Freeths signs up to the Greener Litigation Pledge

As part of Freeths ESG strategy, the firm has officially become a signatory to the Greener Litigation Pledge.

Greener Litigation is an initiative to reduce the environmental impact of dispute resolution. It is the objective of the Greener Litigation Pledge that the courts and court users of England and Wales play an important role in achieving that commitment, and encourage lasting change in litigation practice both within the UK and around the world.

The immediate goal of the Pledge is to change the way in which dispute resolution practitioners conduct litigation in England and Wales, so as to reduce the carbon footprint of court disputes in line with the objective of restricting global warming to 1.5°C as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Longer term, the aim is to act as a catalyst for change to policy and procedure, to embed meaningful and permanent change into the rules of litigation practice, reducing climate and other environmental impacts.

Historically, litigation has not been the most environmentally friendly activity, being very much face to face and paper heavy. However, one of the positive aspects of the pandemic is that the courts have adapted incredibly well to the virtual world and many hearings now take place remotely and using electronic bundles. We have also long been a paper-lite department. This means that Freeths lawyers are already undertaking many of the processes outlined in the Pledge.

More details regarding the Pledge are on the website: www.greenerlitigation.org.