Environmental performance 2023/2024

The members of Boult Wade Tennant LLP present the Energy and Carbon report for the year ended 30^th April 2024.

Boult Wade Tennant LLP realises the importance of monitoring and minimising its carbon footprint.

The firm has continued with a hybrid working model, which was originally introduced during the pandemic. Our current policy allows our staff to work from home up to 60% of the time. Also, approximately 80% of our staff commute to work using public transport, cycling or walking. While we do not track this specific figure, we acknowledge that this arrangement contributes to a reduction in CO₂ emissions from travel.

In the financial year 2023-24, CO₂ emissions from air travel increased by 52% compared to the financial year 2022-23. This increase is partially due to a 35% rise in most government conversion factors for greenhouse gas reporting related to business air travel. We understand the importance of minimising CO₂ emissions; therefore, all foreign travel is carefully evaluated and justified, ensuring that only essential trips are undertaken.

To further address this issue, the firm approved revised Travel Guidelines for 2023/24, which establish a mechanism for travel requests to be reviewed and approved by the appropriate stakeholders. Additionally, we have implemented a new Travel Management System that highlights the most environmentally friendly travel options during booking. This system will also enhance our reporting capabilities concerning CO₂ emissions. We recognise that more can be done in this area and are committed to ongoing review and improvement.

Boult Wade Tennant LLP has partnered with One Tribe to offset the environmental cost of the limited paper that we still use. One Tribe is a non-profit organisation that protects rainforests globally. Every invoice raised by Boult Wade Tennant LLP (whether on paper or electronically) includes a donation from us to One Tribe. That money is then certified by One Tribe and transferred to their conservation partners, through whom it is allocated to rainforest projects to protect trees, prevent deforestation, and reduce and store CO₂ from our atmosphere. We first activated our account with One Tribe in June 2021 and, from then until April 2024, Boult Wade Tennant LLP has protected over 645 thousand trees across multiple rainforest projects.

Methodology
The report below includes Scope 2 natural gas emissions and Scope 2 purchased electricity emissions for our UK offices in London, Reading and Cambridge. The data has been collected from the management companies and, where not available, estimated.

In addition, the report shows emissions arising from business foreign travel by air. Data on travel has been obtained from invoices, expenses and internal records. The firm has used UK Government GHG Conversion Factors for Company reporting, for the appropriate year, to calculate CO₂ emissions.

The firm has decided to calculate the CO₂ intensity ratio as tonnes CO₂ / number of UK based full time equivalent employees and members, as at the end of the relevant Financial Year. It is believed that this is the most relevant metric for a professional services firm.