Law firm plants trees to reduce carbon footprint

A UK law firm has been working with envionmental company co2balance to help reduce it's carbon footprint and in order to limit it's impact on climate change.

[ClickPress, Thu Jul 27 2006] Liverpool based Law firm Hill Dickinson is set to go green thanks to a new scheme that will see them plant over a thousand trees in order to become “CarbonZero”.

Hill Dickinson is working with environmental company co2balance.com in order to find out the size of their “carbon footprint”, and then plant trees to counter this, as trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide.

A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon an individual or company creates every year and includes electricity and car usage, as both produce carbon dioxide – the major contributor to climate change.

Explaining the scheme Peter Jackson, Managing Partner from Hill Dickinson said:
“The study of our carbon footprint showed that we create over a thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. As a company we take responsibility for the impact that we make on the environment and take positive steps to reduce this wherever possible and so we are delighted that we can do something to counter the negative impact that this carbon dioxide could have had by the planting of trees”.

”As a result of becoming CarbonZero 1,149 trees will be planted by co2balance, with the trees absorbing the carbon dioxide as they grow.

But it is not all about planting trees, as the company wishes to switch over to a green energy supplier when the current contract expires. Peter Jackson said, “as well as planting trees to absorb the carbon dioxide that Hill Dickinson creates, it is also important to reduce the amount we create in the first place, and that is why we hope soon to switch to a green energy tariff, so that the energy we use will have been produced by alternative, renewable energy sources, rather than fossil fuels”.

The scheme will also see the creation of a new woodland in the North of England, as the trees that will make Hill Dickinson go CarbonZero will be planted locally in the region.

Mike Rigby from co2balance said: “It is fantastic to see respected companies like Hill Dickinson take climate change so seriously and to take such a proactive approach to reduce their impact on the environment. As well as the planting of trees we will also be working with them to encourage their staff to become more environmentally aware both in their behaviours at work and in the home.

All the trees that will be planted are native to England and once they have matured enough it is intended the area be opened up as a community woodland for the public to visit”.

co2balance.com provides support and advice to business and the public to help them reduce the impact that they have on climate change, and enable them to go CarbonZero through offsetting their residual, unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions. People can find out the size of their carbon footprint through co2balance’s online carbon calculator.

To find out more about Hill Dickinson logon to www.hilldickinson.com. For more information on how to reduce your carbon footprint, and to become CarbonZero contact co2balance on www.co2balance.com, email enquiries@co2balance.com, or phone 0845 094 2620.

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Notes to Editors:

About co2balance ltd:
co2balance’s aim is to provide a simple, practical and cost-effective way to individuals and businesses of reducing their ‘carbon footprint’ and then balancing their unavoidable carbon dioxide emissions in a way that benefits the British landscape and its value as wildlife habitat. After providing advice on carbon reduction, co2balance will arrange to offset the CO2 emissions either through planting trees or investment in energy efficiency schemes

About Hill Dickinson:
Hill Dickinson LLP is a leading UK law firm offering a comprehensive range of legal services from offices in Liverpool, London, Manchester and Chester.

The firm announced results of £52.5 million in fee income for the year ended 30 April 2006, and has 121 partners and over 800 staff. The firm has grown organically, through lateral hires, and mergers by more than 80% in the last three years.

Hill Dickinson is a recognised leader in commercial property and related disciplines and in May 2006 the firm was awarded Property Law Firm of the Year 2006 at the Insider Property Awards North West.

Hill Dickinson is advising Liverpool 2008: European Capital of Culture as exclusive Official Lawyers on all legal and contractual dealings with sponsors, partners, suppliers, event organisers and the myriad of other businesses involved in the multi-year programme building up to 2008 and in the legacy years following.

About carbon dioxide:
Carbon dioxide is produced primarily through the burning of fossil fuels (used for electricity generation, the powering of vehicles etc). This gas is the chief culprit, due to the volumes produced, of what is commonly known as ‘the greenhouse effect’. This then results in climate change, which has serious environmental and economic impacts, and is believed to be the cause of the extreme weather conditions the world is witnessing with increasing frequency.

For further information – including a range of images and pictures - please contact: Paul Chiplen, Communications Manager, on 0783 7766 020 or paul.chiplen@co2balance.com

Interviews:

Mike Rigby, co2balance Director on 07800 858828
Press contact: Anne Geddes, Hill Dickinson, 07787 136657

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