Environment and Social Sustainability Hub

Welcome to the Roythornes Environment and Social Sustainability hub. 

We aim to be a positive force for environmental change within the legal industry, advocating green values and adopting sustainable business practices.

It’s hard to measure which firm is ‘greener’ than the next, but here you’ll discover some of the areas where we are able to measure our efforts, and others where we detail what we are doing in a wider sense to reduce our impact on the planet and improve the communities in which we live.

We are also aware of ‘green washing’ and so only focus on those areas where we feel we are making a difference and have taken positive action rather that simply say we are taking an intervention for the sake of it.

Our Sustainability Commitment

We are committed to working with our staff, customers, suppliers, contractors, regulatory bodies, and neighbours to achieve the following objectives:

• Meet and where possible exceed all environmental regulations relevant to our organisation and its activities;
• Increase cost-effectiveness by reducing our consumption of energy and purchasing renewable energy wherever possible;
• Reduce waste both locally and in the wider environment;
• Systematically assess all aspects of our company and identify key areas for improvement;
• Set targets for measurable annual improvements;
• Engage with the community – committed to Corporate Social Responsibility; and 
• Make our progress available for independent assessment.

Our Sustainable Journey

Our sustainable journey is one in which all our people are involved, from the Management Board to every member of our talented team.  We also involve all our five offices and each and every team in the interventions we take.  We are one Roythornes.

As a firm founded in 1934 advising landowners and farmers we have always had a close affinity with the natural environment and those who are concerned about sustainability.  This is something unique in a law firm, and a characteristic we are determined not to lose. 

Whilst we continue to advise farmers and landowners on the day to day running of their businesses, we are increasingly asked to advise on sustainability issues including environmental schemes, carbon sequestration, nutrient neutrality and renewable energy schemes.  In renewable energy for example, we are working on some of the largest schemes in the country, bringing together up to 20 landowners to help meet the UK Government’s objective of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels for power generation.

On a more local and community level we are involved in a number of recycling schemes which help those less fortunate than ourselves to have a better standard of living wherever they live.  We also take more practical steps such as taking part in tree planting schemes and litter picks.  We offer all of our staff one day a year to help with a charity – that’s over 250 days available to help those less fortunate than us, and to help with environmental projects.

As the pressure on the environment increases, so do our efforts and the level of our interventions – some of which require a considerable capital investment by the business.  But we have the commitment and aim to become Carbon Neutral by 2040 or sooner.

To Find out More

This Hub tells the story of some of the work we are undertaking, how it aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and a little more about our Corporate Social Responsibility activities. 

We love speaking to businesses who have the same outlook as us on sustainable issues and explain the steps we have taken on our journey so far.  If you’d like a chat about how you could start your journey, please do get in touch.