Purpose
Cassels is committed to minimizing the impacts to the environment from our business operations and maintaining the firm’s resilience to environmental risks and impacts. The policy governs aspects of environmental impact that we can control and directly manage, and those we do not control or directly manage but can be expected to influence. Our Environmental Policy also provides the framework for setting and reviewing our own environmental objectives and targets.
Policy
Cassels shall ensure procedures are in place to commit to the protection of the environment from our office operations, and to comply with environmental legislation in each province in which we operate.
Cassels shall work with its landlords, suppliers, and vendors to ensure the highest standard of environmental performance is exercised in the maintenance of operations. To this end, Cassels shall:
- Lease space in LEED1-certified office complexes (minimum LEED-Gold standard) and participate in landlord environmental management programs, including smart metering for electrical and water consumption.
- Purchase locally when feasible, to minimize in-transit delivery from supplier to Cassels locations.
- Source furniture and leasehold improvements, office supplies and technology with:
- significant recycled components (where possible);
- the ability to be reused and/or recycled; and/or
- containing rated Sustainable Forest Initiative components for wood-based products
- Monitor and manage sustainable travel and support modes of transport and communication alternatives that minimize potential impact.
- Commit to reducing, reusing, and recycling materials wherever possible and work to divert material away from landfill wherever possible in the framework of our business.
- Ensure that suppliers and vendors comply with or exceed environmental regulatory requirements and proactively disclose information to support our mutual efforts to mitigate environmental impact (as examples, measure quantity of recycled materials such as paper disposal, and measure consumables to ensure ongoing continuous
improvement in minimizing consumption). - Promote a culture to encourage and enable all of our employees to share this commitment.
We will gather and analyze data on our environmental performance across our business, set standards of environmental performance for all offices, and monitor and report progress as we strive to continuously improve. On an ongoing basis, we will raise our collective awareness of environmental issues relating to our office and participate in industry forums to ensure we remain up to date on market best practice.
All firm members, contractors, and vendors shall have access to this policy through the Cassels website. This policy will be regularly referred to in decision-making and internal management and operational meetings. It will be included in the on-boarding of new firm members and be reviewed with firm members regularly.
This policy will be reviewed annually by the Environment Subcommittee reporting to the Corporate Responsibility Committee at Cassels.
Contacts
- Carla Potter, Partner
- Peter Wismath, Chief Marketing Officer
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1 LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design: an international symbol of sustainability excellence and green building leadership. LEED – Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC).