Our purpose is to ‘Empower the Next Generation’. This also means living a culture of responsible business practices where we value continuous learning, sharing knowledge and embracing new perspectives. Our fourth Sustainability & CSR Report describes actions we undertook in this respect in 2023, ranging from helping organisations address Environmental, Social and Governance challenges and opportunities, to making our own operations more sustainable and our workplace more inclusive.
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Inclusion & Diversity
We champion inclusion and diversity (I&D) to foster an adaptable, innovative and equitable workplace. In a healthy and safe organisation, where everyone is encouraged to bring their whole selves to work.
Our I&D vision is to ensure that the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion are valued throughout the business and embedded in the framework of everything we do. Because an inclusive and diverse workplace is integral to attracting, developing, inspiring, and retaining talented people. But above all because we believe it's the right thing to do. Our three-year roadmap outlines our strategy to fulfil our I&D mission to educate, advocate, engage connect, and empower people.
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Our clients
With climate change and sustainability high on the agenda for many of our clients, themes such as sustainable business and climate change increasingly form part of our everyday work.
Our Sustainable Business & Climate Change team identifies ESG risks and opportunities and works with clients to develop future-proof solutions to the complex and interconnected challenges inherent in responsible business conduct.
Recent examples include:
- We advised clients how to set ambitious yet balanced climate risk mitigation pathways that take into account both the public pressure to elicit ambitious climate ommitments and the scrutiny and questioning whether the company can deliver on them.
- We advised clients on the potentially significant implications of the CSRD for their governance, such as internal controls to source and evaluate relevant data, and implications for their long-term business plans and strategy.
- We increasingly included ESG due diligence in M&A transactions and investments and developed ESG contract clauses to embed due diligence obligations in the supply chain.
- We advised listed companies on the effect of the CSRD on capital market transactions and how to prepare for the CSDDD.
Knowledge sharing
Cooperation and knowledge sharing are key to driving the transition to a sustainable future. We therefore regularly organise roundtables and events on a wide range of ESG-related topics. Our knowledge sharing includes panel positions at conferences, for instance for the International Bar Association, and conducting expert sessions with clients or partner organisations. Through our monthly ESG Matters update and bi-annual ESG webinars we help clients keep abreast of the latest developments and insights on ESG-related governance, disclosure and litigation. -
Our people
We educate our talent to become excellent lawyers and professionals. This includes embracing inclusion and diversity in our workforce. The development of soft skills is a key pillar of our talent training programme.
Our people are at the heart of our firm, and a healthy and safe organisation is a top priority because an inclusive and diverse workplace makes for a successful business, and more importantly: because we believe it is the right thing to do. We are a part of society and we aim to reflect its diversity in our firm and in the legal sector. In 2023, we strengthened our Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) mission, vision and strategy, with the objective to cultivate a place of belonging and a sense of community. To this end, we have defined four pillars to focus on: inspiring and educating, raising awareness, building community, and developing (bi)cultural diversity.
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Our operations
We have set ambitious reduction targets on our carbon footprint emissions and on further integrating sustainability into our business operations.
Our carbon reduction ambition is to decrease our carbon footprint by 55% compared to 2019 and to become net zero by 2050, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. We offset our remaining emissions by investing in certified climate projects.Partnerships such as the Large Companies Network of business network organisation MVO Nederland and Green Business Club Zuidas allow us to share knowledge and collaborate with other firms in promoting sustainable business practices and deliver innovative solutions.
Recent examples of making our operations more sustainable:
- In 2023, we reduced our carbon footprint by 38% compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019
- We balanced the remaining 2022 emissions with a VCS-certified afforestation project in China.
- We incorporated sustainability criteria in our procurement.
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Our society
Together, we want to amplify our positive impact on society. Because each of us can make a difference, and together we can create meaningful change.
In 2022, we launched our firm-wide Impact Programme which serves as an umbrella for our pro bono, community engagement and CSR activities. The aim is to use our collective legal and wider expertise and skills for the benefit of society. The programme is directly linked to our CSR policy and focus SDGs - education, equality, climate action, access to justice and cooperation through partnerships.
Under this programme, everyone at our firm can spend four impact days a year on community engagement, volunteering, or pro bono work. This equates to 20,000 impact hours per year. These hours count towards billable targets or time worked for performance purposes. Participation is actively supported and encouraged, including through a firm-wide engagement campaign.
For example, we:
- Volunteer at IMC Weekendschool, an organisation that empowers children from underprivileged backgrounds in their school and career path
- Organise seminars on employment topics for Alter for Hum that assists young people who are looking for a first job and older people looking for a professional reorientation
- Support Lawyers for Lawyers, a non-profit organisation that defends lawyers whose right to practice is under threatParticipate in sponsor events, such as swimming for the ALS Foundation and running for KickCancer in Brussels
CSR sabbatical
Every year, two of our employees can take part in our one-month paid sabbatical to contribute to a CSR project. Any NautaDutilh employee in any of the firm's offices can apply. As last years' candidates have shown, there are many ways to contribute to our focus UN Social Development Goals, either abroad or in the local community.Recent examples of CSR sabbaticals:
- Volunteering with the JEDI project in Ghana which helps educators empower children who are disadvantaged because of their ethnicity, gender, religion, special needs or economic circumstances
- Volunteering with Surfpop, an NGO that aims to give children from South African townships the best chance at living life to the fullest with access to sustainable employment after school
- Working at a Kenyan coffee mill station that processes coffee beans grown by local women farmers
- Volunteering at the Stichting Vluchtelingenwerk (Dutch Council for Refugees)
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Pro bono activities
As a law firm, we can make a difference by using the law as an instrument for change. This means that our pro bono work is fundamental to who we are.
We provide free advice and representation to organisations and individuals who lack the opportunity or means to obtain our level of legal services. This involves giving legal advice to non-profit organisations on legal issues, collaborating with non-profit organisations to advance their work and assisting with strategic litigation - including representing clients before the Supreme Court.
Our pro bono work focuses on the protection of human rights, sustainability and support for the cultural sector. We amplify our impact by partnering with not-for-profit organisations such as the clearing house Pro Bono Connect, MVO Nederland (the largest business network for sustainable entrepreneurs), Siréas (a Belgian not-for-profit association that helps people in social difficulties) and the #ReAct project of the House of Entrepreneurship of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce.
Recent examples of our pro bono work include:
- Helping bring marriage equality in Aruba and Curaçao
- Assisting in a Sri Lankan adoption case against the Dutch State and an adoption organisation
- Providing pro bono support to the Association of Accidental Americans in their effort to halt the transfers of personal data to the US tax authorities
- Arguing before the Dutch Supreme Court that protection against climate change is a fundamental human right, as part of the Urgenda legal team
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Sustainability & CSR reporting
One of the ways we engage with you and live our CSR mission of 'Empowering the Next Generation' is by reporting on our actions and results, and inspiring others to do the same.
All reports:
