Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP
Suite 2700-700 West Georgia St
Vancouver BC V7Y 1B8
Tel: 604 484 1700
Toll Free: 877 688 1351
Email: info@ahbl.ca
Website: www.ahbl.ca

Sustainability Mandate
Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP is committed to being a leader in the legal community for sustainable business practices. Their goal is to lessen their impact on the environment through education and implementation of sustainable practices in the workplace, as well as in the home.

Inside Business Operations
Below is an outline of their current business operations that support their sustainability mandate.

Energy Consumption
They have installed thermostats with timers on all air conditioning units that are timed to shut off at the end of each day.

In conjunction with Cadillac Fairview's Green Energy Management Program, they are also working with BC Hydro to help British Columiba meet its goal of electricity self-sufficiency by 2016. One of the main initiatives they have identified and implemented is the potential to better match the lighting requirements to the demand.

As a result of their work in this program, they are utilizing the lighting control system in their office to ensure that building lighting is on only when needed. Lighting is turned off at 9:30pm daily to increase the energy savings and overall reduction of greenhouse gases. They have also changed all of their light bulbs to 18 watt high efficiency bulbs. These bulbs use 75% less electricity than compact fluorescents.

Carpeting
They have selected a “green” carpet for which they received the “cool carpet certificate.” The result of this choice? 93 tons of carbon dioxide credits were permanently retired.

Paper Reduction
Like most businesses, they struggle with moving to a truly paperless office. They are one step closer however, with the introduction of fax-to-desktop. They are continuing to research other ways to cut down on their use of paper, including the development of electronic filing systems, electronic pay stubs and the requirement of all internal memos to be sent electronically.

Technology
Electronic waste such as computer towers, screens and Blackberries are a major contributing source of waste in landfills. They donate their used electronic equipment to BC Digital Divide.

Purchasing
When dealing with suppliers, their policy is to consider their commitment to sustainability and the environmental impact of the purchasing decisions they make. Wherever possible, they purchase goods that have been made from recycled material, such as their paper, which is composed of post-commercial material. When hiring caterers, they prefer businesses that offer local, organic, and fair-trade items, as well as family sized portions to cut down on individual packaging waste. When it comes to purchasing promotional items and gifts for their clients and staff, they focus on supporting local products and businesses as a means of contributing to the British Columbia economy, as well as reducing pollution caused by the transportation of goods.

Recycling
Their firm has an extensive recycling program. From paper to bottles to printer toners and batteries, their goal is to reduce their waste as much as possible.

Transportation
Alexander Holburn participates in the Translink Pass Program to encourage lawyers and staff to take public transit. This program allows companies to offer discounted annual transit passes to employees when 25 or more employees are enrolled.

To raise awareness of other commuting options, and in celebration of Clean Air Day, they have participated in the Commuter Challenge and Bike to Work Week. The purpose of these events is to get as many people as possible across Canada to commute to work using sustainable modes of transportation such as walking, cycling, public transit, and carpooling.

Education
Their Sustainability Committee (a working group comprised of lawyers, staff, and administrators) has launched a brown-bag lunch series to provide members of their firm, as well as clients, with the opportunity to learn about sustainability issues and ways in which they themselves can go green both in the workplace and at home. Visit the Ascend™ section of their website for more information on their training program.

In addition to the workshops, members of the firm receive sustainability tips and resources to assist them in developing their own sustainability habits. They have also devoted a section of their Intranet to sustainability tips, articles and general information.

Building Operations
Their building management, Cadillac Fairview, has been working rigorously to reduce their properties' environmental footprint.

Washrooms in their offices have been retrofitted with automatic sinks and toilets to significantly reduce water consumption.

All washrooms also now use 100% recycled toilet tissue (with a minimum 60% post consumer fibres) and 94% recycled paper towels (with a minimum of 75% post consumer fibres). In comparison with 100% virgin paper products, these recycled products will assist in the annual saving of approximately:

• 830 trees
• 34,444 lbs of greenhouse gases
• 515,831 gallons of water usage

[posted June 23, 2009]