We’re committed to safeguarding the planet and reducing our impact on the environment

As a business we acknowledge the global threat posed by climate change and we take our responsibility for environmental stewardship seriously, as in order to empower people and organisations to fulfil their unique potential, we must also protect the planet. From using renewable energy sources and reducing our emissions, to investing in reforestation initiatives around the world, we are taking a variety of actions to reach our target of net zero by 2040 across Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

Our ambition is to be an environmentally conscious business which understands and reduces its environmental impact globally.

Our targets

2040
Reach net zero across Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions 

100k+
Number of trees planted by 2030
 

100%
Offices to use renewable energy by 2035, where we control energy sources

60%
Of company cars to be hybrid or electric in the UK and EU by 2035

30%
Reduction per head in business travel emissions by 2030

2024
Eliminate single use plastic across all offices globally by the end of 2024

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degredation

We’ve been proud to partner with the World Land Trust since 2015, investing in programmes to protect and restore threatened forests in key areas of conservation importance and supporting the protection of carbon-rich habitats. We support World Land Trust forest protection and restoration projects in Vietnam, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil and India. 

Carbon Balanced operations — worldwide

The Group’s operations have been offset through the World Land Trust (WLT) Carbon Balanced Programme since 2015, which means we invest in carbon offset schemes equivalent to our emissions as assessed by WLT carbon specialists.

The World Land Trust has used the funds contributed by the Group to protect and restore threatened forest in key areas of conservation importance, preventing CO2 emissions and enhancing the carbon they store. We support projects including the Forest Protection Project at Khe Nuoc Trong in Vietnam, one of the best remaining examples of Annamite Lowland Forest in the world. 

Through its partnership with the World Land Trust, the Group offsets more than 2,000 tonnes of the business’s CO2 emissions each year.

Planting the seed of opportunity

The success of our business now translates into further real-world benefits for the environment. From January 2020, the Group announced a new initiative, expanding its partnership with the World Land Trust by pledging to plant one tree for each permanent candidate placement made across our Robert Walters and Walters People businesses, as well as one tree for every employee in our Resource Solutions business. By committing to these essential reforestation projects, we're doing our part to ensure that our planet is secured for generations to come.

Learn more about our 'Plant a Tree' initiative >

Environmental management

Our Amsterdam, Dublin, London and Paris offices have all successfully maintained ISO 14001 accreditation, the International Standard for Environmental Management. Currently, more than one-fifth of the Group’s employees worldwide operate in locations which are covered by the ISO14001 certification.

And while the impact of Covid on working patterns and business travel was still being felt in 2022, our scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions were down 21% on the previous year, and business travel emissions reduced by 40% per head (using 2019 as the baseline year).