Hall & Wilcox joins UN Global Compact, along with committing to be carbon neutral and a net zero future

As part of the firm’s commitment to a sustainable future, Hall & Wilcox has joined the UN Global Compact. The UN Global Compact is a call to businesses to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take action to advance social goals.

Almost 16,000 companies and organisations are members, across 162 countries. The UN Global Compact requires a commitment from organisations to drive change across its 10 principles, including an annual reporting requirement. Membership of the UN Global Compact is a key plank of the firm’s ESG strategy.

Aligned with this, Hall & Wilcox has announced a commitment to being carbon neutral, and the development of a strategy for a net zero future.

The firm has committed to achieve carbon neutral certification through the Federal Government’s Climate Active program by no later than 2025. This commitment means the firm will offset 100% of its scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions that it is unable to reduce through mitigation activities. The firm has also committed to develop a net zero strategy, with the reduction of emissions against the net zero target certified against the Science Based Targets Initiative Corporate Net Zero standard.

The firm knows that ESG is important to its people and clients. In particular, clients are facing increasing pressures to demonstrate that they have a strong commitment to ESG principles, and are taking active steps to implement them or risk shareholder, investor and regulatory action against them for greenwashing.

Managing Partner Tony Macvean said these initiatives were important both to the firm’s people and clients.

‘We have joined the UN Global Compact and made a commitment to carbon neutral and a net zero future because it is the right thing to do by our planet. It is important to me. It’s important to our people. And it’s important to our clients,’ he said.

‘Our commitment to ESG principles and a sustainable future is completely aligned with our purpose of enabling people, our clients and our communities to thrive.’

Co-lead partner ESG Meg Lee said, ‘We know many of our clients are also on an ESG journey and we are keen to go on that journey with them and to demonstrate our commitment to leading ESG practices, including being carbon neutral by 2025.’

Hall & Wilcox is a leading independent law firm. We have more than 950 people, including over 100 partners, working across eight offices. We build partnerships with and service corporate, public sector and private clients, both Australian-based and those offshore doing business in Australia.