Sustainability

Doing right by our communities means taking care of the natural environment and resources we all share. Our Green Office Initiative (GOI), founded more than a decade ago, reflects our commitment to follow best practices for environmental and energy stewardship in our offices and communities around the globe.

Our GOI is driven by a firmwide green committee and executed by local office-based green committees. We are a member of Vorgate (a law firm consortium dedicated to sustainability) and were among the first firms to join the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and American Bar Association’s Climate Challenge, conforming to best practices for paper use, waste management, and energy conservation under the EPA’s Energy Star Program. We also align our work with the UN’s Sustainable Development goals, particularly those focused on environmental sustainability. Lastly, engaged a third party consultant who conducted a carbon footprint analysis so that we can further reduce the environmental impacts of our operations.

Additional examples of our GOI efforts include:

• Procurement of renewable energy, including 100% wind power for our New York office;
• Silver status achieved for O’Melveny globally via ALISS (All Legal Industry Sustainability Standard);
• Green certification of more than 90% of our office space globally, including platinum LEED certification of the buildings for our Beijing, Century City, Hong Kong and Los Angeles offices;
• Support for use of mass transit, carpool, and bicycle commuting;
• Procurement of energy-efficient products and services;
• Reduced air travel and optimization of teleconferencing;
• Flow-controlled water utilities and installation of water cooler systems to replace use of bottled water;
• Regular participation in community conservation and environmental stewardship efforts (e.g., coastal clean ups, etc.); and
• Providing substantial pro bono services to environmental and conservation organizations and nonprofits, including Oceana, Rainforest Alliance, and Greenburgh Nature Center.