Russell-Cooke's environmental credentials have been endorsed by Legal Business magazine whose research shows the firm to be a leader in reducing carbon emissions.

Legal Business is a monthly magazine published by Legalease, the publisher behind the Legal 500 directories. It has for the first time this year published information on the carbon footprint of the UK's leading 100 firms.

The publication asked the following question of every top 100 UK law firm (measured by turnover): "What is your firm's carbon footprint (expressed as CO₂e) for the last financial year?"

Around half of the firms questioned provided the information requested. In most cases, the information provided was independently verified. The firms were divided into categories based on the division of the net carbon figure provided by the number of lawyers at the firm to produce an illustrative 'impact ratio'.

Only three firms were listed in the highest category as having either achieved net zero or having an impact ratio of less than 0.1.

Russell-Cooke is one of the top three firms named, with an impact ratio of 0 or below.

Russell-Cooke began its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint many years ago with the installation of solar generation and energy saving technologies. It has converted to the use of electricity exclusively from renewable generation. It has pursued a policy of over offsetting through certified developing world projects for a number of years meaning that it has been substantially carbon negative whilst it works to further reduce emissions. Offsetting is being used as part of a strategic transition to the near eradication of carbon. Russell-Cooke also offers a scheme by which members of the firm can offset their individual carbon footprints as part of their own transition to net zero.

Senior Partner John Gould said: "Many firms are starting to get to grips with the climate emergency and I applaud Legal Business magazine's research which can only encourage the whole legal sector to do more and do it quickly."

The full report is available to read on the Legal Business website via subscription.