b'FROM THE AusLSA CHAIRS Welcome to the 2022 AusLSA Annual Sustainability Insight This year we are pleased to advise that more AusLSA members have reported than ever before. This year 43 members have provided their sustainability information through AusLSAs online reporting process, and 39 or 93 per cent have chosen to make this information publicly available in this report. The growth in AusLSA membership and public reporting reflects how firms are ramping up their commitment to sustainability by using a structured and transparent approach.The AusLSA sustainability framework and reporting is continually evolving. For over ten years, AusLSA members have reported on the emissions from their electricity purchase and travel, as well as the levels of renewable electricity purchased and their voluntary carbon offsetting. While reductions demonstrated over this time have been encouraging, the most recent data and scientific analysis have shown that significantly greater and more rapid action is required. This year we have expanded the information we collect to include the firms climate action commitments. Like all organisational change programs, this must start with a formal acknowledgement of the issue and a commitment to action, which must be followed by clear accountability, analysis, targets, action plans and reporting. This year AusLSA members are disclosing information in these areas, and the high level of activity is very promising. Thirty per cent of firms have a climate action policy in place, and a further 28 per cent are currently developing one. This is by far the most significant activity in new policy development across the 19 issues included in AusLSAs framework. While only 16 per cent of firms had a climate-specific action plan in place, 26 per cent were currently developing one. Fifty-four per cent of firms are working on putting clear targets in place to measure and reduce the greenhouse emissions related to their value chains. We predict that the scope of climate-related reporting will continue to expand in future years with a greater focus on scope three emissions that capture a broader set of emissions from law firms supply chains. This is an exciting area with lots of activity that we will watch closely.This year, after previously seeing law firms greenhouse gas emissions reduced to almost zero because of COVID restrictions, they are now starting to grow again. Before the COVID pandemic, increasing travel emissions was the most significant challenge to AusLSA members trying to reduce their emissions. At their peak in 2018, emissions from travel were 1.8 tonnes per employee. Last year COVID restrictions reduced these emissions to 0.1, but they have grown to 0.5 tonnes per employee this year. While this is still a long way below the pre-COVID levels, its an area for attention.This years sustainability spotlight focuses on greenwashing and discusses the importance of clearand reliable sustainability reporting and communications. With the growing importance of this information to clients, staff and the community, it is essential that the information organisations share is consistent, accurate, relevant and useful, and that any sustainability claims are soundly based. During 2022 AusLSA welcomed Gilbert + Tobin and Lander and Rogers as Executive Members to AusLSA and their representatives Eloise Schnierer and Jo Renkin onto the AusLSA Board. The Executive Membership is critical in providing strategic guidance for the AusLSA program, essential governance responsibilities and additional resourcing that allows us to operate and grow. Since our last report, we have also welcomed new and returning AusLSA members, including; Gilchrist Connell, Hickson Lawyers, Jackson McDonald, K&L Gates, Macpherson Kelley, Moray & Agnew, Mullins Lawyers and RLW. We wish all our members the best Brendan BatemanKelvin OConnor Co-Chair, AusLSACo-Chair AusLSA Partner, Clayton UtzConsultant1'