Womble Bond Wins ESG Firm of the Year Award
Womble Bond Dickinson, an international law firm, has received recognition for its dedication to the ESG agenda. It was awarded the ESG Firm of the Year at The Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards' first edition.
The Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards were launched to acknowledge the leading lawyers, law firms, and legal departments setting the pace in the North, North West, Yorkshire, and the Humber. These awards celebrate the legal profession's accomplishments over the previous 18 months through thorough independent research.
Womble Bond Dickinson has consistently been at the forefront of environmental management. The company is determined to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 and has procured renewable energy for five of its seven UK offices. Almost 80% of the electricity consumed in the UK is derived from renewable sources.
Womble Bond Dickinson introduced its new sustainable Leeds office in 2022, which featured extensive updates to lighting and air conditioning to comply with the company's carbon reduction goals. Where feasible, existing furniture was recycled and reused, while all other materials and new furniture were sourced from approved sustainable suppliers.
Additionally, the company relocated to new premises at The Spark in Newcastle, which is a BREEAM Excellent building powered by the District Energy Centre. The firm's victory at The Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards followed its recognition in the Legal 500 UK Green guide for spearheading climate change, governance, and sustainability.
Womble Bond Dickinson's 'social' efforts include a variety of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Networks such as WBD REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage), WBD Pride (LGBTQ+), WBD Thrive (women's career development), Disability and Family.
The company was recently ranked 56th in Stonewall's Top 100 Employers list, which acknowledges outstanding employers that support their LGBTQ+ workers and clients. Furthermore, WBD received the Gold Award for its efforts to create an inclusive and secure work environment where everyone feels empowered to be themselves.
Womble Bond Dickinson also prioritises social issues, as demonstrated by their signing of the Mindful Business Charter and launch of the Menopause Champions initiative. Their efforts earned them recognition as one of the UK's leading employers for promoting social mobility, ranking 41st in the Social Mobility Employer Index 2022. Additionally, WBD was awarded the 'We Invest in People' gold accreditation by Investors in People.
In the realm of governance, WBD launched the Work in Confidence anonymous communication system to encourage a secure and respectful work environment and a sustainable procurement hub. It also created a new ESG framework and earned a gold medal from EcoVadis for its sustainability programme.
Charlotte von Sicard, Responsible Business Manager at Womble Bond Dickinson, commented:
"We're extremely proud to be recognised as a firm leading the way in ESG strategy. Womble Bond Dickinson is committed to creating better places to live, work and do business and we're delighted to be presented with this award. This latest success is a testament to our team and the work we are doing to build sustainable practices within WBD."
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Source: Womble Bond Dickinson
