CSR ReportGaining Traction
Publishing our annual CSR report is one of the ways in which we connect with you and give shape to our CSR mission of ‘Empowering the Next Generation’.
In 2021, our efforts to become a more sustainable law firm gained traction. In the report, we share the progress we've made and where we came up short and why. We summarise the initiatives we are taking and the commitments we are making to create a better and fairer world, in terms of our clients, our people, our operations, and, with our Impact Programme, our society and our community.
Our CSR policy rests on four pillars: Our clients, Our people, Our operations and Our Impact Programme. Under these pillars, we use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide our actions and behaviour, focusing on four areas in which we believe we can make the greatest impact: Quality Education, Gender Equality, Climate Action, and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
By means of this CSR report, we aim to ensure transparency and accountability with respect to our policies, goals and actions in the fields of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. It reflects who we are – an adaptive, unambiguous, approachable, personal, people-driven and socially committed collective. You can see this in the contributions and insights of our inspiring lawyers and business support professionals. They have the talent and drive to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Because we believe that by taking responsibility for our actions now, we will leave a better legacy for future generations.
- Petra Zijp -
The report
Our CSR mission is to ‘Empower the Next Generation’. We believe that by taking responsibility for our actions now, we will leave a better legacy for the future.
We use the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a starting point for our actions, focusing on four areas where we believe we can have the greatest effect: Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Climate Action (SDG 13) and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16). We have integrated these SDGs into the four pillars of our CSR policy: Our clients, Our people, Our operations and Our Impact Programme.
Agents of change
Corporate social responsibility is more than just numbers. The changes we are going through as a firm are driven by our people who, in all layers of the organisation, are committed in their own way to a better world.
To find out more about these people, their motivations and their ambitions, we have created interview series: Agents of change. In which we talk about the role of a law firm in the transition to a sustainable economy and society while walking in nature. About what drives them. About changing perspectives.
We hear from agents of change Gaike Dalenoord, partner and co-head of the firm’s Private Equity team, Marieke Faber, who leads the firm's Dutch Dispute Resolution Practice in the New York office, partner within our Banking & Finance Group Frans van der Eerden, Jens Mosselmans, who heads the Public & Regulatory practice at our Brussels office and managing partner Petra Zijp.
About this report
This is our second public CSR report, covering our work in 2021. It provides an overview of our main firm wide CSR activities and accomplishments. We took our first CSR report for 2019-2020 as reference point and have described the progress we made since last year – as well as where we fell short of our targets.
We took into account the issues that are material to us, but we did not apply an international reporting standard (other than an SDG table at the end of this report). By publishing this report, we aim to ensure transparency and accountability with respect to our policies, actions, and goals in the fields of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. We welcome your feedback and invite you to enter into dialogue with us about the role we have in society.
Previous edition of our CSR report
In the first report, we took into account the issues that are material to us but did not apply an international reporting standard.
Contact or questions
We hope to encourage dialogue with you regarding our CSR performance. If you have questions or comments about this CSR Report, please contact Shirley Justice.
