Good report in Australia Lawyers weekly
Here’s the introduction..
How boutique firms can take action
Many lawyers – indeed, many in the broader community – feel a sense of “information overload”, in the wake of “climate grief” being spelled out by the world’s scientists, the United Nations, the Bureaus of Meteorology around the world, Ms Wise pondered.
In the wake of feeling down about such stuff, it is necessary to “get up and do something”, she prescribed.
The voices of boutique firms matter, she proclaimed, and the environmental footprints of such businesses “absolutely” matter.
To that end, here are some ways that boutique law firms can take action, Ms Wise suggested:
• “Sign the ‘Australia: Declare a climate emergency’ petition;
• Start your morning with five minutes ‘clicking’ of no cost action taking online;
• Consider a team building activity and stand with Greta at #FridaysForFuture;
• Do not print more than you need;
• Switch to green power;
• Use fountain pens which use ink bottles to refill and give ‘disposable’ one-use biros the flick;
• Put a LIVING plant in your office;
• Choose an ethical bank;
• Be selective with your suppliers – ask for their green credentials;
• Be proud of your green credentials – tell the world what you do and why;
• Source furniture and supplies second hand;
• Flexible work practices mean less transport burden to the world;
• Talk about the environment with each other as we ARE all part of it;
• Have an awesome office KeepCup to encourage re-use instead of throw away coffee cups (over one billion coffee cups go to landfill a year, they are not recycled); and
• Think global, act local: everything you purchase, or do not, makes a difference.”
How climate advocacy can impact upon a boutique’s business
On the question of flow-on effects for a boutique firm that takes environmental action, Ms Wise said there are “extremely positive” benefits to be reaped.
“Our firm’s morale is better since we have taken lunchtime to go and join at the #FridayForFuture. It is a chance to take a walk and talk and feel that the future is not ‘futile’ and that actually we do have time to make a difference in simple ways,” she recounted.