Sustainability Report
PETER LAWSON - CHAIR
As a truly independent law firm operating in a fast moving and challenging global landscape, we have complete license to shape our culture and determine our values in a way that sustainably supports the needs of our people, our clients, our wider community and the environment.
What has become apparent is that the journey to sustainability is an ongoing one, and we’re committed to continue learning, and improving. Led by Lindsay Wallace our Head of Sustainability, we have set realistic goals and are actively communicating them widely for transparency and accountability.
We’re a signatory to the UN Global Compact, committed to following their ten principles of doing business and embedding this into our strategy. And we’ve gone further.
For the last year we have focused on three UN Sustainability Goals:
REDUCED INEQUALITIES
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION
PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALS
And we are very proud to announce we have committed to a fourth, GOOD HEALTH & WELLBEING, which fits perfectly with our human and high performing ethos, where not only do we deliver excellence for our clients, but put the wellbeing of our employees at the heart of our business too.
All our work in this area is underpinned by good governance and a strong commitment to our code of business.
We’ve had a busy twelve months, developing and implementing impactful initiatives and policies to help us as we strive towards achieving net zero by 2030 and meeting our wider sustainability objectives, and we hope you find this summary interesting and informative.
Partnerships for the Goals is a common theme across everything we do. We don’t work in isolation, and have a dedicated team at Burness Paull driving forward activity, a number of external partners helping guide us to where we want to be, and of course our community of clients who are on the same journey as us. We regularly provide training and advice on a range of ESG topics.
Sharing experiences and learnings and moving towards a more sustainable future together is key, and so we hope that you will connect with us on this exciting – and vital – journey. We’d love you to come along with us.
Sustainability and Our Journey to Net Zero
The journey to net zero carbon emissions isn’t an easy one, but we are committed to achieving it by 2030. This is an integral part of our ESG strategy and we are committing to a reduction of 50% of our carbon emissions, using 2019/20 as the baseline.
To help us get there, in March 2022 we recruited our first Environmental Impact Assistant, to create meaningful and achievable carbon reduction targets and provide recommendations for carbon offsetting.
Since joining, she has rigorously reviewed our carbon data, calculated our carbon footprint and put in place additional systems to ensure we can continue to monitor and analyse our carbon numbers.
"Working with the divisions and business service teams across the firm to identify where we can reduce our carbon footprint has been both informative and productive, but also really motivating. The enthusiasm for driving forward change and the creativity around coming up with ideas for next steps has been evident across the board. Having buy in from senior management allows me to implement recommendations quickly, but it’s the commitment from the whole team that makes it happen."
Maggie Stewart - Environmental Impact Assistant
Travelling as a Team
The journey is a team effort, requiring the endeavours and enthusiasm of all our departments and colleagues.
Over the last 12 months we have:
Implemented a policy that encourages sustainable travel, placing a hierarchy on preferred modes of transport alongside restrictions on the class of travel.
Recruited a Contracts Manager to implement a sustainable procurement strategy and embed this throughout our supply chain, informing suppliers of our targets, purchasing green alternatives and reducing Scope 3 emissions.
Became signatories of the Sustainable Recruitment Alliance, set up to encourage organisations to take a more eco-friendly approach to early talent recruitment and be accountable for their carbon footprint. We no longer use disposable merchandise and have found new ways to engage with the talent of tomorrow.
Worked with our internal Environmental Champions to drive initiatives across the whole firm, for example we are working to remove single use plastics from our hospitality and caterings activities.
Looked at ways to offset the carbon footprint of our BD activities. For example investing in a nature based project in the UK to deliver future emission reductions through the removal of carbon from the atmosphere to offset distance travelled to our recent cycling event.
We've been partnering with...
Respect & Inclusion
To us, respect and inclusion is about recognising that everyone is different and creating a business that values those differences.
We recognise the fresh thinking and new perspectives that diversity brings and we want to maximise the potential of everyone within the firm so they can do their best work and deliver excellent client service.
We know this can only happen when all colleagues feel valued at work regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, beliefs, personal circumstances or social background. That’s why we are fully committed to equality of opportunity for all and the promotion of an inclusive culture where our employees can succeed.
"When I joined Burness Paull it was very important to me that I was going to be part of a firm that celebrated diversity, and recognised and valued individuals for their true selves.
"Setting up the Race & Ethnicity employee network is an important step in our R&I strategy, and one which I’m so proud to see has already made a difference to those who are part of it and also the many others across the firm who have supported and embraced the activities we’ve carried out so far.
Our commitment to widening access to the legal profession is embedded in who we are, and it’s great to see the positive steps we’re taking to help achieve this."
Sophia Harrison - Partner
This isn’t a new commitment for us, and is one we’re proud to be able to say has long been a part of firm culture. But we know we can always do better, and so in the past year we have:
Invested in a new recruitment system to improve our diversity reporting capability.
Reviewed our family policy framework and now offer a suite of market leading family policies including paid fertility, neo-natal and pregnancy loss leave as well as generous enhanced maternity, adoption, shared and paternity leave packages. This is available to all employees from the day they join the firm.
Continued to help widen access to the legal profession through a range of initiatives, such as:
- Leading on a series of skills workshops for SEMLA (Scottish Ethnic Minorities Lawyers Association) .
- Investing in Arctic Shores which represents a move to a more inclusive behavioural based approach to selection.
- Continued to run our Legal Career Pathway for Robertson Trust Scholars on our summer scheme, following our creation of the first Legal Careers Pathway with the organisation in 2021.
- We won the s1jobs Recruitment Award 2022 for best early careers employer and receive a commendation in the D&I category both for our commitment to widening access to the profession.
Partnered with leading neurodiversity charity Salveson Mind Room on Scotland’s first corporate neurodiversity programme, supported by the Scottish Government, to help employers improve the experience of neurodivergent colleagues in their workplace.
Been awarded the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award, recognising our efforts to become an armed forces friendly organisation for employees and their families through inclusive recruitment and employment policies.
Undertaken Board level workshops to identify and challenge barriers, blockers and bias.
Set targets for minority ethnic trainees and fee earners and an increased gender target at partnership level.
Launched a new Race, Faith & Ethnicity employee network, sitting alongside our existing networks created to support staff on issues which affect them at and/or outside of work. Other initiatives that form part of our commitment to widening access to the profession include our continued involvement with Legal Core, and our partnership with the Law Society, where we ran a firmwide session on the findings and recommendations of the Racial Inclusion Group.
Been recognised as a Stonewall Top 100 employer, compiled from the Workplace Equality Index – the UK’s leading benchmarking tool for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace.
Immigration partner Jamie Kerr also won the Professional Services Award at the Proud Scotland Awards 2021, in recognition of his commitment to outstanding service to LGBTQ+ migrants.
We've been partnering with...
Wellbeing
We believe it's our responsibility to provide a healthy, safe and positive working environment which offers colleagues the support and resources they need to maintain their mental, physical and financial wellbeing.
We have put in place employee benefits, policies, training and other information to encourage health and wellness at work, and are continuously looking for additional ways we can help ensure the wellbeing of our people.
"Workplace culture is incredibly important at Burness Paull and the focus that our leadership puts on inclusion and wellbeing are reflective of this.
Through partnerships with organisations such as ‘Menopause Friendly’, Salvenson Mindroom Centre, the Mindful Business Charter and See Me Scotland, we’ll continue to make sure that we really understand the needs of our employees and can put in place the right adjustments and management support to ensure everyone can reach their full potential."
Emma Smith - Inclusion & Wellbeing Manager
Been named winners of the ENEI ‘Enhancing Wellbeing and Belonging at Work’ award 2021
Continued to lead the way on Menopause at Work initiatives. Since becoming the first law firm in the UK and first organisation in Scotland to be awarded independent ‘Menopause Friendly Accreditation’ in 2021, in the last year we have been named winners of the UK Diversity Legal Awards 2021 'Best Law Firm Diversity & Inclusion Initiative' for our work in this area. We have also held a client webinar with an industry expert.
Invested in mental health training e-learning modules for colleagues, workplace culture and wellbeing training for partners and further mental health first aid training increasing our ratio to 1:36 employees.
Launched a new financial wellbeing resources hub for employees.
Continued to embed the principles of the Mindful Business Charter and also ran an external session for clients to introduce them to the Charter.
Our employee mental health network has raised awareness throughout the year with ‘walk and talk events’ and has run sessions with Andy’s Man Club, Street Soccer Scotland and The Modern Mind.
As well as hearing about our own colleagues cancer journeys we have run sessions with The Beatson, Cancer Card, Coppafeel and Prostate Cancer UK to raise awareness of cancer in the workplace.
We've been partnering with...
Communities & Pro-bono
Connecting with our wider communities and forming partnerships that are not only human, but deliver results, is intrinsic to who we are.
We want to make a difference, and we want to support our colleagues when they want to make a difference to causes close to their hearts. This is why we set up the Burness Paull Foundation in 2016, funded by the firm, and why we look for ways we can help throughout the year.
"Working alongside the 14 trustees, brought together from across our firm, it's fantastic to see the level of support and engagement from colleagues in Burness Paull Foundation activities. We're able to support individuals in helping their chosen charities, as well as make a meaningful difference through coming together for firmwide initiatives - and this is something I'm really proud to be a part of."
Jackie Robertson - Foundation Manager
Connecting with communities:
Street Soccer Scotland
The Burness Paull Foundation has a longstanding partnership with Street Soccer Scotland, a truly inspirational organisation providing training and personal development opportunities for socially disadvantaged groups across Scotland using the positive power of football. As well as financial support, this year we have teamed up to host joint events, provided volunteers for Street Soccer training sessions and fundraisers, and were headline sponsors of the Street Soccer Women Inspired Lunch.
We are very proud sponsors of the Street Soccer Scotland men's and women's teams at the Homeless World Cup, and in September 2022, Street Soccer Scotland organised the first Nations Cup in Dundee. We were delighted to once again support and cheer on the teams.
Ukraine
Following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, our specialist immigration law team instigated a project to facilitate the relocation of children and families from eastern Ukraine to Aberdeen. Part of this project involved liaising with the British authorities to organise visas and worked with the energy sector in Aberdeen to arrange funding to cover the travel costs to bring the families to the UK.
The Burness Paull Foundation supported this effort by arranging for the council houses to be prepared for the arrival of the families. We provided a range of household items to ensure that all of the relocated families arrived to homes that were ready and comfortable to live in.
In addition to this, all members of our immigration team were involved in the Ukraine Advice Project, a national advice service set up to provide pro-bono immigration and visa advice to Ukrainians fleeing the conflict, giving free advice to those in need.
Pro-bono
We want our work to have a meaningful and lasting impact, and so willingly give our time on a pro-bono basis to a number of initiatives where we can make a difference.
THE LIFESCAPE PROJECT:
As proud Scottish Law Firm Pro-bono partner of The Lifescape Project, we have delivered legal briefings on a wide range of issues relating to rewilding. A groundbreaking charity with a mission to “catalyse the creation, restoration and protection of wild landscapes”, they bring together science, technology, law, economics and communications. The Lifescape Project team have set ambitious targets to drive change, build support for rewilding and species reintroduction, and utilise “natural assets” to achieve ESG and financial return benefits, and we look forward to continuing to advise them on their varied and innovative projects.
"Burness Paull has provided us with invaluable support in delivering a joint project with Rewilding Britain which aims to help rewilding projects in Scotland to understand how different areas of law from public access to species reintroductions may apply to their activities. Burness Paull has undertaken the substantive research and drafting of these notes and the lawyers involved have shown real interest in and commitment to the work. A big thank you from the Lifescape Project to Burness Paull for making this project possible.” - Elsie Blackshaw-Crosby Managing Lawyer, The Lifescape Project
TREES FOR LIFE:
In a groundbreaking case, we acted for Trees for Life, a rewilding charity, in a Court of Session challenge to a practice conducted by Scotland’s agency for wildlife and habitats, NatureScot, of licensing the killing of beavers. The court ruled that NatureScot had unlawfully granted licences to kill beavers and in future it must fully set out the reasons why any such licences should be granted.
FEEDING BRITAIN:
Acting for award winning food charity, Feeding Britain in the taking of a sub-lease at Nitshill Road, Glasgow. Feeding Britain’s vision is to eradicate food poverty in the UK and this letting is an important step to achieve this goal. The new community services hub to be operated at the property will enable the community to purchase food at affordable prices. An important element of eradicating hunger is to share knowledge to communities and according educational classes (including cookery, home economics and computing classes) will also be run from the property.
TREECONOMY:
Advising nature-based carbon removal company, Treeconomy, in connection with template agreements with rural landowners in Scotland in connection with potential reforestation carbon offset projects. Such projects are designed allow Treeconomy and the landowners to share the revenue from the sale of carbon credits and to sell on those credits to corporate buyers thus providing a sustainable income stream for landowners and meeting a growing demand for high-quality offsets. Treeconomy’s vision is to strive for a world where a tree in the ground is more valuable than a tree chopped down.
INSPIRING SCOTLAND:
We have worked with Inspiring Scotland since 2013 to provide pro bono employment law advice to their members. Inspiring Scotland help essential charities in Scotland by providing funding, support and advice with a view to making Scotland a better place by improving the lives of the people of Scotland who struggle.
TWEED VALLEY MOUNTAIN RESCUE:
Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue is a charity and all members are volunteers on call 24 hours a day, to help people who are lost, missing or injured in the Southern Uplands area of Scotland. We have been assisting with the negotiation of a template licence agreement which concerns the use and siting of their communication ‘repeaters’. Once it is agreed, the template licence will be used as a template for future individual mountain rescue team agreements elsewhere across Scotland.
Going for Gold
LINDSAY WALLACE - HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY
This year we were awarded a gold medal for our sustainability efforts over the last 12 months by EcoVadis, a leading sustainability ratings platform.
Achieving this puts us in the top 5% of companies who submit – including all leading law firms and other professional services firms. Last year we achieved silver, and so this gold reflects the progress we have made on a number of fronts across all strands of Environmental, Social and Governance, and our efforts to move towards net zero.
We’ll continue to carry out an external carbon audit on an annual basis as we track and report on our progress towards net zero, and we will continue to undertake equalities monitoring of employees and future recruits to help monitor our progress in the field of Respect & Inclusion.
Finally, we remain accountable to our employees, and will continue to use our firmwide engagement survey platform to understand better their experiences and how we can continue to improve and exceed their expectations.
Where We’re Going Next...
This is our first externally published report on our sustainability progress, and we commit to publishing an update annually. This will include our progress against our UN sustainability goals, as well as other ESG related initiatives and data.
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