News

Positive progress as latest carbon emissions report published

Today we have published our annual carbon emissions report for 2023, as we continue on our journey towards net zero by 2030.
May 1, 2024
Today we have published our annual carbon emissions report for 2023, as we continue on our journey towards net zero by 2030.

Whilst not obligated to do so, we release our carbon emissions data each year to demonstrate transparency and accountability around the impact that our business has on the planet.

By voluntarily disclosing this data, we recognise where we are making positive changes in meeting our carbon commitment and environmental policy goals, whilst acknowledging, identifying and planning potential areas for improvement.

We first began reporting at the height of the pandemic in 2021, when much of the country was in lockdown and business travel was negligible.

Last year, with much more business travel than before, we expected to see this impact on our carbon emissions, with a rise in use of fuel for transport and business travel.

Recognising the likelihood that this trend would continue as we got back to business as usual, and following consultation with our Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Team and Regional Managing Partners, we implemented several changes throughout 2023 which have had a positive impact on our carbon footprint.

Thanks to these developments, the overall total gross CO2 output for the firm remained relatively static in 2023, at 0.7% increase on 2022 (161.4 tonnes of CO2), despite business travel having increased by 4% across the business. Meanwhile, carbon emissions per person remain under 1 tonne at 0.95 tCO2, according to our carbon management dashboard.

Utilities emissions

We are also pleased to report that gas emissions have decreased, meanwhile electricity consumption is 19% down on 2022 figures.

The decline in emissions from gas and electricity consumption is thanks in part to switching gas and electricity suppliers to green and renewable sources. In addition to this, where not in our direct control, we have challenged our landlords to ensure that the utilities companies supplying our office buildings, are either green or renewable.

This has seen us switch to 100% renewable energy across several of our offices, as well as relocating to more sustainable premises with better green credentials and EPC Ratings in Reading and London in 2022 and Woking in 2023.

Travel emissions

As we expected, our carbon emissions from fleet vehicles (Scope 1) and other business travel (Scope 3) in 2023 are up on the previous years’ figures as our agents and surveyors are out visiting sites, organising viewings, attending events and meeting clients much more.

Fleet emissions (which excludes commute) increased by 5% in 2023 compared with 2022, meanwhile business travel was up by 16%.

In line with the objectives we set out in our Environmental Policy, our LLP members strive to lead by example by switching to hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs).

In 2023, over 30% of LLP members moved from petrol or diesel cars to hybrid or EVs and three petrol / diesel cars came off contract, which means that we remain on track to be petrol free by the end March 2026.

Not only this, we have seen a 412% increase in the number of EV miles in 2023, compared with 2021, however this does need to be taken in the context of the pandemic. If you compare the increase between 2023 and 2022, there remains a 75% increase in EV miles, which we expect to continue into 2024 and beyond.

Speaking about this year’s carbon emissions report, Managing Partner Matthew Samuel-Camps said:

“We have made great strides as a business over the last year and are encouraged by the results of our carbon report. Our overall objective is to shrink our carbon footprint by 10% year on year and we have implemented lots of adjustments, big and small, to gain the momentum needed to move towards this goal.

“Like any business, there will always be more that we can achieve in reducing our carbon footprint. We are candid about those areas we can continue to improve on, including travel. We accept that travel is a necessity for our business because we have to inspect properties, for example, and this will continue to be an area of primary focus for us.”

“We have made great strides as a business over the last year and are encouraged by the results of our carbon report. Our overall objective is to shrink our carbon footprint by 10% year on year and we have implemented lots of adjustments, big and small, to gain the momentum needed to move towards this goal.”

Matthew Samuel-Camps, Managing Partner, Vail Williams LLP.
Headshot photo of Matthew Samuel Camps

Additional initiatives to reduce carbon emissions

Our Sustainability Action Plan 2022-25 laid out several initiatives to help us drive down our carbon emissions.

As part of this, we encourage our people to cut down on greenhouse gases emitted through travel as much as possible, and promote smarter travel, including use of public transport, cycle to work schemes and the benefits of car sharing, which allows employees to claim 5p more per mile in travel expenses, whilst being more environmentally friendly.

We also signed an agreement with an energy and finance provider Octopus Electric Vehicles, to offer a salary sacrifice scheme to all our staff which gives them the opportunity to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle, in place of a petrol or diesel alternative.

We have received several expressions of interest and quotes for staff and expect that, as existing vehicle leases expire, people will take advantage of this opportunity over the coming two years.

At a local level, we have challenged people across our offices to come up with further energy saving ideas, which have included installation of soft plastic waste bins across most of our offices, as well as launching an annual Green Champion Award for staff.

Following the launch of our new intranet, VW Live, we now have more opportunity than ever to communicate with our people. We have used this tool to promote initiatives such as Earth Day, car share opportunities and the availability of our cycle to work scheme.

Looking to the future

There is a great deal more potential to use VW Live as a communication tool to promote even more positive behavioural change, and we will explore this as part of our next Sustainability Action Plan which will take us beyond 2025.

We would also like to explore how we can capture emissions from staff commutes, as well as working from home, to provide a broader picture of our environmental impact which can inform a potential travel policy in the future.

Matthew added: “We remain committed to measuring, monitoring and reducing our carbon emissions in energy, transport, our products and services, as well as our waste and are encouraging our people to do the same.”

“As we look to the year ahead, we will continue to challenge ourselves and our supply chain and work with our clients to proactively reduce our carbon emissions further, as well as potentially exploring carbon offsetting measures alongside what we are already doing,” concluded Matthew.