Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons is launching a free, comprehensive net-zero programme for its small and medium-sized enterprise SME suppliers to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions through science-based targets.
Run in association with ‘Heart of the City’, a social enterprise which aims to help SMEs achieve science-based net-zero targets, the new initiative will encourage businesses from across Pinsent Masons’ supply chain to take part in workshops and receive individual tailored support to help overcome the challenges which small businesses face in meeting the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) requirements.
As part of the programme, businesses will be encouraged to build realistic benchmarks and report back on progress, with the aim of having a suppliers targets validated by the SBTi. At present,13 SMEs from a range of industries mechanical and engineering, knowledge, recruitment, building services and marketing, are currently signed up to the firm’s eight-month programme.
Having validated its own net-zero targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2022, Pinsent Masons began the initiative to provide support and practical advice based on its own experience in implementing net zero targets. By 2025, Pinsent Masons is targeting to have suppliers covering 50% of its spend to set SBTi’s, so this programme will positively accelerate efforts to achieve this target.
Fiona Cunnane, Procurement ESG Lead at Pinsent Masons said: “We have a close relationship with our SME suppliers who know of our net zero goals and want to implement something similar themselves. They know that this is not only the right thing to do for global sustainability but understand the reputational and regulatory risk that comes with not taking meaningful steps towards reducing emissions.
“However, for many companies they simply do not have the bandwidth to plan out and implement a sustainable process of reducing carbon emissions. We developed this programme with Heart of the City to lend a hand throughout what we know to be a complicated process.
Allan Clark, Head of Sustainability Pinsent Masons, sponsoring the Programme comments, “We have committed to becoming a net zero organisation by 2040 and part of that is to encourage those we work with across our supply chain to make similar commitments to our collective future. Our suppliers have responded well and I hope this will bring our working relationship closer as we start to see the results of this programme.”