Christchurch-based Anderson Lloyd Chief Executive Officer Richard Greenaway shares how partnerships have lightened the firm’s footprint while contributing to local and broader Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance outcomes.
Great strides to effect positive change for our people and the planet can be made when it comes to adding value to the collective effort through active participation.
Christchurch-based Chief Executive Officer Richard Greenaway of national firm Anderson Lloyd shares how partnerships have lightened the firm’s footprint while contributing to local and broader ESG Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance.
“In 2020, we became the first major law firm to become Toitū net carbon zero certified. This provided a robust foundation for our sustainability effort to build on. Meaningful memberships have been key to this, including the Climate Leaders Coalition and Sustainable Business Council.” Working with these groups enables Anderson Lloyd to be at the forefront of fresh thinking and provide tangible ways to measure the firm’s emissions.
Greenaway points to pertinent topics, such as “adaptation,” that emerge from these forums and enable the firm to front-foot issues in this rapidly changing space. Anderson Lloyd has long worked in the renewable energy space and regularly contributes to “green clauses” under consideration. This includes the Emissions Reduction Plan and Emissions Trading Scheme. “Pooling expertise in this very large space demonstrates the power of collaboration. It enables us to work with a wide range of businesses to assist them in advancing their renewable energy projects,” says Greenaway.
Richard Greenaway, CEO Anderson Lloyd A multi-generational law firm, Anderson Lloyd’s sustainability journey centres around custodianship and very much starts “at home.” Inhouse, Anderson Lloyd works to minimise its footprint by consciously managing emissions through leadership to staff, community and clients.
Internal practices comprise three main elements; Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
In the effort to ‘reduce’, staff are encouraged to consider if an item is really needed before purchasing. An excellent way to validate need before purchase is to sample an item to ensure it will not only perform the intended function but also add value to business operations.
Selecting products that will last a long time helps to minimise waste and, with a “bit of juggling,” elevates the ‘reuse’ effort. This also extends to supplier relations exemplified by making the switch to ‘Ecotricity.’
Creating meaningful partnerships and strong social engagement that includes staff, clients and community organisations, are key to achieving our ESG
ambitions
‘Recycling’, specifically e-waste, combines good sustainable and social practices. Once security protocols have been completed, e-waste is sent to Dunedin-based Cargill Enterprises. A business enterprise with a social purpose and part of the Disabled Citizens Society (Otago) Inc, Cargill has been providing quality products, services and support for more than sixty years. A not-for-profit enterprise, Cargill used surplus funds to support over eighty staff members with some level of intellectual disability across three business units; Timberworks, PacMan and Recycling.
Greenaway says, “Creating meaningful partnerships and strong social engagement that includes staff, clients and community organisations, are key to achieving our ESG ambitions. Sharing knowledge derived from memberships and partnerships together with the expertise of multi-generational experience is a key enabler for the firm to assist businesses in achieving their own climate ambitions, especially in the renewable energy space, and make a meaningful contribution toward creating a more sustainable New Zealand.”
Anderson Lloyd is a member of The Sustainable Business Council, Climate Leaders Coalition, NZ Green Building Council, Resource Management Law Association, and contributes to the native reforestation work of ‘Trees that Count’ through the purchase of 2,000 trees annually.