The legal profession can offer a unique perspective on the challenge of climate change, argues Des Hudson


The timing of the special green issue of the Gazette could not be better. Environmental concerns continue to ride high atop the political agenda. Climate change was centre stage in an otherwise low-key budget, with Alistair Darling not only announcing higher taxes on the most polluting cars but also managing to mention 'carbon' more than 25 times.



Not to be outdone, many erstwhile sceptics are now among the most fervent greens. Newspapers have, in particular, been swift to seize the zeitgeist, with the Daily Mail taking on the supermarkets and campaigning to banish plastic bags, and The Sun giving away 4.5 million energy-efficient light bulbs.



But what responsibility do individual businesses have to become more environmentally sustainable? Milton Friedman was, famously, deeply opposed to even the semblance of corporate responsibility, arguing that a business's only responsibility

was to its bottom-line and its shareholders.



What this view singularly ignores, however, is what is now thankfully a widely accepted fact: that no binary choice exists between running a highly successful business and being a good corporate citizen. In fact, quite the opposite is true. They are mutually supportive goals.



Becoming more efficient and saving energy cuts overheads as well as helping to protect the environment. I am delighted to say we at the Law Society are a case in point and we are practising what we preach.



Last year, we achieved an 18% saving in our energy consumption - equivalent to more than 200 hot air balloons of carbon dioxide - which puts us well on track to our target of carbon neutrality by 2011.



The $64,000 question is, therefore, not 'whether' the legal profession can or should act in an environmentally sustainable way, but rather 'how'?



Many of the answers will lie with the Legal Sector Alliance - the first legal profession-wide movement committed to working collaboratively to tackle climate change by reducing carbon footprints and adopting environmentally sustainable practices.



DLA Piper and the charity Business in the Community asked the Law Society to help them lead the movement, and the group has since grown to a coalition of 20 founding members, drawn from right across the profession.



The alliance's website, www.legalsectoralliance.com, not only highlights a number of ways in which firms can make a difference, it is also a crucial channel for engagement and consultation with the whole profession through case studies and discussion forums.



Throughout April and May the consultation goes local with an exciting series of events across the UK. In addition to providing more information about the Legal Sector Alliance's strategy and aims, these forums will offer you an opportunity to network with peers, and highlight the successes and obstacles you have experienced in environmental responsibility.



It is only by understanding the challenges we all face that we can work as a profession to overcome them. I am immensely proud of the support that firms demonstrate for one another on this issue.



We must also not overlook the unique perspective that the legal profession can offer business, society and government. Whether it be advising clients on how they can respond to the environmental challenge, or influencing policy makers and legislators on best practice in public policy, huge potential exists for the legal profession to be a catalyst for real change.



Des Hudson is chief executive of The Law Society