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CMS climate commitments

Net Zero by 2025

Our climate commitments

Net Zero by 2025

CMS takes its own responsibilities to the environment very seriously. We have led the legal sector by setting Science Based Targets for carbon reduction, aligning ourselves with the UN Goals for Sustainable Development and committing to an ambitious goal of net zero by 2025. 

Board Commitment

Sustainability is a central, strategic priority for the firm at Board level. Our Sustainability Board Committee, led by Penelope Warne, our Senior Partner, meets every two weeks to prioritise and oversee implementation of our climate change and sustainability commitments. 

Aligned to UN Goals

We aim to align our business and CR activity with the UN Goals for Sustainable Development as a framework to help us support a better future for all. 

Net Zero By 2025

CMS UK and its international offices are committed to reaching Net Zero by 2025. This commitment is backed by Science Based Targets to ensure independent, scientific verification of our progress. 

Science Based Targets

CMS was the first of only two law firms globally to announce and set Science Based Targets to measure its carbon reduction progress.  Our targets have been independently verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative.

CDP measurement

The UK firm is ranked by CDP, the highly respected not-for-profit which measures how organisations are reporting and managing their impacts on the environment. We score an impressive “A-” for both our own activity and for our work with our supply chain.

UN Global Compact

As part of CMS globally we are signatories to the UN Global Compact to reinforce our commitment to implement universal sustainability principles and to support UN goals.

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We recognise that climate change and sustainability remain, more than ever, a central priority for the firm, our people and our clients. We empower and support our people and teams across our offices globally to make a difference within the firm and in the communities in which we operate.

100% Renewable energy

Seven of the firm’s eight UK offices now run on 100% renewable electricity. We are renegotiating electricity contracts across all of our offices to maximise supply from renewable sources.

Responsible procurement

The firm’s Procurement team are leading a review of suppliers’ carbon reduction commitments and working with them to develop sustainability workshops to share best practice in the supply chain.

Climate footprint app

We launched our ‘Test The Temperature’ app to 3,200 of our people to help them assess their own carbon footprints and engage with the firm’s initiatives.

Environmental volunteering

As part of our CR programme, we run environmental volunteering opportunities which involve our people and clients across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Planting trees

We use a print awareness tool to gamify paper saving across the firm, working with PrintReleaf to plant over 4,000 trees to offset our paper usage, we also use Forest Stewardship Council certified paper, and ensuring all paper is recyclable.

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Environmental Policy

We recognise that in providing our global legal and tax services our day-to-day operations have an impact on the environment (as will any business).  Our policy aims to reduce these adverse impacts.  This environment policy covers all of our UK operations.  We are working on extending this to include our non-UK operations.

Our commitments

  • Operate compliantly, achieving or exceeding all compliance obligations in our UK operations.
  • Create realistic objectives and targets in environment management to reduce our impacts, including Science Based Targets.
  • Effectively control the environment aspects and impacts arising from our activities.
  • Educate and inform our personnel on the environment challenges, this policy and the actions they can take to deal with them.
  • Challenge our suppliers and contractors to innovate in support of our commitment.
  • Identify and implement technologies and techniques as appropriate that will reduce our impact.
  • Reduce and sustainably manage the waste that we produce.
  • Assess the risks and opportunities in environment managment for our operations and manage them accordingly.
  • Consider the long term impacts of our services in decision making.
  • Review and report on our progress.
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