1. Policy Statement
1.2 The firm is committed to integrating environmental best practice into all our business activities. We will take all possible steps to minimise the potential impact on the environment of our activities. We will ensure that we meet all environmental legislation. We also recognise that our responsibility goes beyond those legal and regulatory requirements.
1.3 We will also take steps to ensure best practices are followed across all our branches. We will ensure that environmental impacts are incorporated into our decision making and purchasing procedures.
1.4 We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and to continue to improve our environmental performance across all our offices.
2. Organisational Responsibility
2.1 The Chief Executive has overall legal responsibility for all environmental matters.
2.2 Estates / Central Purchasing are responsible for the overall implementation of the firm’s environmental policies.
2.3 Office Administrators are responsible for the daily implementation of the policy at local level to include the organisation, control and monitoring of all aspects the policy within branches.
2.4 All employees are required to co-operate with environmental procedures.
3. Key Policy Aims and Concerns
3.1 Thompsons Solicitors understand that our key environmental impacts to be:
3.1.1 Energy and Water Usage
3.1.2 Paper Usage
3.1.3 Transportation
3.1.4 Waste Management
3.1.5 Office Suppliers
3.2 Thompsons Solicitors key policy aims will be to:
3.2.1 Comply with all relevant regulatory requirements
3.2.2 Continually improve and monitor our environmental performance
3.2.3 Continually improve our recycling across all offices
3.2.4 Increase employee awareness
4. Energy and Water Use
4.1 All employees are to ensure that energy and water usage is minimised.
4.2 Employees are responsible for ensuring that all portable electrical appliances including PC’s, copiers and printers are to be switched off during non-working hours.
4.3 When carrying out office renovations we will look to use low energy lighting. We will also ensure that all lighting is sensor operated to ensure that lights go off when unoccupied.
4.4 Where individual offices have their own light switches we will take steps to remind those who use the offices to minimise the use of energy.
4.5 We will provide energy efficient water heating devices to reduce both water and energy usage for all office break-out areas.
5. Paper Usage
5.1 Paper is to be sourced via environmentally friendly sources.
5.2 All employees should take steps to ensure that waste paper is minimised.
5.3 All employees should ensure that all printing where possible is duplex.
6. Transport
6.1 All employees should consider whether travel is necessary.
6.2 Where no alternative to travel can be found, consideration should be given to the environmental impacts when making arrangements.
7. Waste Management
7.1 Effective recycling and waste management procedures will be utilised at all branches.
7.2 Consideration will be given to waste management and recycling options to ensure best practice suitable to each branch.
8. Office Suppliers
8.1 We will work with suppliers to ensure that they are also party to our environmental policy
8.2 We will seek to have the minimum number of deliveries from our suppliers
8.3 We will work with suppliers who recycle their waste and provide us with deliveries using the lowest possible amount of packaging necessary
9. Action Plans / Checklists
9.1 Each office will develop an action plans to supplement the policy objectives above. These action plans should be produced in conjunction with the Estates department and should be discussed with staff via meetings of each office Working Environment Group.
9.2 A checklist will be reviewed on a quarterly basis by each office administrator. This will be submitted to the Estates department each August, November, February and May.
10. Review
10.1 This policy will be regularly reviewed on at least an annual basis and amended where appropriate.