To understand Allens' environmental successes, it is important to outline the challenges the past year has brought the firm and our Footprint Committees.
While the firm has achieved a lot by making fundamental changes to the firm's operations – like virtualising servers – changing behaviour continues to be a challenge.
Although achieving a 55 per cent reduction in paper use, we acknowledge that we still have some way to go. We are committed to looking continually at new ways to reduce paper use – including trialling a smartcard system that discourages large amounts of unnecessary and forgotten printing – and, importantly, change behaviour when it comes to printing and recycling. This is something that will remain on the Footprint Committee's agenda.
Also, switching computers off at the end of the day may seem like a simple thing to do, and one that saves a lot of power. We are still a long way off getting 100 per cent engagement with this activity; however, it is a message that the Footprint Committees are prepared to repeat until all computers are switched off at night.
We are a law firm with offices throughout Australia and Asia, and clients all over the world. Business flights remain a large factor in the firm's total emissions. We have reduced them significantly by installing video conference facilities in our offices, and we continue to work on how we can further reduce them.
Finally, our Melbourne office will make the move to 101 Collins Street in 2012. While we are moving into an established building, we are working with the engineers, architects and building management to make our floors the 'greenest' they can be, through the materials used, the lighting systems, the mechanics and recycling options.
Green tipPut buckets to good use and collect grey water from around the home. In the shower, kitchen sink and under the AC outlet pipe. |