Helping Withers & Rogers build three years of accurate carbon data, a credible reduction plan, and prepare for SBTi validation

Overview

Withers & Rogers had already tried to measure their emissions before they came to Seedling, but the experience had left them frustrated. The tool they were using offered little guidance, and the team found themselves figuring out a technical process with no real support behind it. What they wanted was straightforward: an accurate footprint they could trust, a plan to reduce it, and the confidence to share both with their clients. As a leading European IP law firm, with a strategic framework that puts responsibility and trust at its centre, getting this right mattered.

About Withers & Rogers

"Withers & Rogers is one of Europe's largest intellectual property law firms, with offices in the UK, Germany and France. Our clients include many renowned, innovative organisations from across Europe, North America, and Asia. We help our clients to manage their IP portfolios, which includes securing and maintaining IP rights (such as patents, trade marks and registered designs)."

For a firm whose core purpose is building trusted relationships, and whose values are being collaborative, genuine and passionate, environmental responsibility is part of how it earns that trust.

"ESG is an important consideration for businesses, and climate change affects us all. We want our clients, our people, and our profession to trust that we have their best interests in mind."

The Objective

Measuring and reducing emissions is not a side project at Withers & Rogers. It sits inside the strategic framework that guides the firm, and a vision of being independent, responsible and globally focused. After a stalled first attempt at measurement, the firm wanted accurate, trusted carbon data it could share with clients and prospects, a structured plan to bring emissions down, and, in time, science-based targets validated by the SBTi.

"Our strategic framework articulates and informs everything we do; measuring and reducing our carbon footprint is an important part of this."

The Challenge

Withers & Rogers had attempted to measure their footprint using an online tool from another supplier, but the approach was not working.

"We lacked understanding on how best to calculate it. We found the process lengthy, complicated, and incredibly difficult to accurately attain. It was a platform that offered little support, and there was a feeling of all of us figuring it out as we went along."

There was also the question of fit. As a professional services firm, they were not sure who could properly understand their business and the specific challenges of collecting their data.

"We did not know which carbon support option would be a good fit for a professional services firm such as ours. At the time, we found there weren't many options for us out there. We then found Seedling."

Why Withers & Rogers Chose Seedling

What reassured the team early on was a clear sense that both the technical process and their business were genuinely understood.

"Straight away, we were reassured by Blair and Seedling's depth of knowledge of the processes required for calculating emissions, as well as feeling that our business, including the data collection challenges, was understood. The platform was very user-friendly, with no assumption that users would understand technical jargon. It was in plain language, and every step was explained carefully. Knowing we could offset our emissions in a responsible manner and publish our data so easily was the cherry on the cake."

The support was what stood out most once the work was underway.

"The support offered by Seedling is truly second-to-none. Not only do they consistently endeavour to improve the platform for accuracy, compliance, and ease of use, they are so accessible for any and all queries."

How Seedling Helped

1) Replaced a frustrating tool with accessible software plus expert support

Where the previous platform had left the team unsupported, Seedling paired an intuitive, plain-language platform with one-to-one guidance from a dedicated carbon expert. Every step was explained, with no assumption of prior technical knowledge, which removed the sense of figuring things out alone.

2) Built three years of accurate footprints and surfaced the hotspots

Working with Seedling, Withers & Rogers completed three years of full-scope emissions measurement. This gave them a consistent, accurate basis for understanding where their emissions sit and where the biggest opportunities to reduce them lie.

"We have successfully completed three years' worth of footprints, helping us to identify our emissions hotspots and increase our reporting accuracy. This information has been invaluable for communicating with our clients and prospects."

3) Created a Net Zero roadmap with tangible actions and timeframes

With an accurate footprint in place, the team built a carbon reduction plan setting out specific actions and the timeframes to deliver them, giving the firm a clear route to keep progress on track.

"With Seedling's help, we have put together a carbon reduction plan with tangible actions and timeframes to keep us on track."

4) Supporting science-based target validation with the SBTi

Withers & Rogers have now had their targets validated by  the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The process involved detailed questions from the SBTi, and Seedling's Carbon Impact Lead, Henry Jones, an SBTi Certified Expert, supported the firm through each of them.

"We have recently had our SBTi targets validated, and without Henry's expertise and the detailed data provided in the reporting and carbon reduction plan, we would never have been able to get this far."

The Impact

Three years of accurate, comparable footprints have given Withers & Rogers something its earlier approach never could: data that can be trusted and a clear view of where its emissions come from. That has had a practical knock-on effect, strengthening how the firm communicates its progress to clients and prospects.

"We've found the Seedling team incredibly responsive. They've gone out of their way to help us report accurately on our carbon footprint, and to enable us to take forward our strategic ESG ambitions with confidence."

On an intensity basis, the firm's emissions have already fallen by 2% per £m of revenue, an early sign that the reduction plan is doing its job.

Looking Ahead

The immediate focus was  SBTi validation, which has just been confirmed. Beyond that, Withers & Rogers will keep delivering against its reduction plan and sharing its progress openly.  

Withers & Rogers' Advice to Other Businesses

"It can feel daunting when you first start your carbon reduction journey, but every little action you take helps. All the little commitments add up. It is just important that the journey is started."

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