Stevens & Bolton signs "Green Pledge" committing to greener arbitration practices

Stevens & Bolton has signed the Green Pledge, an initiative led by the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations (CGA), which aims to minimise the impact of arbitration on the environment.

The CGA is a global initiative, founded by international arbitrator Lucy Greenwood in 2019, to reduce the environmental impact of international arbitrations through behavioural change. The CGA seeks to raise awareness of the significant carbon footprint of the arbitration community and promotes best practice in managing arbitrations in a sustainable way.

As a signatory of the Green Pledge, Stevens & Bolton will endeavour to comply with eight guiding principles to ensure the carbon footprint and environmental impact of its arbitration practice is minimised.

The campaign’s guiding principles are:

• Creating a workspace with a reduced environmental footprint by looking for opportunities to reduce energy consumption and waste
• Corresponding electronically, unless hard copy correspondence is expressly needed in the circumstances, while also being mindful that email has a carbon footprint
• Encouraging the use of videoconferencing facilities as an alternative to travel (including for the purposes of conducting fact finding or interviews with witnesses)
• Avoiding printing, requesting the use of electronic rather than hard copies of documents and promoting the use of electronic bundles at hearings
• Using, where possible, suppliers and service providers who are committed to reducing their environmental footprint (including for the purposes of arranging an arbitration hearing)
• Considering and/or suggesting, where appropriate, that witnesses or experts give evidence through videoconferencing facilities, rather than attend hearings in person
• Avoiding unnecessary travel and using videoconferencing facilities as an alternative
• Considering and questioning the need to fly at all times and offsetting carbon emissions for any arbitration-related travel.

Nicola Broadhurst, Partner for Sustainability and ESG, commented: “the pandemic has shown us all that there are alternative, less environmentally damaging ways of working. With a busy litigation team the challenge is to remain focused on reducing our footprint and not slipping into old habits. Signing the Green Pledge helps to underpin this commitment whilst still allowing flexibility for the requirements of clients and the case”.

Learn more here: www.greenerarbitrations.com