Tuesday 25 October 2022

Lawyers flying to meetings slapped with £200 fine

One of the UK’s largest law firms has pledged to give its lawyers a £200 fine if they take a plane to their meetings.

Shoosmiths has taken the step to bolster its climate action and reduce its carbon footprint.

The penalty will be taken from the company’s yearly travel budget – and has been implemented to “ensure our people stop and think about whether they need to [fly],” it stated.

The firm currently has more than 1,000 lawyers and has committed to net zero by 2025.

With offices across the UK in London and in Belfast, the business is one of the biggest in the UK and boasts companies such as Mercedes-Benz as clients.

A Shoosmiths spokesperson told future Net Zero: “The £200 is a levy that goes into a designated carbon fund that we will use to pursue Shoosmiths’ net zero ambitions – so not to stop flying but to ensure our people stop and think about whether they need to and if they do they make good use of it.

“Also, our new bonus scheme involves a target to reduce travel – again to help meet the firm’s carbon emissions targets.”