| | L.E.K. Consulting has
become the first major
management consultancy
to become carbon neutral
throughout its global
operations.
Iain Evans, chairman
of the strategic
management consultancy,
commented: "Companies
are recognising that
sustainable business
strategies can deliver
real shareholder value
and we are seeing an
increasing number of
clients who want to
understand the
commercial impact of
their carbon footprint.
As this service area
grows and climate issues
become more prominent,
clients and employees
alike expect us to show
leadership through our
own policies."
To understand its
global carbon footprint,
L.E.K. conducted a
thorough evaluation of
carbon emissions for
each of its offices from
the start of 2006. The
wide-ranging project
encompasses the firm's
800-plus consultants,
who undertake over 700
projects per year for | |
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| | clients across the
world. The process
includes an analysis of
the company's overall
energy consumption,
paper usage and carbon
emissions as a result of
business travel. The
evaluation has enabled
L.E.K. to estimate its
carbon footprint at
approximately 7,000
tonnes of CO2 equivalent
per annum. The data
collected to date has
also been used to set
benchmarks against which
progress can be
measured.
L.E.K.'s carbon
policy includes a
programme of reduction
opportunities, with a
target of reducing
emissions by 20% in the
next three years. In
order to meet this
target, L.E.K. has
engaged a broad group of
staff to identify and
drive local initiatives
in support of the global
carbon reduction
framework set by the UK,
North America and
Australia offices.
The framework and
initiatives fall into
five overarching areas: | |
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● Building
management: reducing
emissions from each
office building through
reviewing energy
suppliers, switching to
low power light bulbs
and optimising heating
and cooling cycles.
● IT management:
encouraging responsible
use of IT equipment –
for example, switching
off computers overnight
and programming all
printers to default to
double-sided printing
and switch to sleep-mode
when idle.
● Business travel:
encouraging the use of
greener travel modes,
including carrier
selection for air
travel.
● Administration:
reducing the footprint
of office consumables
through increasing
recycling, using
recycled paper and
working with suppliers
with similar
environmental operating
practices.
● Staff initiatives:
ensuring reduction
initiatives are
implemented, with groups | |
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| | of staff encouraged to
lead projects within
each office.
To achieve carbon
neutral status, a range
of climate-protecting
projects which produce
voluntary offsets are
being supported. Run by
Climate Care, the
projects have been
independently audited
and meet the highest
international quality
standards for
verification,
additionally, double
counting and permanence.
Examples include:
biofuel cookers to
replace LPG cookers in
India; energy efficient
lighting in South
Africa; wind energy in
India and China; and
rainforest restoration
in Uganda.
Climate Care's other
clients include British
Airways, Barclays Bank,
Forum for the Future and
Powergen.
L.E.K.'s commitment
to tackling climate
change extends to its
client work, where it
has built a growing
practice advising | |
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| | organisations on the
development of low
carbon business
strategies. Client
engagements include:
developing a methodology
for calculating the
carbon footprint of
consumer products; the
role of renewable energy
in the UK energy mix;
economic factors
influencing private
sector investment in
renewable energy; and
assessing the impact of
climate change on
corporate strategy
The firm launched its
Carbon Footprint Report
2007 in August. The
report explored the
attitudes of UK
consumers towards the
issue of carbon
footprints and examined
who they believe should
be responsible for
tackling the issue of
reduction.
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