. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG)
STRATEGIC REPORT