CleanTech WebLog

The “Green Team” at leading Silicon Valley law firm, Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR), was formed 10 years ago as a grassroots, volunteer effort by a group of environmentally-minded employees. Over time, the Green Team expanded its efforts and earlier this year WSGR decided to meet the ABA-EPA Law Office Climate Challenge. Over the years, the firm has undertaken a wide range of initiatives. We met with Community Affairs Manager, Gail McFall and with Green Team member, Marie Larsen, to discuss WSGR’s motivations, challenges and accomplishments in greening their business.

Paper Use Triggers Look at All Solid Waste
Initially, these employees were motivated by a concern for the huge quantity of paper being used on daily basis. One recent study estimated that the average attorney uses between 20,000 and 100,000 sheets of paper per year (not counting additional copying and printing done for clients at outside locations such as trial sites). At the high end of the range, this amounts to about a half-ton a year per attorney. The lifecycle of a half-ton of office paper from its production through to disposal generates CO2 emissions of roughly 4.5 – 5.5 tons, depending on whether the waste paper is recycled. On top of that, paper production also uses water and produces waste water. So, it’s not surprising that excess paper use compelled this group of well-meaning employees to take action.

The team members started with a range of programs to reduce paper waste, including double-sided printing and conversion of some paper-based communications to electronic form. Over time, they expanded their waste perspective to encompass other solid waste such as cafeteria waste and e-waste (including batteries, DVDs, CDs and, of course, electronic equipment). Now, they run an annual e-waste pick-up of electronics that employees bring from home and offer a coffee discount to employees who use their own mugs at in-house cafes. And they continually educate employees about recycling.

Clean Tech Practice Area Nudges the Firm Forward
It wasn’t until the firm took on the ABA-EPA Climate Challenge, that significant resources were applied to sustainability initiatives. Partners involved in the rapidly growing Clean Technology and Renewable Energy industry are particularly sensitive to issues of sustainability. Along with members of the Green Team, this provided the impetus for the firm’s rise to the Climate Challenge. WSGR stepped up to all four areas of the challenge: 1) Office Paper Management purchase and use practices, 2) WasteWise use and disposal practices, 3) Green Power Purchases of renewable energy and 4) EPA Energy Star Guidelines for energy efficiency. The Climate Challenge impelled the firm to undertake additional projects including a lighting retrofit and green power purchases. And they made the Climate Challenge part of the official job responsibilities of community affairs manager, Gail McFall.

Organic Growth
From the initial focus in the Palo Alto, California office, the Green Team has expanded to include members from other locations. Its scope has grown from paper waste to other types of solid waste, to environmentally preferred purchasing of recycled office and cafeteria products and green cleaning products. Employee education efforts have broadened to encompass an annual Earth Day event with outside vendor participation and a speaker series. WSGR retrofitted lighting, replacing HID fixtures with induction fluorescents, and bought green power from their municipal utility. The Human Resources department recently initiated an alternative commute incentive program for employees operated by RideSpring (described in my post of 12/18/07).

Amping It Up
After being at it for 10 years, on what appears to have been a shoestring budget and solely volunteer efforts, they have accomplished a lot. However, it seems to have taken partner buy-in to the Climate Challenge to move efforts to the next level. Now, aside from “doing the right thing,” WSGR is achieving cost savings, particularly from reductions in energy use.

The ABA-EPA Climate Challenge was conceived as a 2-year pilot program slated to end in March 2009. I asked Daniel Eisenberg, an attorney at Beveridge and Diamond and head of the program for the ABA, what it would take to continue the program beyond its pilot period. There are no plans to discontinue the program. In fact, Eisenberg says “we have seen a major uptick in enrollment since January of 2008, to the point where we are getting seven or eight enrollments every two weeks or so.” I hope to see many more firms follow in the steps of WSGR, Morrison & Foerster, Nixon Peabody and others who have stepped up to the challenge.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS