Clarke Willmott has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 90% against its FY2021 baseline through a sustainability partnership with climate technology and advisory platform 51toCarbonZero. The national law firm is pairing carbon measurement and reporting tools with specialist advisory support as it works towards a 25% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2040. The programme has also introduced Carbon Literacy training and brought sustainability considerations into a wider range of business functions. For professional services firms, the work offers a practical example of building emissions management into daily operations rather than treating it as a standalone reporting task.
A Stronger Carbon Foundation
Clarke Willmott’s partnership with 51toCarbonZero centres on a central platform designed to measure and manage the firm’s carbon footprint. The firm has used the arrangement to strengthen its carbon reporting capabilities, establish a robust emissions baseline and develop a clearer data-led picture of where emissions are generated.
The work reflects the increasing environmental expectations placed on businesses by clients, regulators and employees. Clarke Willmott identified that its net zero commitments would require systems capable of supporting informed choices over the long term, alongside reliable data and expert input on carbon accounting and reduction planning.
51toCarbonZero has provided advisory support across carbon accounting, emissions reduction planning and sustainability strategy. This combination of platform technology and specialist expertise is intended to give the law firm greater confidence in its reporting and emissions management while supporting progress against its science-based emissions reduction targets.
Embedding Sustainability Across Teams
The partnership has placed an emphasis on making sustainability relevant beyond the ESG function. Carbon Literacy training and wider sustainability initiatives are being used to strengthen employee engagement and extend responsibility for climate action across the organisation.
That organisational focus is important for a business seeking to turn environmental commitments into operational practice. Rather than positioning emissions data solely as a disclosure requirement, Clarke Willmott is using it to inform decision-making across multiple functions and to make its sustainability activity more visible to employees, clients and prospective customers.
Karen Higgins, Head of ESG at Clarke Willmott, said:
“The value of 51toCarbonZero is that they really are an extension of your team. We have more minds on the job, and they are incredibly flexible and innovative in helping us understand our decarbonisation journey and make it easier and more engaging for the rest of the company.”
A Clearer Scope 3 Picture
Having already made substantial progress on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, Clarke Willmott is now continuing its work on Scope 3. These indirect emissions have been divided into meaningful categories through the partnership, separating behavioural changes, operational improvements and longer-term structural opportunities.
This categorisation gives the firm a more focused view of where action can be taken and where sustained change may be needed. Its stated target is to reduce Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030, supporting its wider commitment to achieve net zero by 2040.
The approach also recognises that a credible decarbonisation programme involves more than a single annual calculation. Measurement, employee participation, operational improvements and longer-term planning each have a role in translating corporate climate objectives into measurable activity.
Technology And Advisory Support
51toCarbonZero’s role extends beyond providing a platform. Its team has supported Clarke Willmott’s sustainability function with guidance on climate policy and reporting requirements, helping the firm maintain oversight of changes relevant to its environmental reporting and wider strategy.
The model combines carbon footprint data with advisory expertise, allowing organisations to bring reporting and reduction planning together. For Clarke Willmott, the result has been a strengthened sustainability proposition that can demonstrate environmental commitments while retaining a clear operational focus on emissions reduction.
Richard Davis, CEO and co-founder of 51toCarbonZero, said:
“Clarke Willmott didn’t just want a platform to report numbers – they wanted to actually cut emissions and bring the whole organisation along with them. Getting Scope 1 and 2 down by over 90% shows what’s possible when a business treats sustainability as part of how it operates, not a side project for the ESG team. It’s exactly the kind of progress we love to see.”
Building On Early Progress
The 90% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions provides Clarke Willmott with a notable foundation for its longer-term targets. Its next phase will depend on continuing to identify and address Scope 3 opportunities, while maintaining the data quality, engagement and governance needed to track progress.
By combining a central carbon management platform with advisory support and employee-focused initiatives, the firm has set out a structured route for taking sustainability beyond compliance. The partnership with 51toCarbonZero demonstrates how professional services organisations can connect emissions data to action across the business, with clear targets providing direction for the years ahead.
