Garrigues, chosen by Comunidad #PorElClima for its commitment to sustainability
The public authorities, companies and citizens that form part of this platform have included the firm and its ‘Becoming net zero’ initiative among the 101 Examples of Actions by Businesses #ForTheClimate
‘Becoming Net Zero’, Garrigues’ initiative for energy efficiency and sustainability, has been chosen by Comunidad #PorElClima to form part of the 101 examples of actions implemented by businesses to combat the climate emergency. Comunidad #PorElClima is a multi-stakeholder alliance focused on implementing the Paris Agreement in Spain and recognizing the commitment and ambition by Spanish companies to bring about climate change. In this, the third edition, 62 large companies and 39 small and medium-sized companies from over 20 different business sectors have been chosen. Garrigues is the only law firm singled out in the legal sector.
The project ‘Becoming Net Zero’ was included in the offset climate change category, which aims to bring about more responsible consumption habits, more sustainable spaces and a smaller carbon footprint through an eco-efficiency plan applied throughout the value chain, with four key points: to boost energy efficiency throughout our office network; to use electricity from renewable sources with guarantee of origin; to use an internal carbon price; and to reduce the impact on the environment, with particular emphasis on employee travel. In 2019, Garrigues cut its electricity consumption by 5.9% and, since July 2020, its 22 offices in the EU use electricity from renewable sources with guarantee of origin, which translates into zero carbon emissions from electricity (scope 2 under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol).
This progress has been possible thanks to a lengthy process during which the firm has honed its commitment to the environment. In 2002, the firm signed on to the United Nations Global Compact and, since 2004, has been publishing annual carbon emissions inventories verified by an independent company. Garrigues’ commitment to the environment and to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are both enshrined in its Code of Ethics. The firm has expressed its future commitment to energy efficiency, to using electricity from renewable sources with guarantee of origin and to sustainable travel, always in harmony with best practices and the objectives of the benchmark international organizations.
The group behind Comunidad #PorElClima includes representatives from the public authorities, business and citizens: the Spanish Climate Change Office, the Biodiversity Foundation, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, the Spanish Association of the Global Compact and the Spanish Green Growth Group, SEO/BirdLife, the Red Cross and ECODES.