Rachel Hussey

The law firm has launched its second sustainable business impact report, which outlines the firm’s work over the past financial year across the pillars of community, workplace, marketplace and the environment.

It reveals that the firm’s number of volunteering hours more than doubled from 1,105 in the prior year period to 2,293 in the 12 months to June 2022, while pro bono hours in the same period increased from over 10,000 to over 15,000.

The report also highlights the formal launch of the firm’s hybrid working policy, its development of a supplier code of conduct as part of its ISO27001:2013 certification and risk assessments of all new and critical vendors.

The firm also made progress on its ambition to become carbon negative by 2025, with the firm’s carbon emissions reducing by 19 per cent in 2021/22 in comparison to the prior year period, a cumulative 65.5 per cent reduction on its 2018 baseline.

Arthur Cox says it has seen a “consistent rise in client mandates in the sustainability and green finance areas” in parallel with its business sustainability focus.

Geoff Moore, managing partner at Arthur Cox, said: “Our philosophy on sustainability is that what isn’t measured, isn’t managed, so we have now adopted science-based targets alongside our annual sustainable business impact reporting.

“Two years into our reporting cycle we have made tangible progress and have agreed measurable actions that deliver not just improved outcomes but also real insight into the increasing array of business sustainability challenges and opportunities facing many of our clients.”

Rachel Hussey, clients and markets partner and chair of the firm’s sustainable business committee, said: “We are pleased with, but not complacent about, the progress we are making in delivering sustainable business impacts.

“Much of our progress as a firm is driven directly by our people, whose investment of time in pro bono services and volunteering is richly rewarded by their exposure to the inspirational activities of the staff and volunteers at our partner charities and NGOs, most notably, The Alzheimer Society, Dublin Simon Community and the Solas Project.

“This past year has also prompted a substantial groundswell of support and solidarity by our firm and amongst our people, including several Ukrainian colleagues, in response to the impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2022 we were pleased to supporting a range of initiatives, directly and indirectly, through our international legal networks, to provide secondments for junior Ukrainian lawyers who are unable to work in their home country.”