Responsible Business mid-year update: August 2025

We are proud to announce that our science-based targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). These targets provide a clear and measurable pathway to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, aligning our operations with global climate goals.  

We commit to the following targets by FY30 from an FY24 baseline: 

• Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42%. 
• Reduce Scope 3 emissions by 52% per million GBP value added. 

Our FY25 carbon data has been assured by an independent third party to ISO 14064 standard. Our assurance provider – Carbonology – are a CDP-accredited verification provider. This reaffirms that we have set science-based targets based on robust data.

We are actively delivering on our carbon reduction strategy through three main areas of action: supply chain engagement, business travel, and sustainable office operations.  

• We are taking action across our supply chain and reaching out to major suppliers to understand their carbon footprints and respective reduction plans. We will also be launching our Supplier Code of Conduct soon. 
• We are actively monitoring our business travel and ensuring it abides by our Sustainable Travel Policy.  
• Finally, we are reducing emissions associated with our office operations. We have built sustainability considerations into our future London office, which will be a Net Zero building, and we have renewable energy across all of our UK, Ireland, and Middle East offices. Our ISO 50001-certified energy management system and ISO 14001-certified environment management system both play a crucial role in driving continuous improvement. 

As part of our transition planning, we are also looking into risk and opportunities across our value chain and considering how our people, clients, business partners, and suppliers will navigate the climate transition.  

We recently launched a travel dashboard to support our science-based targets and our commitment under the Legal Charter 1.5. Business travel accounts for ~20% of our emissions, and this initiative empowers teams to reduce their impact through real-time visibility of travel spend and carbon use. 

Each team is now assigned carbon and cost budgets, with the dashboard enabling bookers and approvers to track performance over time and justify any overspend. This transparency is embedding carbon-conscious decision-making into our travel culture. 

Our Sustainable Travel Policy prioritises rail over air travel for short-haul routes (eg London to Paris), and requires carbon impact to be considered in event planning. Enhanced approval processes are encouraging more thoughtful travel choices. 

Early results include a 2.8% drop in business class flights, saving 11 tCO₂e, and a shift towards economy travel. Carbon and cost data are now integrated into our booking platform helping our people to balance client, cost, and carbon in every travel decision. 

We are honoured to have become a participant of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. By joining, we’ve committed to aligning our operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment, and anti-corruption. 

This reinforces our commitment to responsible business practices and sustainable development. As a participant, we gain access to a global network of peers, resources, and learning opportunities to help us advance our sustainability goals. 

Our business strategy aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that serve as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.  

We believe that we can contribute most to supporting action in the areas of:  

• peace, justice, and strong institutions  
• reduced inequalities  
• climate action  
• good health and wellbeing  
• gender equality 
• decent work and economic growth. 

Our Pro Bono programme supports organisations with an environmental focus. Highlights include:  

• assisting Legal Response International during the June 2025 climate meetings  
• contributing to The Chancery Lane Project’s working group on the EU Deforestation Regulation.  

These efforts enable us to use our legal expertise to drive meaningful climate action. 

We’re also committed to environmental stewardship through community initiatives. For example, our conservation days, in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), offer employees the opportunity to reconnect with nature while supporting local ecosystems. These activities promote physical, mental, and social wellbeing.   

In the last few months we have undertaken conservation days near our London and Liverpool offices. People can use either of their annual Make a Difference Days for these. Given how well they are attended, we are planning other opportunities, so watch this space!

We have assessed our office locations for water stress and biodiversity using the World Resources Institute’s water risk tool. This indicated that our Dubai office is within an area of extremely high water stress, and our London office is within an area of high water stress.  

According to the Key Biodiversity Areas database, there are no Taylor Wessing LLP offices in the immediate vicinity of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).

We have also been considering ESG risk across our value chain. We have assessed our supply chain for ESG risk by using general risk assessments by sector and location.  

Sustainability efforts must be embedded across our entire business to make a real impact. As part of our commitment to embed sustainability across the firm, several departments have integrated environmental targets into their business plans and KPIs:   

• The Workplace team has transitioned our entire property portfolio to renewable energy sources.  
• Our IT team has introduced a buyback scheme for old hardware and continues to improve energy efficiency with each upgrade.  
• In our Disputes and Investigations practice, we are actively supporting the Greener Arbitration initiative to reduce the environmental impact of legal proceedings.  
• Our London office refurbishment team are delivering against the sustainability objectives, ensuring that environmental considerations are embedded in operational decision-making.  
• Our AI team has ensured that our internal AI platform, Litium, is powered by renewable energy.  
• Our Trade Mark practice have signed the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys' net zero pledge (CITMA pledge) to make the intellectual property (IP) profession more sustainable and environmentally conscious. 

We introduced a Code of Business Conduct in June and plan to launch our Supplier Code of Conduct and Supplier Policy in August.  

It is crucial that suppliers are aligned with our sustainability agenda as they represent over 80% of our overall carbon footprint.  

This year, we launched a new network subgroup focused on health awareness following feedback that busy work lives can make it difficult to discuss serious health conditions like cancer. This new subgroup, part of our Balance in Business network, encourages communication and promotes proactive health prevention.  

This isn't the only new network we've created in response to feedback. In 2024, the Balance in Business network introduced a Menopause Café to highlight the need to support those experiencing perimenopause/menopause and to help educate people that wanted to learn more. Over the course of 2025 we have had a lot of interest from men who want to support women in their lives who may face challenges with perimenopause/menopause.  

In 2025 the Menopause Café has delivered a range of initiatives that have positively impacted our people. One key resource was the release of a menopause FAQ sheet, aligned with our Menopause Policy. We also have a dedicated employee who put themselves forward for a menopause coaching diploma to help individuals who may have questions and want to know more about support. 

In June 2025, we launched Inclusive Leadership training in response to listening sessions with colleagues from underrepresented minority ethnic backgrounds who told us that it would be beneficial for senior leadership to undertake this inclusion-focused training. Feedback has been positive with those attending sharing that the training was essential and more sessions should be embedded across the firm. 

This year, we also hosted the largest cohort of the 10,000 Black Interns programme since we first partnered with the 10,000 Interns Foundation in 2022. This partnership is a key part of our Race and Ethnicity Strategy which was first launched in 2020 and laid the foundation for our long-term commitments.

Building on this strategy, we proudly launched our Black Heritage network in October 2024 during Black History Month. Over the course of 2025, this initiative has grown into a thriving network. With representatives supporting engagement, it offers colleagues of Black heritage a safe space to share their career journeys and build relationships.  

The 10,000 Black Interns programme has opened doors to meaningful career opportunities, with several interns joining the firm in permanent roles. We remain committed to creating pathways for growth, amplifying underrepresented voices, and building a workplace where everyone can thrive. 

In 2024, our Social Mobility network committee came together to share ideas on how the firm could further support young people in their personal and professional development. A key piece of feedback was the desire to see the firm introduce a mentoring programme for younger generations. The committee recognised that early access to mentorship can be transformative, helping young people build confidence, develop skills, and gain valuable insights into the world of work.  

We partnered with Uptree, an organisation that supports young people from socially mobile and minority ethnic backgrounds. They helped us engage 20 students for our first bespoke mentoring programme, which also included participation from several of our clients. The programme was a success, with students providing real-time feedback and expressing strong interest in future involvement. Their enthusiasm and insights affirmed the value of the initiative and its potential for long-term impact. In 2025, we have been refining our mentoring program to address this feedback.  

We are currently rolling out Pirical, a data-driven software tool that enables us to monitor key metrics such as working hours and vacation usage. This will help us better understand patterns and promote healthier work-life balance across the firm. This complements our adoption of the Mindful Business Charter (MBC) as a framework to address mental health challenges in the legal sector using simple, practical, and proactive business-led actions. The charter aims to eliminate avoidable stressors and foster a healthier, more supportive working environment.  

In December 2024, we launched our Wellbeing Fund, designed to reduce stress and support mental health in a holistic way – physically, emotionally, and mentally. This initiative empowers our people to access resources and activities that enhance their overall wellbeing. 

Through our LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (our equaliTW network), we ensure that we have a space for people to discuss any challenges or worries that the community might have. Our equaliTW committee serves as a resource for people to engage with in a private capacity should they need further support. 

Through our partnership with myGwork (our inclusion partner), we have been able to work together to deliver various training sessions in 2025 that are either LGBTQ+ specific or have an intersectional approach, and we have supported various campaigns. 

Training 

• Inclusive Interviewing   
• Neurodiversity 101  
• Trans & Non-binary Inclusion  
• LGBTQ+ Allyship in an Increasingly Hostile World  

Campaigns 

• Bisexual Visibility  
• Coming Out Day  
• Trans Awareness  
• Mentoring   
• World AIDS Day  

We are also proud to be a key sponsor of WorkPride and have participated in WorkFair through our myGwork partnership. 

We actively sponsor and support Dublin Pride, Liverpool Pride, and Cambridge Pride to ensure that our people feel seen and supported in the different cities where our offices are based. We have an active presence in all these locations and keep building on our local relationships year on year.

In 2025, we were the sole sponsor of Access Pride (through our relationship with Sahir House in Liverpool) which is aimed at LGBTQ+ individuals who have a form of disability, are neurodivergent, or simply want a quiet place to celebrate Liverpool Pride. We also financially support the LGBTQ+ Centre, a safe space for the community to gather and take part in workshops and meet other members of the community.

Last year, we proudly launched our Disability Task Force which is dedicated to raising awareness, fostering inclusion, and strengthening support for colleagues living with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent. The task force is shaped by the voices of our people, who share their personal stories and lived experiences related to a disability or a neurodiversity diagnosis. We are looking to build on this over the next year and drive meaningful change across the firm in this area. 

The Inspire Mentoring programme is a key part of our formal development offering, designed to support colleagues in building their networks, enhancing business development capabilities, and growing personal confidence. Through structured mentoring relationships, participants gain access to valuable guidance and support that helps unlock their full potential. We also offer mentoring as part of the 10,000 Black Interns programme and have a structured Tomorrow's Talent programme which focuses on students who come from social mobility backgrounds. 

All colleagues across the firm are entitled to participate in two Make a Difference Days, dedicated days each year to volunteer and contribute to causes that matter to them. This initiative is part of our broader commitment to responsible business and social impact, encouraging everyone to use their time, skills, and passion to support local communities and charitable organisations.