L.E.K. Consulting establishes centre of excellence for sustainability
Following the firm’s announcement it would become a net zero business by the end of the decade, L.E.K. Consulting has launched a new sustainability centre. The offering draws together the expertise, best practices and strategic insights necessary to support clients as they address the challenges that sustainability brings.
Climate change and resource consumption pose an increasingly grim threat to the world, and has prompted increasing regulatory and stakeholder pressure on businesses to scale back their environmental impact. As companies look to address these issues, L.E.K. Consulting’s new Sustainability Centre of Excellence has been founded to support them with their changes.
“The past year has seen a sharp increase in shareholder activism focused on climate change and resource consumption,” said Rebecca Scottorn, a Centre Executive Board member based in London. “Investors are prioritising climate considerations beyond specific funds. And an escalating regulatory drumbeat is forcing a transformation of business practices.”
L.E.K. Consulting is a global management consulting firm that uses industry expertise and rigorous analysis to help business leaders adapt their firms to the biggest challenges they face. The L.E.K. Sustainability Centre of Excellence will combine the talents and insights of L.E.K. partners and outside experts from practice areas including energy, industrials, life sciences, transportation and consumer. Backed by the Centre’s capabilities, L.E.K. consultants will work with leaders and investors to identify the central elements of sustainability strategy – success drivers, areas of focus, and sources of competitive advantage.
John Goddard, a founding member of the Centre’s Executive Board, said, “Organisations are asking, ‘How do we become a more sustainable business?’ The answer is in the strategic and operational details – it’s in the choices you make about strategy, market participation, footprint and supply chain. The Centre is here to help clients find their way to those opportunities and in the process, we hope, help create a more sustainable future and mitigate climate change.”
Earlier in the year, L.E.K. announced it would lead by example when it comes to sustainability. While L.E.K. has been carbon neutral since 2008, thanks to the offsetting of its emissions via the purchase of carbon credits and supporting greenhouse gas reduction initiatives, it declared a new strategy would now be deployed to further reduce its footprint. One way L.E.K. aims to do this is by transitioning offices that are not already powered by renewable energy transferred to sustainable sources as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, it will encourage staff to adopt principles and practices that reduce their carbon emission – relating to travel, hybrid work arrangements, or firm and client events.
