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regional wrap-up to undergo an environmental audit is Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. The office struck an environmental responsibility com- mittee or, as chairman and partner Magnus Verbrugge calls it, "the green team," which now networks with similar BLG office committees across the country. Verbrugge's interest in the environment began four years ago, when he started a family. He took an interest in home products but also how our lifestyle impacts the environmental legacy for his chil- dren. He shopped at places such as Green Works, which supplies green building materials. While his home life was greening up, he realized the same was not true at work. "We were part of one of the largest firms in Canada and we were not doing anything on this front," he says. A workgroup be- gan tossing around ideas on how sustainability could be tackled, a presentation was made to the of- fice's management committee, and it "gave us the green light." BLG hired Green Workplace, which helps businesses track Magnus Verbrugge and reduce their consumption of resources, ranging from pa- per, cutlery, and energy through to supplier goods and even harmful cleaning products. Verbrugge says the audit took about three weeks as several Green Workplace consultants visited the office to watch staff work and to ask questions. "They put to- gether a sophisticated report that was practical and showed what specific changes could be made to reduce our footprint and also how it impacted our spending," he says. The report found the office consumed paper annually from approximately 1,000 trees. "It was not just the number of trees cut down but the chemicals used in the process of making pa- per and this impact on the eco-system," he says. Practical solu- tions include double-sided printing or going to more paperless files, which yield savings in labour, storage, and transportation costs. Even small changes such as a low-flow $150 tap can re- duce water waste substantially in the kitchen area. While BLG is in the evaluative stage now with the report, Verbrugge says several firms in Vancouver, such as Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP, are further along. AHBL part- ner Andrew MacKay says its initiative began about three years ago because of volunteer work with environmentally conscious community organizations such as the David Suzuki Founda- tion. Such work caused the firm to look internally. "That kind Vancouver's green legal shift L aw has always been a tool for providing co-existence, so it seems only natural that law firms should adopt prin- ciples of sustainability. The latest Vancouver legal office of spurred us along," he says. Two years into the program, it remains popular with staff, he notes. However, MacKay says a suc- cessful change means involving those who will be affected the most in the decision making. "We put together committees with represen- tatives that were lawyers, office staff, associates, partners, and legal assistants," he says. This established a process for bringing forward ideas from throughout the firm. Some decisions were also left to those directly impacted, such as moving from paper plate products to porcelain. "That isn't really for lawyers to de- cide," he says, "as it's the catering staff that will be impacted." Moving to a socially responsible workplace has also proven THE WEST to be good business. A growing number of clients now actively seek out service providers who have comprehensive in-house sustainability policies, says MacKay. While cost savings can be achieved, he says AHBL has taken a cost-neutral position. "What we save in one area, we spend in another," MacKay says, as some products — like fair-trade coffee — can be more expensive. AHBL also reduced the coffee amount dispensed to compensate. "No one seemed to notice." Also, the firm e-mailed Christ- mas cards last year. "We saved on the mailing but we spent more on creating a better electronic product," he says. Having sustainability policies Andrew MacKay can also be fun. Many of the staff and lawyers cycle to work, as the company provides a bike lock- er. As a corporate team, AHBL has participated in community cycle challenges aimed at reduc- ing driving. Plus, there's the op- portunity to challenge other law firms. BLG's regional managing part- ner Deborah Overholt says she was "surprised" by the number of opportunities to make changes and also pleased that the re- port by Green Workplace provides choices. For example, while plastic disposable items can be replaced by reusable items, what if there is a need to use disposal? The report, she points out, provides biodegradable alternatives. Such choices mean change is easier, she says. "It is my expectation that we will be making a number of changes and management is very sup- portive of this." — JEAN SORENSEN jean_sorensen@telus.net www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com SEPTEMBER 2008 7