TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - Stikeman Elliott celebrates its fifth year as the first and only national Canadian law firm to be carbon neutral, achieved by developing and implementing a formalized green program which has reduced the firm's carbon footprint by 13% since the first footprint five years ago.
In honour of this milestone anniversary and the accomplishments the firm has achieved thus far, Stikeman Elliott will donate a total of $25,000 to environmentally focused not-for-profit organizations as designated by our Canadian offices.
Coined as the GoingGreen program in 2008, Stikeman Elliott established green initiatives across all offices in an ongoing effort to build environmental awareness among firm members nationally. The program involves implementation of market-leading environmental best practices, coordinated by a Green Committee in each office. Additionally, since 2011 Stikeman Elliott has partnered with the Greening Canada Fund to invest in the establishment of credible carbon offset projects.
"The GoingGreen program and the firm's carbon neutral status is testament to our commitment to corporate social responsibility which we promote strongly within each of our local markets. This has a positive impact on both the environment and firm member engagement," said firm Chair, William Braithwaite.
Over the last five years, the firm's carbon footprint calculation has gauged the impact and progress of the GoingGreen program, particularly in the areas of energy consumption, waste and paper. This analysis reveals:
- Energy efficiencies and improved waste diversion have resulted in a 23% reduction in building operations across the firm due to recycling and energy conservation initiatives, including education to change behaviours, changes in lighting schedules and improved technologies.
- A firm wide commitment to duplex printing launched in 2008, has seen a reduction of 39% in paper usage, which equates to a savings of over 93 tons of paper.
- Waste disposal across the firm decreased due to increased diversion of organics, batteries, e-waste, paper and in general improved recycling behaviour.
- All Canadian offices are in buildings that are BOMA BEST certified and have achieved their LEED EB Gold Level certification.
The program's impact is also reflected in firm member responses to the 50 Best Employers in Canada annual survey which measures firm member engagement across many factors, including corporate social responsibility, where 94% of firm members believe Stikeman Elliott is a socially and environmentally responsible organization. This compares to the average of 87% of the other Best Employers 2014 edition.
These accomplishments have also earned Stikeman Elliott distinction as an environmental leader being named as a Green 30 organization for four years by Maclean's magazine in collaboration with Aon Hewitt, a recognition presented to businesses who display a commitment to environmental sustainability in their operations. The firm was also selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers for 2013, by MediaCorp.
For more information about Stikeman Elliott's environmental programs visit www.stikeman.com.
ABOUT STIKEMAN ELLIOTT
Stikeman Elliott LLP is recognized internationally for the sophistication of its business law practice. The firm is a Canadian leader in each of its core practice areas - corporate finance, M&A, banking, corporate - commercial, real estate, tax, insolvency, structured finance, competition, business litigation - and has developed in-depth knowledge of a wide range of industries from banking and insurance to energy, mining and technology.
Stikeman Elliott maintains offices in Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, as well as London, New York and Sydney. The firm was named as one of Canada's 50 Best Employers for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, and as one of the Top 100 Employers in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. It was further recognized in 2010, 2012 and 2013 as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers and in 2010 as among the Best Employers for New Canadians. It was also named as a Green 30 organization in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
SOURCE: Stikeman Elliott LLP
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