Project Overview:
Low Carbon Europe’s sustainability services were commissioned to provide specialist support to Anabas Ltd as facilities management providers to Stephenson Harwood LLP at their head office in London. The organisations aspire towards accreditation to The Planet Mark™ sustainability certification scheme. As associate partners of The Planet Mark™, Low Carbon Europe was invited to support the process by undertaking a comprehensive sustainability review.
Anabas Ltd delivers facilities management services to high quality corporate work-spaces, supporting over 150 sites throughout the UK.
Stephenson Harwood LLP is a law firm with over 900 people worldwide, including more than 150 partners. With headquarters in London, the company has nine offices across Asian, Europe and the Middle East.
Our Approach:
Through utilisation of our team’s specific skillsets and experience with organisational sustainability, Low Carbon Europe have supported the company by recommending a number of carbon reduction and sustainability initiatives which can subsequently be reported, both internally and externally. In order to meet the multifaceted strategic aims of the project, Low Carbon Europe included a range of engineering expertise, environmental policy support and technical compliancy guidance, to galvanise our integrated approach towards sustainable development . The method incorporated an invasive energy audit, alongside a process of stakeholder engagement to identify and work with the key players whose roles directly link to environmental sustainability. This approach has enabled us to guide the organisation through a detailed review of existing sustainability practices and identify opportunities for carbon reduction, resource efficiency and climate change adaption, focusing on enhanced staff engagement, as well as advanced reporting via The Planet Mark™ and Legal Sustainability Alliance.
Energy and Sustainability Highlights and Initiatives:
A number of our energy and sustainability highlights carried out as part of the Energy and Sustainability Review can be seen below:
Energy, Carbon Reduction and Resource Efficiency:
On-Site Energy Audits:
Detailed assessment of the building stock throughout the Stephenson Harwood LLP estate in order to identify feasible energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures. The assessment took into account limitations of the landlord/tenant arrangement.
Energy Policy:
A review of existing energy policies took place, ensuring key aspects were identified while encouraging a greater focus on the implementation of initiatives.
Energy Saving Initiatives:
A range of energy saving initiatives were evaluated, including: office temperature controls, small server and MER rooms set point temperatures, BMS optimisation, integrated building services and basement electric radiators. A separate review took place of office lighting and a full lighting replacement schedule was produced to supplement the other identified energy saving initiatives. Recommendations were made that would reduce CO2 emissions by 155 tonnes and save the company around approximately £34,000.
Integrated Sustainable Development:
Stakeholder Engagement:
Key stakeholders throughout the process were identified at an initial meeting with the client, to support the organisational sustainability review. The initial interview included an assessment of the environmental impacts associated with the organisation’s operations, to identify the main of focus. Further stakeholder interviews were completed, including both internal staff and external suppliers, to ensure a comprehensive review of the current environmental outputs and the company’s wider sustainability strategies.
The review incorporated multiple facilities service areas, including: waste management, travel, governance, workforce, IT, procurement and management, as well as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) aspects. External suppliers, including cleaning providers, along with stationary and reprographics, were also assessed for sustainability as part of the review. Opportunities to enhance sustainability in key aspects were outlined in the final report, along with suggestions to improve environmental monitoring and reporting.
The Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA):
The LSA offers a relevant and practical fora for external benchmarking alongside other law firms, as well as demonstrating a clear commitment to act on sustainability. The LSA captures and reports environmental performance of its members annually, consolidating carbon footprints using the sector-specific LSA carbon reporting tool.
The Planet Mark™:
On average, Planet Mark™ certified businesses make a 5% carbon saving per employee each year through reductions in energy, waste, water, travel and supply chain procurement. Through accreditation and annual certification, Anabas Ltd and Stephenson Harwood LLP will receive specialist support to manage their carbon footprint, report environmental performance, engage employees and communicate achievements.
The Future:
Following the recommendations within the sustainability report, Low Carbon Europe will continue to support Anabas FM Ltd at Stephenson Harwood LLP in implementing energy and sustainability programmes.
