L.E.K. is committed to a healthy and sustainable environment.
In January 2008, L.E.K. became the first management consulting firm to achieve carbon-neutral status across its global operations. Today, we maintain our dedication to carbon neutrality on a global basis and we have an environmental policy built to measure, reduce and offset our carbon emissions.
Here’s how it works:
- Step 1 — Measure baseline carbon emissions and set reduction targets
- Step 2 — Reduce what we can
- Step 3 — Offset carbon emissions that remain through high quality carbon reduction projects with our partner, ClimateCare
Step 1
We measure our carbon emissions across all our activities, including from our offices and travel. By understanding our current output, we can better set reduction and offset targets.
Step 2
Knowing where our carbon emissions originate helps us work comprehensively to reduce them as much as possible. For example, in many of our offices, we have adapted building management, IT management, and administration to be more environmentally friendly.
- Building management: Reduce emissions from each L.E.K. office by reviewing energy suppliers, switching to low-power light bulbs, and optimizing heating and cooling cycles.
- IT management: Encourage responsible use of personal computers and IT equipment. This includes simple steps such as turning off computers overnight and defaulting to double-sided printing.
- Administration: Reduce office supply consumption through increased recycling and the use of recycled and sustainably sourced paper.
Step 3
For our remaining unavoidable carbon emissions, we purchase voluntary offsets through a partnership with UK-based climate and development experts, ClimateCare.
Carbon offsetting is an internationally recognized way to take responsibility for unavoidable carbon emissions. In simple terms, offsetting one ton of carbon emissions means there will be one less ton of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
By purchasing offsets through ClimateCare, we help advance projects around the world that meet the highest international quality standards in protecting the environment and improving lives.
Our environmental policy is overseen by our Green Committee, composed of consulting staff and members of our core services teams in all our U.S. offices. The Green Committee’s goals are to maintain environmentally friendly practices in the office and the community without compromising the quality of our work and to create a forum for U.S. office employees interested in the environment, renewables and cleantech to connect with one another. The local chapters organize a variety of initiatives and events to make L.E.K. a greener work environment as well as volunteer events that allow us to give back to local environmental organizations.
We take environmental responsibility seriously. Beyond these initiatives, we have discussed the importance of this subject in several recent Executive Insights reports: