Sustainability

The path to net-zero is a complex and multifaceted one, but is a journey we are actively taking. The goal is simple, achieve net-zero by 2050, our people want it, our clients are asking for it and the planet needs it. Playing our part in reducing our carbon use to achieve net-zero is the right thing to do.

Our priority is to make sure that the way we operate has as little environmental impact as possible. We have a Sustainability Champion and a Sustainability Collaboration Group actively working on this. Sustainability is on the Board agenda too and is now an active part of our decision making process. We track our carbon use and report on this each year and fully offset all carbon we do use through carbon avoidance projects. We have also undertaken a number of external submissions and commitments to validate our approach and assess our credibility in this important area.

Science Based Targets

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science. It is focused on accelerating companies across the world to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050. The initiative is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments.

We had our near and long-term targets validated in 2023 by the Science Based Targets initiative' to achieve a 42% reduction in Scope 1&2 emissions and reduce our Scope 3 emissions by 2030. We have also committed to achieve a 90% reduction or net-zero by 2050.

CDP

Mewburn Ellis has also completed CDP’s Climate Change questionnaire and we are pleased to say we received a B, the highest score achievable for an SME in 2024. This means we have addressed the environmental impacts of our business and ensured good environmental management.

CDP is a global environmental disclosure system that enables companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage, and share vital environmental information. It is the gold standard for corporate environmental reporting, a global non-profit that runs the world’s leading environmental disclosure platform.

EcoVadis

We are proud to have been awarded the prestigious EcoVadis Platinum Medal in 2024. Mewburn Ellis is the world’s first Intellectual Property firm to receive this medal, which is the highest rating you can earn in sustainable business practices. This achievement marks a leap from Silver to Platinum in our third year of assessment and places us among the top 1% of all companies assessed worldwide.

EcoVadis sustainability assessments examine performance across a range of sustainability metrics, including environmental, social and ethical performance. Used by over 130,000 companies in more than 180 countries and 220 industries, this is a very comprehensive assessment and considered the gold standard for measuring a company's overall sustainability performance.

UN Global Compact

Mewburn Ellis has joined the UN Global Compact initiative – a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible business practices.

Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 15,000 companies and 3,800 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 69 Local Networks. The UN Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles, and to take action in support of UN goals and issues embodied in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs focus on areas where businesses have a large effect on outcomes: human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

CITMA Net Zero Pledge

We have proudly signed the CITMA Pledge, reinforcing our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility within the IP profession. By joining this initiative, we’re taking active steps to measure and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, set net zero targets, and promote sustainable practices across our business. The CITMA Pledge is a key industry initiative that encourages firms to play a proactive role in tackling climate change, and we are excited to be part of this collective effort towards a more sustainable future.

Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA)

We are proud members of the Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA) - the leading sustainability network for firms and the UK Legal sector. Our membership allows us to collaborate and share best practice with other member firms. This helps support the positive steps we are taking to improve the environmental sustainability of our operations and reduce our carbon emissions.

Over 1000 Tonnes of Carbon Removed or Avoided So Far

We are working to reduce our Scope 1,2 & 3 carbon use, but what we cannot eliminate ourselves we have chosen to avoid and remove. We have reduced our carbon footprint overall by 44% in 2023-24 from our baseline in 2021-22. Our footprint does fluctuate year on year due to a multitude of factors such as growth in headcount, opening new offices, adding in more scope 3 categories and changes in conversion rates. You can find out more details in our carbon reports.

See our full carbon report for 2024
See our full carbon report for 2023

We started our carbon offsetting activity in 2021 using carbon avoidance projects. This year we’ve stepped up our game and we’re now aligning with the Oxford Offsetting Principles, shifting to long term removal-based offsetting. This means we’re targeting projects that don’t just avoid carbon emissions but actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere with reliable long-term storage. Carbon removal is very expensive and so we now remove 10% of our emissions which is the same cost of full avoidance of our total emissions but ensures that our carbon reductions are real, measurable, and long-lasting.

2023-24 carbon removed 47 tCO2e which is 10% of our total carbon (366.5 tCO2e reported carbon plus 120 tCOe for our new scope 3 category of employee commuting.)

PROJECT 8: 40 tCO2e - Biochar removal project
PROJECT 9: 7 tCO2e - Conducting woody biomass sinking removal project

2022-23 carbon avoided 329 tCO2e and carbon removed 10 tCO2e

2021-22 carbon avoided 650 tCo2e

Mewburn Ellis support the Sustainable Development Goals. Our environmental work delivers against three of the seventeen goals.

Five Step Climate Action Plan & Net-Zero Transition Plan

1. We ask questions and are accountable

We launched this action plan in 2022 and it began as a series of aims. We have delivered on every one of them and this is now a framework to continue to monitor progress. We now have an environmental strategy and a net-zero transition plan in place. Our net-zero transition plan outlines the key steps we plan to implement across the firm from energy use and travel to sustainable procurement and waste management. We also look at measurement and engagement to fully embed this initiative into the business.

2. We offset our carbon and are reducing it as much as possible

We track and report on our carbon footprint. We use this to help us understand where we need to improve. We have made a commitment to reduce our Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 42% by 2030 and track and reduce our Scope 3 and to reduce 1,2 and 3 by 90% by 2050 to reach net-zero. We are serious about this commitment and are now working towards these reductions. We have already reduced our emissions. Business travel is a significant contributor to our carbon footprint. We're working to reduce this and use our 'Sustainability Sense Check' to question transport choice, business need and perceived value. We are clever, use time and resources wisely and only travel when necessary. Each year we offset the carbon we do use through carbon avoidance projects.

3. We plant a tree for every new matter we open and have created a Mewburn Ellis Forest

We plant a tree for every new matter we open. The right tree in the right place, The Mewburn Ellis Forest is managed by responsible partners in a sustainable way is an important part of tackling the climate crisis. We are supporting the planting of native and biodiverse mix of tree species in planting sites around the world including the UK. These planting projects also help to support local communities and reduce poverty by employing local workers.

4. We enable and support the sustainability conversation and take personal responsibility

We believe that showcasing the good work of our clients and ensuring there is focus on the conversation around sustainability is an important part of the puzzle. We have recently launched our Green IP Report. and are talking extensively about this topic in our sustainability blogs and Green Tech spotlight page. We also now have an internal Sustainability Group made up of people that want to get involved with this initiative within the firm who are helping to identify and drive forward sustainability initiatives at the firm.

5. We support sustainability charities as part of our Forward Community Programme

As part of our community programme we donate a percentage of our funds each year to sustainable charities to support and reach areas that we cannot directly impact.

Find out more about why sustainability and community is so important to our firm

We plant a tree for every new matter we open

A Focus on Climate & Biodiversity

We're proud to be working with environmental organisation Ecologi. They facilitate the funding of carbon offset projects and tree planting around the world. Their mission is to reduce 50% of global CO2 emissions by 2040 and they responsibly plant billions of trees every year.

We plant a tree through the Ecologi platform for every new matter we open. We've planted nearly 70,000 trees in total so far. For 2022-23 we planted 12,790 trees to 31st March 2023. For our 2023-24 financial year we planted 10,350 trees. For 2024-25 we have planted 10,697.

Planting trees is part of the answer to helping our planet and will have a longer term effect on carbon emissions. It works side by side with the other climate action projects we are supporting and the actions we are taking to operate more sustainably. We chose to work with Ecologi as they have a focus on reforesting and on responsible reforestation. They plant the right trees in the right place and effectively protect those trees for the long term too.

We are supporting the planting of native, biodiverse tree species in planting sites around the world including the UK. 10% of our trees are planted in the UK through the Future Forest Company and 90% abroad though Eden Reforestation Projects, because our money goes further and has greater impact overseas. These planting projects are typically mangroves, which grow faster and offset three times more carbon than UK trees. They also support coastal ecosystems and help restore sea life, supporting fish and marine animals too. There is also a broader positive impact at a human level too as these projects help support local communities and reduce poverty by employing local workers and providing them with food and materials.

Sustainable Communities

Special Report 2024

This Sustainable Communities 2024 Annual Report summarises the progress we have made in the last twelve months since our previous annual report and highlights our tremendous achievements, as well as setting out our plans for 2024-25.

Highlights

Given over £1,000,000 to good causes and grown our Mewburn Forest to over 58,000 trees.
Enhanced our inclusive and supportive culture by becoming the first IP firm to receive the Menopause Friendly Accreditation and established Men's Health Campions across the firm.
Achieving a CDP score of C, retaining our Silver rating with EcoVadis, joining the UN Global Compact and earning the Great Place To Work™ certification.

Download the report

Read our Sustainability Blogs

Plastics in Transition: EPO Report Highlights Innovation Surge in Waste Management

by Eleanor Maciver

The European Patent Office (EPO) has published a new report, Plastics in Transition, analysing patent filing trends across a range of technologies aimed at plastic waste management.

Nyobolt: Six minutes to charge an electric car

by Niles Beadman

The battery maker's niobium tungsten oxide anode will revolutionise electric vehicles.

Mewburn Ellis relocates London office to 8 Bishopsgate, furthering commitment to sustainability and growth

by Richard Clegg

We are delighted to announce the relocation of our London office to the landmark eco-friendly tower 8 Bishopsgate, marking our next step on our journey to minimise its environmental impact and build ...

Ask a VC: how do we build a UK greentech sector fit for the future?

by Eleanor Maciver

Pippa Gawley is the founder of Zero Carbon Capital, a deep tech climate investment fund. She reveals to Mewburn Ellis her vision for creating a clean energy economy.

The Element of Surprise – you can run but you can’t hyd(Rogen)

by Matthew Smith

In the quest for clean and renewable energy sources, hydrogen has emerged as one of the most promising contenders. With its potential to produce zero-emission energy, hydrogen has been heralded as a ...

HutanBio: algae is the fuel of the future

by Simon Kremer

Algae converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into flammable hydrocarbons, offering a like-for-like replacement for fossil fuels.

READ our Forward Community Programme Blogs

Green IP Report

Patents are both a driver and a barometer of innovation

Our report examines the role of patents in making innovative ‘green’ technologies into a reality as well as how the patent landscape can be used to identify opportunities for partnering, collaboration and investment.

We share our enthusiasm and admiration for commercially-focused innovation across a diverse range of technologies, from repurposing carbon dioxide to make protein-rich foods, to the multi-faceted approach to a circular plastics economy. We also discuss the tantalising prospect of AI-mediated renewable energy supply, and the harnessing of battery tech from the EV boom to drive energy efficiency in consumer devices. This report reflects our passion for technology solutions that tackle our shared global challenge.

Summary of Our Sustainability Initiatives

We are:

Tracking and reducing our carbon footprint and offsetting what we cant reduce
Reviewing all areas where we can be more sustainable
Supporting sustainable charities
Planting a tree for every new matter we open
Encouraging the sustainable conversation with Forward Magazine and our Green IP report
Actively working with and supporting our clients with a sustainability focus
Moving to agile working on our offices to reduce our impact
A paperless office and have been for over a decade
Recycling in all offices. We are bin free at our desks to encourage staff to stand up to go to the recycling bins and properly divide up their waste

Recycling our end of life electronics
Using cloud computing
Using glass milk bottles rather than plastic
Using recycled t-shirts for our business cards
Considering sustainability in our office moves
Our magazine is printed on PEFC accredited paper, this means it is has been sourced from sustainably managed forests, which adhere to environmentally approved standards. This paper has less carbon footprint than recycled paper. The magazine can also be recycled and the polywrap it is sent out in is made from bio compostable material.
Implementing a sustainability sense check for our travel
Using our new, upgraded VC system and VC studios to reduce travel.

Supporting Sustainable Charities

As part of our community programme we've donated £5,000 to The Ocean Conservation Trust and £5,000 to The Climate Coalition from our Forward Fund to support them in their environmental work.

The Ocean Conservation Trust is working towards healthier oceans, which is a key part of the climate change puzzle. Over 20 years ago, a dynamic group of marine scientists, researchers, educators and divers came together to create a charity that would showcase some of the amazing habitats and animals found in a healthy and vibrant Ocean.

The Climate Coalition has a vision of a future where the UK no longer contributes to climate change. Their aim is to clean up the air we breathe, have warmer homes powered by cleaner, cheaper energy, restore our green spaces and make it easier for to live in a cleaner, greener world that future generations can enjoy.

Ocean-Conservation-Trust-Climate-Coalition

Sustainability: On our way to net-zero with validated targets