Our Commitment to Sustainability in Action

In January 2007, DLA Piper introduced the Global Sustainability Initiative, affirming our commitment to reduce our environmental impact and conduct our business in a responsible manner. Our approach is designed to be a living strategy, flexibly adapting to the demands and challenges of creating a more environmentally responsible business.

As part of this initiative, we have committed to reducing our environmental impact in four key areas: energy, waste, travel and procurement. In each of these areas, we have set annual targets and objectives that enable us to accurately track and report our progress. In 2008 and 2009 we launched campaigns in each of the four key areas designed to update and educate the DLA Piper community and provide valuable information on ways to be "EnergySmart," "WasteWise," "TravelSmart" and "ProcurementSmart." These campaigns have served as valuable tools as we work toward our targets and objectives.

In 2007, DLA Piper became the first global legal services provider to achieve ISO 14001 accreditation across all the continents where we operate. This globally accepted standard for environmental management measures our commitment to the environment. To achieve compliance, teams across DLA Piper worked to:

• Establish an environmental management system based on DLA Piper's global environmental policy statement signed by our Joint CEOs.
• Set targets and objectives to reduce energy consumption and paper usage, recycle paper and toner cartridges and purchase green energy where available.
• Conduct monthly environmental reviews and annual internal environmental audits in every office.
• Facilitate external audits by an independent outside auditor (National Quality Assurance) in 20 percent of the offices, with plans for every office to be externally audited by 2012.
• Develop an environmental checklist to ensure we adhere to our sustainability commitment and consider our carbon footprint when we open new offices or upgrade existing space. Items on the checklist include installing motion sensor lighting, using recycled materials during construction and efficiently siting duplex printers.

We are pleased to report our efforts have been rewarded, as evidenced by our global ISO 14001 re-certification in 2008 and the successful 2009 scheduled external audits of our US offices in Dallas, Houston, Austin, Tampa, Raleigh and Atlanta.

DLA Piper's commitment to sustainability is embedded in every office and extends worldwide. While many of our efforts are specific to office locations, we work diligently to ensure our focus remains on the global community.

For example, in 2007, New Perimeter, a nonprofit affiliate of DLA Piper dedicated to international pro bono work, launched a global warming initiative that allows small groups of subsistence farmers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to use tree planting projects to generate and sell credits that offset greenhouse gas emissions. Also in 2007, we arranged for former US Vice President Al Gore and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to be the keynote speakers at our "Cooling the Planet Conference" attended by business and political leaders in Sheffield, UK.

In 2009, we offset our 2008 carbon emissions by investing in an energy efficient stove project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the project reduced local air pollution and helped improve residents’ quality of life. Currently, we are considering several projects designed to offset our 2009 emissions.

Since our Sustainability Initiative is a living strategy, we are constantly looking for ways to not only reach our targets and objectives but to surpass them. In late 2007, for example, we were pleased to organize one of the first green partnership conferences held by a law firm. The conference, assembled in Scottsdale, Arizona, featured several eco-inspired measures, such as limited paper use, meals that emphasized local and organic ingredients, a venue with its own active sustainability program, recycling and slideshows featuring our sustainability initiative. Through our normal procedures, all carbon emissions from air travel to the conference were offset. In addition, DLA Piper made contributions to the Desert Botanical Garden of Phoenix and the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University.

However, since that conference, we have raised the bar even higher, introducing new state-of-the-art meeting technology heralded by The National Law Journal as "the future of law firm communication." Known as TelePresence, this technology allows us to meet firm members and clients virtually, thus eliminating the environmental consequences of travel.

Other firmwide initiative efforts include a Hybrid Vehicle Incentive Program in the US to encourage employees to purchase eco-friendly automobiles and a Commuter Benefits Program which allows lawyers and staff to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for work-related transportation expenses, such as bus, train and subway fares. This coincides with our Alternative Commuting Incentive Program that offers $250 to lawyers and staff who change and sustain (for at least 60 consecutive days) their commuting habits to a manner that is more eco-friendly. Examples of alternate commuting methods include public transportation, vanpooling, carpooling, walking or riding a bike.

Looking toward the future, DLA Piper is poised and excited about new ways we can help sustain the planet. However, we realize we must pay close attention to our ongoing efforts in our local offices and communities and go on making simple, effective changes in the way we operate, including:

• Continuing our recycling program for bottles, cans and paper
• Purchasing and using recycled paper
• Recycling toner cartridges
• Placing new recyclable hospitality products in all pantry and kitchen areas
• Using double-sided printing where applicable
• Encouraging people to turn off lights and computers when they leave their work spaces
• Considering carbon emissions when making travel plans

By maintaining these best practices and by searching for new ways to strengthen our commitment to global sustainability, DLA Piper will continue to hold ourselves accountable and expand our environmental leadership.