Sustainability
Our Approach to Sustainability
We're a small firm, and we think our approach to sustainability should be as honest as the advice we give our clients.
What we do
Whitmans Lawyers commenced practice on 30 July 2026. We're committed to measuring the greenhouse gas emissions associated with running our practice, including electricity, staff travel, and office consumables, and offsetting that amount through the purchase and retirement of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), administered by the Clean Energy Regulator.
Why we've chosen this approach
We're a small firm. Formal carbon-neutral certification schemes are built for organisations with dedicated sustainability teams and far larger footprints than ours: the cost and administrative burden of certifying a footprint this small isn't proportionate, and pursuing a badge mainly for appearance's sake isn't something we're interested in doing.
Instead, we've chosen to measure our emissions properly, offset them through a credible, regulated Australian scheme, and say so plainly. We don't currently hold third-party carbon neutral certification, and we'd rather tell you that directly than imply something we haven't earned.
Our Commitment to a Paperless Practice
As part of our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint, we are working towards becoming a paperless practice.
What this means
Wherever possible, we will correspond with you electronically, store your file digitally, and provide documents for review, signing, and record-keeping in digital form rather than printed hard copy. This includes using electronic signatures for retainer agreements and correspondence, except where a document legally requires a wet-ink signature or formal witnessing.
We will only print a document where it is genuinely required, for example, where a court, tribunal, or third party requires a physical original, where a document requires wet-ink signature or witnessing that cannot be done electronically, or where you specifically ask us to provide a hard copy.
How you can help
- Where practical, receiving correspondence and documents by email rather than post
- Reviewing and signing documents electronically where the process allows it
- Letting us know early if you require a printed copy of something, so we can arrange it rather than defaulting to print
- Sending us documents electronically (e.g. scanned or photographed) rather than by post, where possible
Why we're asking
As a small firm, we know our individual footprint is modest, but we think it's still worth doing properly. Reducing unnecessary printing lowers our paper, ink, and waste use, and it's a simple, practical step we can take alongside the other ways we measure and offset our impact.
We appreciate that a printed copy is sometimes preferred or required, and we're always happy to provide one on request. This is about reducing default, unnecessary printing, not making things harder for you.
Keeping this current
Our paperless commitment applies from the day we opened our doors. As our practice grows, we'll look at whether formal carbon measurement, reporting, or certification becomes proportionate, or if a client relationship calls for it, and reassess accordingly.
Last updated: August 2026