CEO message
A message from our Chief Executive
Welcome to our 2024 Responsible Business report The past year has seen no let-up in the challenges driven by global geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. The complex interplay between these dynamics can make it difficult for organisations to navigate. As a business, our aim remains to be financially strong whilst playing an active role in helping to build a sustainable future for all.
As part of this commitment to being a responsible business, we aim to integrate sustainable practices throughout our operations. We do this through our work to fulfil our purpose of helping our clients, our people and our communities to thrive, and across the four pillars of our responsible business strategy; people, community, environment and governance and ethics. This report sets out the progress we have made across these pillars, as well as our targets and ambitions for the future. A real highlight from the past year was being named ESG Firm of the Year at the Legal 500 UK ESG Awards in recognition of the strength of our responsible business strategy and our ESG client advisory practice.
Additional highlights from the past year include:
- Celebrating one year of supporting the International Rescue Committee, our global partner, with pro bono legal services as well as financial support. Over the past year we have recorded over 1,200 hours working on more than 40 pro bono matters around the world for the IRC.
- Proud to have our new near-term greenhouse gas emissions targets of 80% reduction by 2030 for Scopes 1 and 2 validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
- Launching more ambitious gender and ethnicity targets in line with our commitment to drive greater diversity across the firm. Our current targets are 35% female partners by 2027 (31% as of August 2024) and 15% ethnic minority background partners by 2030 (9% as of August 2024).
1,200 hours on over 40 pro bono cases worldwide for the IRC
increase in hours committed to community activities
- Achieving 45% representation of female spokespeople in our media coverage, against a target of 50% by 2025. In the UK, where we are able to measure the data, we achieved 7% ethnic minority spokespeople against a target of 10% by 2025.
- In addition to committing over 16,000 hours of pro bono legal work, there was a 10% increase in the number of hours we committed to community activities. We recorded over 11,000 hours of voluntary work, and through our support for the charity Magic Breakfast, helped deliver over 300,000 healthy breakfasts for children.
- Marking the first year of our Middle East Law Programme for Refugees, which has provided support to more than 30 displaced individuals wanting to pursue a career in the legal industry.
- Supporting our Ethical Code of Conduct, we launched a new, external whistleblowing reporting facility via Safecall, available externally as well as for our people.
- Expanding on our work with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in the UK, in 2023 we became corporate supporters of Wetlands Link International ('WLI') and are the exclusive funder of the WLI Small Grants Scheme, supporting seven different environmental projects in Colombia, Hong Kong, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Netherlands and Portugal.
As a proud participant in the UN Global Compact, we remain committed to upholding its Ten Principles on human rights, labour, anti-corruption and the environment as well as furthering the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and look forward to continuing to drive our responsible business strategy forward over the coming year.
Watch Introduction to our Responsible Business Report Lee Ranson, Chief Executive
Watch Introduction to our Responsible Business Report Lee Ranson, Chief Executive
Lee Ranson Chief Executive, Eversheds Sutherland (International)
"As part of our commitment, to being a responsible business, we aim to integrate sustainable practices throughout our operations. We do this through our work to fulfil our purpose of helping our clients, our people and our communities to thrive, and across the four pillars of our responsible business strategy; people, community, environment and governance and ethics."
Our contacts
For any questions surrounding this report please contact:
Judith Green Chief Strategy and Communications Officer T: +44 20 7919 0545 judithgreen@eversheds-sutherland.com
Ikramul Choudhury Senior Manager - Responsible Business T: +44 20 7919 4513 ikramulchoudhury@eversheds-sutherland.com
© Eversheds Sutherland. All rights reserved. Eversheds Sutherland is a global provider of legal and other services operating through various separate and distinct legal entities. Eversheds Sutherland is the name and brand under which the members of Eversheds Sutherland Limited (Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP and Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP) and their respective controlled, managed and affiliated firms and the members of Eversheds Sutherland (Europe) Limited (each an "Eversheds Sutherland Entity" and together the "Eversheds Sutherland Entities") provide legal or other services to clients around the world. Eversheds Sutherland Entities are constituted and regulated in accordance with relevant local regulatory and legal requirements and operate in accordance with their locally registered names. The use of the name Eversheds Sutherland, is for description purposes only and does not imply that the Eversheds Sutherland Entities are in a partnership or are part of a global LLP. The responsibility for the provision of services to the client is defined in the terms of engagement between the instructed firm and the client.
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