Herbert Smith Freehills has signed a power purchase agreement by which its Sydney office will become powered entirely by wind and solar energy.
The firm has signed a virtual power purchase agreement with wholesale electricity retailer Flow Power, which came into effect on 1 July, the firm announced.
In a PPA, companies buy renewable electricity direct from a wind or solar generator at a fixed price, whereas under a virtual PPA, companies buy power from a wholesaler or retailer and the agreement doesn’t include the actual delivery of electricity. Instead, it operates like a financial contract.
HSF’s executive partner, Australia and Asia, Andrew Pike said the move reflects the firm’s ambitious clean energy targets, and its place as Australia’s leading law firm for energy transition work, and comes as part of its 2030 net zero carbon emissions goal.
“In 2020 we were one of the first law firms to set a target to reduce our global carbon emissions to net zero by 2030,” Pike said.
“We have been wasting no time pursuing this target with Sydney joining other offices in our global network using 100% renewable energy, including our London, Belfast, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Madrid offices. This list will only grow as other offices, in Australia and abroad, pursue renewable energy opportunities.”
Pike said the PPA is also supporting local renewables projects.
The move comes at a time when lawyers in Australia experience an upsurge in work to help investors establish or buy into green energy projects, battery arrays and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, as the renewable energy sector continues to grow.
