For businesses, taking sustainable action is no longer just the right thing to do. It has quickly become a competitive differentiator. In fact, the UK Net Zero Business Census 2024 found that almost half of organisations have received requests for carbon data from their customers or tender applications. Today’s clients want clear, data-backed answers to their sustainability questions – and legal clients are no different.
We recently hosted a legal roundtable and found that for many of the law firms in attendance, clients are a major driver of their net zero ambitions. What’s more, their clients are looking for a greater level of detail into firms’ sustainability journeys and credentials than ever before.
Here are five of the sustainability questions that current and prospective legal clients are asking today, to help inform your request for proposals (RFPs), market research, and more.
5 sustainability questions being asked by legal clients
1. Have you set net zero targets?
Legal clients aren’t happy with vague answers or uncertainties. They want transparency, and to know that their firm of choice is making real, tangible change. This often means committing to achieving net zero, and having the targets in place to make a measurable impact ahead of 2050. For example, the SBTi Net-Zero Standard for corporates which outlines a science-based framework for setting targets, that aligns with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C by 2050.
Law firms need to be able to communicate these targets clearly and confidently, and justify how and where they’re making reductions.
2. What are your services emissions?
Many clients are on their own net zero journeys, and are therefore looking to make carbon reductions throughout their value chain. As a result, it’s of little surprise that they want to know about their suppliers’ emissions sources in detail. One firm even reported that their clients are now asking about their services emissions.
It clearly pays to measure your emissions at a granular level, and to understand exactly where they are coming from.
3. What frameworks have you aligned with?
Aligning with certification standards or frameworks has also become an expectation among legal clients today. These signal that a firm is willing to partner with a trusted third party, which offers an extra level of legitimacy. It’s important to note that many frameworks have different reporting standards, so some clients may ask for evidence that you’ve aligned with more than one in order to cover multiple bases.
4. Can you agree to this yearly emissions reduction?
Clients are beginning to embed their sustainability expectations into their contracts. For instance, some of the law firms we spoke to needed to meet specific sustainability requirements in order to be eligible for tender applications. Others were given client contracts with termination clauses based on yearly emissions reductions. The message is clear – clients are willing to look elsewhere if their legal firms don’t meet their sustainability requirements.
5. How relevant is offsetting for net zero targets?
Offsetting is another topic that comes up regularly in clients’ sustainability questions. It’s also a topic that often comes up during tender processes. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that SBTi only permits organisations to offset a maximum of 10% of their emissions. Therefore, it shouldn’t be seen as a core part of a net zero strategy.
While offsetting remains a topic of conversation between firms and their customers, it should not be considered a substitute for reducing emissions.
Key takeaways from our legal roundtable
Alongside these five sustainability questions, here are three key takeaways from our legal roundtable on client expectations and sustainability.
Clients have clear expectations
Clients of the legal sector are becoming more stringent on sustainable regulations. Some of our roundtable attendees reported that sustainability is becoming as important as diversity and inclusion on tender applications, so firms need to be prepared to demonstrate their accountability.
Box ticking isn’t sufficient
Generic documents about ESG commitments may have given firms a competitive edge a few years ago. However, detail and transparency are now key. Clients have their own sustainability requirements to meet, so they need to know exactly how their suppliers will help to reduce their Scope 3 emissions.
You might like: [Webinar] The role of ESG in accelerating the transition to a net zero carbon economy
Client pressure can be a helpful tool
The risk of terminated contracts or missed tenders has proven to be a compelling message for law firms when it comes to engaging senior decision makers and stakeholders. In fact, one firm claimed that client pressure is what ultimately “got board sign-off” on their net zero targets and roadmap.
Communicate transparently with our anti-greenwashing toolkit
According to the UK Net Zero Business Census, acquiring new business and retaining customers were two significant benefits of net zero for 37% and 36% of respondents.
However, to gain this competitive advantage, you need to be able to communicate your progress transparently and legally. To help you do so, we’ve compiled actionable advice from our in-house communications team into an Anti-greenwashing toolkit for law firms.
Download your copy today to start sharing your sustainability story with clients, authentically.
Inside, you’ll find:
- The regulation you need to be aware of
- Real-world examples of positive sustainability communication from law firms like yours
- Planet Mark’s communication services
