Environment: Reducing our footprint

Thanks to the efforts of all staff members and the hard work of the Sustainable Development Commission, we have assessed the environmental impact of our business and produced a carbon audit. We have analysed its results to further strengthen our commitment. Our focus on environmental issues includes the design of our building, its energy consumption, waste treatment, purchasing and mobility policies. It also includes issues related to our legal profession, from managing our IT and digital assets and organising events to our paper consumption and our use of registered letters. 

  • 66/100  

    ECOVADIS SCORE

  • 1 000 m2

    of green spaces

Carbon audit

After analysis of our 2022 carbon audit, we have identified areas for improvement and practical measures to be implemented. We are also delighted by the effective impact of the efforts we have made in recent years; our economic carbon intensity is lower than that of our peers in the same sector*: 32 kg CO2e/€k of turnover for Gide versus a median intensity of 52 kg CO2e/€k of turnover for companies in the sector. 

*Median intensity of the Carbon Disclosure Project benchmark (in the Speciality Finance and Services sector), as supplied by our service provider Sami: 52 kg CO2e/€K of turnover 

  • 32 kgCO2e / K€ of C.A.*

An exemplary building  

Our head office, which has BREEAM and HQE certifications, is highly energy-efficient and complies with French environmental laws and the Paris Climate Plan.

Energy conservation

We have taken action to reduce our energy consumption since 2022: setting the temperature of our premises at 19°C, reducing the number of hours when the heating is on and, following BREEAM guidance, only using air conditioning when the temperature exceeds 26°C. 

Consequently, in 2023, we had less leeway for energy conservation initiatives. But through targeted efforts to optimise our performance, we managed to reduce our energy consumption by 3%, compared with 2022, and we switched off 30% of our lighting in communal areas.  

  • 32%

    reduction in district heating consumption between 2022 and 2023

Waste management

We continue to apply an active waste reduction policy. We recycle and sort our waste and endeavour to minimise food waste. We prioritise short supply chains and seasonal ingredients in our catering, working with our service provider Arpège, which has received a Gold Medal from Ecovadis (72/100 in 2023). 

  • 85 261 kg

    of office waste were sorted, collected and recycled in 2023

Responsible computing and paper consumption

IT and paper are vital in our profession. That’s why we choose certified equipment and extend its lifespan by three to five years. We recycle our IT equipment and minimise our printing. Lastly, we use data centres which are highly energy-efficient and have several environmental certifications: Claranet (in 2023) and Equinix (in 2024). 

  • -40%

    printing in 2023 vs 2019

Sustainable purchasing

We raise awareness of CSR considerations among our partners through our Sustainable Purchasing charter and social and environmental commitment clauses. Our objective? To ensure that they comply with our standards regarding human rights, trade union rights, environmental standards and CSR. 

  • 60/100

    ECOVADIS SCORE

Travel and mobility

We travel a lot in our business. Consequently, the firm has developed a stringent green mobility policy. We prioritise taking “green” taxis (83% of journeys in 2023 vs. 76% in 2022). We do not use company cars, and our office has 10 electric charging points. Lastly, we prioritise rail travel, and we are developing video conferencing tools. 

  • 83%

    Of journeys taken in “green” taxis