With sustainability now a strategic imperative for businesses, law firms are increasingly prioritising environmental awareness and implementing proactive measures to embrace the principles of corporate responsibility and contribute to a more sustainable future. The Australian Legal Sector Alliance (AusLSA) is one such organisation that promotes law firm sustainability. A not-for-profit association, it is a collective of almost 50 Australian law firms that have chosen to work collaboratively to promote and increase sustainable practices across the legal sector.
In its 2023 Member Report, AusLSA said its members were performing significantly better on key climate change indicators when compared to data collected before the pandemic. However, it noted that urgent action was critical to avoid the greatest impacts of climate change.
Embracing sustainability has already led to a reduced ecological footprint and streamlined operations for firms thanks to new technologies and brand elevation among eco-conscious clients and employees. Let’s explore how you can get started on driving law firm sustainability forward.
1. Optimise the way you use and consume print
For the legal profession, printing is still a staple for many documents like contracts, case files, court filings, last wills and testaments. In fact, despite paper use decreasing in many other industries, the Australian Legal Sector Alliance noted that paper consumption increased by five per cent among member practices in 2022. So if your firm also uses large volumes of paper, now is the time to consider how you can adopt more sustainable practices.
Managed Print Services (MPS) look at how your firm uses paper and printing devices ‘end-to-end’ to provide more sustainable solutions. While this can include switching to paperless workflows, it can also simply mean being smarter about how and when you use paper. For example, enforcing company-wide print policies such as mandating double-sided printing, using greyscale to reduce toner usage, or directing large print jobs to printers best suited to handle high volumes efficiently. Additionally, print release technology can reduce the number of lost and reprinted documents by only releasing the print job when the person reaches the machine.
2. Focus on the product lifecycle
To really improve your environmental footprint, you need to look beyond sustainability metrics that are just focused on usage. You also want to choose devices or service providers that consider the entire product lifecyle – from eco-friendly design to end-of-life disposal – ensuring responsible management of your equipment and consumables (also referred to as e-waste).
Participation in the circular economy can significantly reduce your ecological footprint – as well as provide other business benefits. It means considering where and how your office equipment is made, and what happens to it once it reaches end of life and needs replacing. For example, printers that are made from recycled products in factories that use renewable energy have a smaller footprint than those made from new materials, especially if the parts can be recycled or remanufactured at the end of life.
Managed Print Services is also having a significant impact on how law firms manage sustainability. Adopting MPS optimises how you use and consume print consumables, reducing waste across the entire firm while still ensuring process efficiency.
3. Reduce your paper trail
Embracing technology is one of the most impactful ways a law firm can reduce paper waste. Where there is no legal requirement to print a document, AI-powered document management systems can significantly reduce reliance on paper and increase workflow efficiency.
A key bugbear of the legal profession is the time, resources and space required to store, locate and secure confidential client information. The advent of AI-powered digital archiving solutions allows firms to maintain a high standard of document security and speed up document record-keeping and retrieval.
In fact, this type of document automation is one of the most common tech solutions firms adopt to improve sustainability and efficiency. Along with the obvious environmental benefits, integrating AI into your practice can reduce the time needed to process documents and eliminate the hassle of searching through disorganised cabinets for critical information – all with just a few keystrokes.
4. Invest in the right collaboration software
Lawyers and associates often need to travel to attend meetings, court and other work-related activities. Among AusLSA members, greenhouse gas emissions from business travel increased by 109% from 2022 to 2023.
Minimising transport and air travel is a crucial priority among many law firms. The internationally-recognised Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA) provides a range of tools to support law firm sustainability, including its Sustainable Travel Tips. This provides a technology matrix to help you determine the right technology for your virtual meetings, whether with clients or dispersed teams.
Many law firms are also embracing collaborative software to dually reduce their environmental footprint and drive greater business efficiency. Using electronic signature apps and document management software not only minimises paper usage and the need for document transport, it also streamlines workflows and enhances operational efficiency.
5. Elevate your employer brand
Adopting sustainable business practices can elevate your employer brand among environmentally conscious employees. The PwC Australia 2023 Future of Work Outlook report noted that among employees, the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda was as important as ever, with an expectation that organisations will continue to look for new ways to drive sustainable practices.
Engaging your people in environmental best practices should form part of your overall sustainability (and hiring!) strategy. Initiatives like Green Week, encouraging public transport for the commute and shifting to a green kitchen are a few ideas you can adopt to bring your people on the sustainability journey.
Embrace sustainability
Embracing law firm sustainability can lead to long-term financial benefits, foster a healthier and more efficient work environment and contribute positively to the global effort to combat climate change. By prioritising sustainable practices, you can position yourself as a forward-thinking leader, ultimately driving both ecological and economic success.
Sustainability will be an important measure of success for workplaces of the future. Download our Sustainable Office Guide to learn how to improve your environmental impact, while also reducing business costs and boosting efficiency.
