ESG report 2023
An ambitious vision for a sustainable future
We have been looking forward to sharing our ESG Report 2023 with you. It outlines our latest progress and ambitious vision for a sustainable future. Our sustainability work has evolved significantly since we joined the UN Global Compact in 2008, and it is more necessary than ever.
2023 was a milestone as we took a decisive step in developing a new and ambitious ESG strategy. The strategy process has been both insightful and eye-opening, involving external advisors, colleagues and clients. Fundamental to the strategy is our double materiality analysis, where we assess the impact we have on the planet and the impact the planet has on our business. This ensures that we address the areas that are most relevant to us and our stakeholders.
Our talented and dedicated employees are our most important asset, and we are committed to being an attractive place to work for all staff groups. That is why wellbeing and diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) are cornerstones of our work. A sustainable work life and how we best promote and support our employees' well-being, development and job satisfaction are crucial elements. This requires us to develop the necessary measures to balance the needs of our employees and clients in the best possible way.
This year’s report also includes our first Climate Report, which demonstrates our commitment to the environmental aspect of ESG and our ambition to reduce our carbon emissions even further. Climate is another key element of our ESG work, and we have committed to setting emissions reduction targets as part of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
Our advice is crucial to our ability to influence a more sustainable development of society. We do this by submitting consultation responses to new legislation, participating in industry forums, and helping Danish businesses comply with new rules and implement sustainable practices. We strive to provide advice that is not only legally sound but also forward-looking.
I would like to thank all our employees, clients and business partners for their contribution and commitment to our sustainability work. Together we can achieve our goals and create a more sustainable future. Thank you for your dedication and joint efforts - we can be proud of that. I am already looking forward to the sustainable progress we can achieve together and share in next year's report.
The report complements our annual Communication on Progress (CoP), which we submit to the UN Global Compact every year. Our annual CoP and ESG report demonstrate our continued support for the ten principles of the UN Global Compact.
/Christina Bruun Geertsen, Managing Partner
Sustainability at Kromann Reumert: from 2008 to now
In 2008, we were the first Danish law firm to join the UN Global Compact; an international initiative working to promote corporate social responsibility. That same year, we launched our first CSR ambition and published, in the terminology of the time, our very first CSR report.
A lot has happened since then, and in 2023 we launched a new and ambitious ESG strategy that will put us at the forefront of sustainability in the legal industry.
ESG Governance
The overall responsibility for our ESG strategy lies with the board of directors, who have been elected by the partners. In the day-to-day operations, our managing partner directs the implementation by providing strategic guidance and approving targets, policies and resources.
In 2023, we established a working group that has day-to-day ownership of our ESG focus areas. Thus, the focus areas are rooted in relevant functions, our Chief Protection Officer (CPO) being the project owner. In addition to our CPO, the group consists of our Managing Partner, CFO, Head of People & Development, CCO, the lead legal ESG partner, and staff functions.
The role of the working group is to ensure implementation, capitalise on opportunities related to the strategy, and ensure timely response to client and stakeholder expectations and regulatory ESG requirements.
An ambitious strategy for our ESG work
In 2023, we launched an ambitious and binding ESG strategy that positions us at the forefront in this field within the legal profession. The strategy builds on our numerous ESG initiatives and focuses on four priorities moving forward: well-being, DE&I, climate and ESG advisory services.
Our ESG strategy spans five years and is guided by the following vision:
"We aim to set high standards for well-being and diversity and to minimise our climate impact."
Based on a double materiality analysis, our vision has been translated into four strategic priority areas where we as an organisation can make a difference both internally in our organisation and externally in our impact on society.
Double materiality analysis
The double materiality analysis has been an important tool for our definition of key sustainability topics and our identification of impacts, risks and opportunities, potentially leading to the development of new practice areas. Thus, the analysis has guided us in determining our priorities.
In 2023, we set up a project group to lead the work on the analysis, which subsequently resulted in our new ESG strategy. The analysis was carried out by an external consultant specialising in sustainability. In addition to the project team, partners, experienced attorneys, relevant department heads and selected clients have contributed to the process with inputs provided through workshops and interviews.
The materiality analysis supports the view that especially S and G topics are central to our business activities and our value chain. This is where we have and can have the greatest influence, and where risks and opportunities are of crucial importance. In consultation with our external consultants, we selected a number of ESG topics to focus on in the strategy period. These topics are closely tied to our business strategy and the developments in the world around us, and they are also expected to have the greatest impact. As an advisory firm, our impact on E topics in particular is relatively modest. However, we are aware of our shared responsibility to protect our planet, and we aim to live up to our responsibility through measurable initiatives and our advisory services.
Overview of identified impacts, risks and opportunities
You can get the full overview of our identified subjects by clicking on "See complete overview".
2024 and five years ahead
Our new ESG strategy must be integrated into every part of our organisation. We have already taken important steps, such as challenging the billable working hours culture and establishing a CO2 baseline. However, many additional activities are being planned, and during the term of the strategy, we will, in close collaboration with our employees, continue to develop and launch new initiatives in our day-to-day operations and in our advisory services. To ensure that we are always on the pulse, we will set up various project groups that will collaborate to identify and develop initiatives that best suit our business and make the biggest difference for us and the world around us.
Recognised frameworks ensure transparent reporting
As a partnership, we are not legally required to report on our sustainability work. However, we wish to provide a transparent insight into our sustainability strategy and efforts and therefore, to make our sustainability report as transparent as possible, apply recognised frameworks that ensure the quality of our reporting.
Frameworks that help provide the basis for our reporting:
ESG highlights and key figures 2023
Climate
Our ambition is to reduce our CO2e emissions while at the same time ensuring transparency about the emissions. To achieve this, we will, for example, publish an annual climate report and account for our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. In 2023, we decided to set an emission reduction target in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and therefore submitted a commitment letter to SBTi.
SBTi offers companies guidance and verification of science-based reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement, which strives to limit global warming to maximum 1.5 degrees Celsius. We expect SBTi to approve our target in 2024.
In 2023, we took a decisive step in our sustainability work by preparing our first climate report for 2022. In collaboration with an external sustainability consultancy firm, we mapped our total CO2e emissions to determine our climate impact. This work formed the basis of our reduction strategy, in which our base year is 2022. We strive to make a difference wherever we can. We are therefore constantly working to reduce our environmental impact.
Our climate footprint
Targets for our climate work:
Back to the future in our canteen kitchens
Our canteens in Aarhus and Copenhagen account for a large proportion of our total carbon footprint. And although we managed to reduce our emissions by around 2% between 2022 and 2023, the share of total carbon emissions from our canteens increased in 2023. In 2024, our canteen kitchens are therefore even more aware of their footprint and are incorporating more sustainable practices into their daily work.
Our kitchen manager in Aarhus, Bjørn Madsen, and his team are committed to reducing their carbon footprint:
We have asked ourselves which parameters we can adjust to have the biggest impact. For instance, which machines do we switch on in the morning, and are they all needed first thing in the morning? By way of example, the dishwasher does not have to be switched on until later in the morning.
Well-being
A work-life balance that attracts and retains top talent is essential to our business. Our focus is not only on the working hours, but also on achieving an overall structure that supports employee well-being and commitment. In 2023, for example, we introduced the KR Family concept, which includes various maternity and paternity measures, and we decided to abolish our billable working hours requirement and make all working hours equally relevant.
Follow-up on the 2023 focus areas
In our 2022 ESG report, we identified three development areas where we wanted to increase focus on sustainable working life: Our billable working hours culture, maternity/paternity leave, and management. These development areas are highly relevant for our new ESG strategy focus areas.
Our billable working hours culture
In 2022, we initiated a project focusing on our billable working hours culture. We did this to reflect our recognition that working hours spent on management, knowledge work, acquisition and spirited teamwork in the organisation are just as value-adding as individual billable working hours. In 2023, therefore, we developed a new working hours model, which is also linked to a new bonus model.
A working group consisting of partners, directors, senior associates, associates, assistant associates and legal trainees, the executive board, and our departments Financial Planning & Analysis, and People & Development developed a number of initiatives under the working hours project in 2023. The purpose of the project was to find out how we as an organisation can do away with the billable working hours requirement and at the same time work with input for a new bonus model and other employment terms strengthening Kromann Reumert as a sustainable workplace.
The project resulted in six initiatives, all of which were implemented in the organisation in early 2024:
Maternity/paternity leave
As part of the working hours project, we enhanced our maternity/paternity initiatives and offerings to better meet the needs for family flexibility and continued affiliation to the workplace before, during and after the leave. Gathered under the heading "KR Family", the initiatives include maternity/paternity network with colleagues, employee benefits, flexible working conditions, and tools for dialogues between employee, manager and Kromann Reumert's People & Development department. By way of example, we have developed dialogue guides for the managers and a process for dialogues before, during and after a period of leave, which ensures that the employee and the manager both know what they can expect and what is expected of them. Previously, the employee was responsible for initiating a dialogue, but that responsibility has now been transferred to the manager and our People & Development department.
Managing partner Christina Bruun Geertsen said to AdvokatWatch:
It is our experience that particularly during a maternity leave and in the period after the return to work, the employee decides to find other employment. There may be many reasons for this, but we can try to support a better dialogue about, for example, the expectations of each other after an employee becomes a parent.
Our KR Family network creates a connection to the workplace and among those employees in the organisation who start a family. The network enables them to meet for monthly lunches, semi-annual playgroup events, and courses with external speakers. In addition, we offer employees the opportunity to get together outside the workplace via external offers such as play cafés with activity teams and for professional events and networking.
In 2023, we saw an increase in the average number of weeks of paternity leave taken by our male employees. In 2021, male employees took averagely four weeks of paternity leave. In 2022, the average was six weeks, and in 2023, male employees took averagely nine weeks of leave. We offer mothers, fathers and co-parents up to 24 weeks of paid leave, and we believe it is our offer of paid leave also for men that showed its effect in 2023. We expect an additional increase in 2024 due to the earmarked leave.
Management
We want to continuously develop the people management skills of our partners and team managers. In late 2023 and early 2024, therefore, we conducted a quantitative and qualitative survey to identify their needs for additional training, management insights and skills. On this background, we are now developing new offerings for future managers and partners so that we can continue to strengthen their people management skills and boost both employee commitment and business results.
Ongoing job satisfaction surveys for the best workplace in development
Our implementation of monthly PULSE surveys will serve as a perfect starting point for dialogues about motivation and well-being in the various departments and across the organisation. Each team and team manager will gain insight into where to strengthen their joint efforts to improve well-being in the team. We expect the PULSE surveys to strengthen our feedback culture during 2024 and provide us with new insights and opportunities to boost each manager's performance, and provide our employees with insights into how we can jointly strengthen our spirited teamwork.
Annual workplace assessment
In 2023, we carried out the statutory workplace assessment. The assessment showed a positive development in the physical and psychological work environment and a great improvement in well-being measured on the parameters "My work", "My manager", "My spirited teamwork" and "My job satisfaction". In order to further strengthen well-being, we have developed an action plan and are working on additional initiatives that actively involve employees in the process.
The assessment showed an overall job satisfaction NPS of +41 – a slight decline since the previous assessment in 2020. NPS has been given significant focus in our new PULSE surveys, in which we have broken down NPS into various underlying parameters to allow us to better act on our findings in the surveys.
Mental health
In 2023, we saw an increase in the number of sickness days per employee, both including and excluding long-term sickness absence (long-term sickness absence means any continuous period of sickness absence lasting more than 30 sickness days). However, the number of sickness days per employee is still lower than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which sickness absence dropped significantly across all industries.
Sickness absence is somewhat lower among our lawyers than among our administrative employees, who in 2023 were affected by an increase in the number of employees on sickness absence. We have continued our 2022 decision to promote an active sickness absence dialogue with the absent employee in collaboration with Danica Pension and municipal job centres.
In 2023, to promote work-life balance, we expanded our offerings, for instance by allowing our employees to take unpaid leave. The opportunity to take leave allows our employees to pursue personal dreams or handle special life events or situations. This has led to an increase in the number of both female and male employees on leave.
Goals for our 2024 work on well-being
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)
In the modern workplace, working with DE&I is not only a moral and ethical responsibility but also a strategic necessity. We work actively with DE&I to promote innovation and creativity, boost productivity, create the best work environment, attract talent, strengthen our relationships with the outside world, and make the best management decisions.
All employees should feel welcome and be offered relevant opportunities that will allow them exploit their full potential in Kromann Reumert. That will contribute to the job satisfaction of the individual employee and to the overall success of our firm. We recognise and respect all forms of diversity regardless of gender, religion, education, sexual orientation and disability and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace.
Diversity is a strength
Diversity is reflected in all our teams through different skills, educational backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, and languages. Most of our employees are lawyers and attorneys but our firm would not exist without the administrative staff who handle all behind-the-scenes functions. We strive to ensure diversity both among our lawyers and our administrative staff, because we know that unique professional and personal competences are an asset to our firm. We seek to promote diversity by offering in-house training, a health and safety organisation and staff dialogue groups, which together form the basis for promoting and supporting the physical and mental working environment.
As part of our growth strategy, we increased the number of employees in 2023, and in overall terms more than half of our employees are women. In 2023, we offered more students jobs than ever before, resulting in a slight increase in the number of part-time employees and FTEs (Full-Time Equivalent).
Colourful calendar
The charity event Danmarks Indsamling (read more), Ramadan and Eid, Constitution Day, World Mental Health Day and International Women's Day are just some of the social, cultural, and religious events that we now celebrate after introducing our new events calendar in 2024. Through informative articles on our intranet, special feature days in our canteens and small competitions, we educate and engage our colleagues in the spirit of diversity.
Diversity and inclusion in the industry
Back in 2021, we entered into an industry collaboration with ten other law firms aimed at identifying diversity and inclusion issues in the legal profession. The initiative is part of a three-year research project led by anthropologist and PhD student Pernille Slots Lysgaard.
It seeks among other things to answer the question why there are so few women in management positions in the legal profession and to identify existing barriers and opportunities. Through interviews, observations and dialogue with both managers and employees, Pernille aims to shed light on how we can create change. We all have a role to play in working towards increased diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
During 2024, all employees will have the opportunity to meet Pernille when she presents her preliminary findings. Here, our lawyers will be invited to participate on an anonymous basis in the project as interviewees.
We look forward to hearing the result of the research project, which is expected in 2025.
Women and men in management
We are committed to creating an environment in which both men and women can see themselves as partners in our firm. Among our directors and senior associates - the recruitment level just below partner level - the proportion of women is almost 60%. We therefore hope that the recent years’ trend will continue, and that we will be able to appoint more female partners also in the future.
At firm level, we see a majority of female managers: 75% of our executive board members and the majority of our mid-level managers (50%) are women.
Diversity, equity & inclusion targets in 2024
Collaboration and knowledge sharing are key to success
Our staff development and well-being programme, EXPECT, includes a range of offers tailored to each individual’s career and private life. We invest in the development and wellbeing of our employees, because we know that it is key to exceeding our clients’ and each other’s expectations.
Every month we measure our job satisfaction through PULSE surveys. The goal is to continuously strengthen team spirit and feedback and to facilitate an ongoing dialogue about being the best workplace in development.
We have a team of more than 30 knowledge ambassadors across all practice groups who play an important role in delivering more than our clients expect. The ambassadors ensure that we share knowledge both internally and externally. Their work keeps us and up to date with the latest trends and developments and allows us to share the information with our clients. Our knowledge ambassadors also encourage knowledge sharing, develop knowledge strategies for each practice group, and train new employees in our knowledge processes.
This structure supports continuous development and learning to the benefit of both employees and clients. We are committed to maintaining a knowledge culture where we feel inspired, engaged and proud to be part of a firm with the most competent colleagues.
More fun and better results
Formal knowledge sharing is one thing. Another is all the informal knowledge sharing, fun experiences and collaboration that take place outside the office. We want to recognise and value our employees’ hard work and dedication. We celebrate our successes together when we win cases, receive international recognition or welcome new clients and colleagues.
Every year, we invite all Kromann Reumert employees to one of the highlights of the year: the annual company day that we call “V day”. Here, we build internal relationships by engaging in strategic discussions, team exercises, and entertainment. We value team spirit, and our many social activities, through associations and sports events, bring us closer together. It raises energy levels and builds relationships that foster better collaboration and produce even better results for our clients.
Pro bono legal advice with international impact
In 2023, in line with our new ESG strategy, we supported e.g. the non-profit organisation re:arc institute. We have revised and expanded our approach to providing pro bono advice. We enter into pro bono arrangements with organisations focusing on children, youth and education as well as on democracy and due process. In addition, we provide pro bono assistance to startups dedicated to solving some of the most significant problems facing the world today.
re:arc institute supports innovative, localized projects at the intersection between architecture and climate, focusing particularly on women, youth and historically underserved communities. The organisation's focus is to effectively distribute philanthropic donations to global projects while at the same time ensuring trustworthy recipients and minimising the risk of fraud.
Therefore, and for the purpose of facilitating the distribution of donations, we provide pro bono advice to re:arc institute on legal due diligence. In this way, re:arc can send as much money as possible to those who need it most without ending up with a large legal bill. Our assistance includes evaluating potential donation recipients in their local jurisdictions. In 2023, we helped examine 22 potential recipients in 16 jurisdictions around the world, which we accomplished through our partnership with the global legal network Lex Mundi, in which we are the only Danish member. Rikke Krog Hjortborg, Operations & Financial Chair at re:arc, says about our advisory services:
Kromann Reumert's support makes an immense difference! We handle donations primarily to countries outside Denmark and often also outside Europe. The access, through Kromann Reumert, to a global network of legal advisers makes a significant difference in our due diligence process. Kromann Reumert also provides highly qualified guidance on our legal compliance and on matters that require our attention. We work with new, innovative philanthropy models, which requires a creative approach, also to the legal setup, and that is where guidance and advice have been crucial. They also ensure integrity and security for our financial partner.
With our advice, re:arc institute has been able to effectively distribute 2023 donations with a reduced risk of fraud. Our advisory services have helped re:arc strengthen their mission and promote innovation within philanthropic funding. We look forward to continuing our assistance to them in 2024.
Countries in which re:arc institute supported local projects in 2023 include:
Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Panama, Peru, USA
Alongside our support to re:arc institute, we have also offered pro bono legal advice with a focus on children, youth and education as well as democracy and justice:
SOS Children's Villages
We have been working with SOS Children's Villages since 2008. In the spring of 2024, we advised SOS Children's Villages on the legal aspects of theirs and Velux's new "Childrens Living Places" project. The purpose of the project is to build residential property with a significantly lower CO2 footprint and a healthy indoor environment for foster families affected by the war in Ukraine. The innovative "Living Places" concept was developed in collaboration with VELUX, EFFEKT and Artelia. We eagerly anticipate witnessing the beneficial effects of the project.
Watch the video in which partner Christian Lundgren talks about our support for the organisation (in Danish).
Copenhagen Legal Aid
At Legal Aid, our lawyers offer their services to citizens free of charge, helping them navigate the legal system and answering questions about law, rights and legal procedures. Attorney Mikkel Haugaard, who usually advises companies on transactions and corporate law issues, also volunteers in Legal Aid. He explains:
"I want to assist citizens who cannot afford legal costs in resolving their legal challenges. We can all encounter such challenges. It can often be quite daunting for a person to need legal assistance in a difficult situation without having the financial means to hire a legal adviser.
It is incredibly rewarding for me to help make a difference for citizens in situations that are often of huge importance to them. In addition, I accumulate valuable experience by advising people in such situations and resolving legal issues in many different areas."
We support Danmarks Indsamling
We have supported the Danmarks Indsamling charity event for many years. Most recently in early 2024, where our contribution went to projects that create a better future for the world's hungry children.
This year, the 12 humanitarian organisations behind Danmarks Indsamling have engaged in 12 projects that each help the world's hungry children.
It may seem far away to us here in Denmark but as a company we feel strongly about contributing to a better future for the world's poor children and families. Children and families displaced by conflict, climate change and natural disasters without access to basic food. According to Danmarks Indsamling, 13.6 million children under the age of five are currently so hungry that they are at risk of dying. That is why we have supported the event again this year.
ESG advice
We are committed to offering our clients the highest quality sustainability advice and providing ESG inspiration. We regularly share content highlighting new legislation such as the Reporting Directive and the Due Diligence Directive and aim to equip you with the knowledge you need to navigate the intricacies of the complex legal landscape. As lawyers, our primary concern is to ensure legal certainty. We do this by participating in professional forums and contributing to the law-making process. Through our advice, we can influence ESG issues in the Danish business community.
Having ESG in the back of your mind is no longer enough. ESG is present everywhere and on top of the agenda for many Danish and international companies. And this development both affects and is affected by the legislation. From being considered a niche area, ESG has evolved to permeate virtually every part of the law. And our advice is also evolving.
"ESG -advice" is one of our strategic focus areas. An area where we can have the greatest impact.
Responding to consultations and influencing legislation
As lawyers, we help ensure legal certainty and the implementation of effective legislation in Danish law. One of the ways we do this is by submitting consultation responses as part of the legislative process. That allows us to comment on draft bills and draw the ministry’s attention to issues of concern.
In autumn of 2023, we sent a consultation response to the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs commenting on the Bill implementing the EU directive on corporate sustainability reporting - also known as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Many of our comments, including those relating to the legal status of commercial foundations, have been implemented into the final legislation. The legislation has been implemented into Danish law.
On behalf of AxcelFuture, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Lundbeck Foundation, we have made specific proposals for legislative changes to overcome some of the legal barriers to attracting and retaining highly skilled international talents and specialists. The proposals were presented at Christiansborg in January 2024, and some of them (or the underlying principles) have already been translated into legislation.
Industry forums and external initiatives
Our lawyers not only provide day-to-day advice to our clients. Many of them also participate as experts in various industry forums and external bodies.
Director and associate Mads Østergaard is member of the Climate Committee under the Association of Danish Law Firms, which deals with both environmental, planning, energy, utilities, agricultural, and ESG issues. The common denominator is climate and the green transition. This is where Mads can contribute with his vast experience:
Working in the expert committee suits me well. I have been advising on environmental and planning law and related areas for almost ten years. “Renewable energy development projects - involving both “classic” renewable energy and new technology - including the requirement for installation and operating licences and environmental and nature protection obstacles are a big part of my work,"
As member of the Committee, he is responsible for commenting on new bills and orders - providing consultation responses - to ensure a high quality and to explain how the new legislation will interact with existing legislation.
Partner Line Berg Madsen is member of the ESG Working Group of the Association of Danish Law Firms set up by the Climate Committee. The Working Group aims to equip member companies to handle ESG in their organisation. In the past year, the Committee has i.a. identified “ESG policy” and “Code of Conduct” as fundamental to law firms’ work with sustainability. Line is also member of the Børsen Sustainability Advisory Board. As one of the six members of the Board, she uses her experience and insight into sustainability issues to help select green projects that will have an impact on the outside world and qualify as Børsen Sustainable Cases.
Sustainability expertise on our board
Our board of directors consists of five partners, who all contribute to the development of our firm with their individual competences. And through their advice and other activities, they contribute to influencing how companies comply with future sustainability regulations. Our board members Marianne Granhøj and Jacob Møller both see sustainability as an important element in their legal services.
Marianne has worked with employment and labour law for more than 25 years. As head of our employment law group, she advises Danish and foreign companies on labour rights in a broad sense, including physical and psychological working environment, pay and working conditions, collective agreements, equal treatment, anti-discrimination, freedom of association (including in trade unions) and expression, and other human rights. She also assists companies in implementing and complying with codes of conduct, including in relation to sustainability. Marianne also acts as advisor to the UN Global Compact network in Denmark and as chairman at the annual general meeting of the network.
Jacob helps clients in the real estate and construction industry navigate the complex sustainability requirements in the sector, providing advice on recycling of materials, quality requirements, risk management, and insurance issues in connection with recycling and on integration of sustainable principles and solutions into e.g. lease agreements and construction contracts. In addition, Jacob advises on the implementation of alternative forms of energy such as solar energy systems and charging stations in construction projects. Jacob and his team diligently share their experience with latest trends and best practices with industry representatives at events. And he is main coordinator in the construction of our new DGNB Gold certified office at Sydhavnen in Aarhus. We will move in during the second half of 2025.
Our sustainability advice in 2023
In 2023, our clients showed an increased interest in and understanding of ESG. Many of them started to prepare for their upcoming sustainability reporting and sustainability due diligence. Our educational activities put focus on the importance of ESG integration in the organisation and the regulatory framework defining the work ahead.
We also strengthen our ESG advice with our continuous focus on knowledge sharing and advice across our specialist teams, including by making reporting pre-analyses and drawing up and implementing ESG policies.
Green Summit: corporate sustainability
In 2023 - and for the second year in a row - Kromann Reumert and Legal500 brought together leading lawyers, corporate counsel, sustainability managers and academic experts from the University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Business School to discuss companies' contributions to promoting sustainability, ESG and climate action. We did this at Green Summit Denmark.
Focusing on the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), two expert panels discussed the legal implications of the new ESG legislation. How should organisations handle their legal obligations, risks and responsibilities in the running their business?
The lively discussions provided great inspiration for the many participants at the conference. See the panellists' key points (Danish):
Green Summit Denmark is part of Legal 500's Global Green Guide, which highlights law firms around the world that contribute to the green transition. We are proud to be recognised for our efforts and to host the annual event in Denmark.
We have also contributed, on an exclusive basis, to the 2nd edition of the Danish chapter in Legal 500’s ESG guide. In the chapter, we focus on the key aspects of ESG regulation and reporting requirements in Denmark and the trends that are affecting - and are expected to affect - the future in this area.
Ethics and compliance: our principles and practices
The Danish Bar and Law Society has drawn up a Code of Conduct that reflects and implements the requirements and expectations of society and the legal system. The Code is intended to ensure that we as lawyers act independently, in good faith, confidentially, and competently in accordance with the law and the interests of our clients. The Code also regulates lawyers’ relationships with clients, the courts, and the public. As lawyers, we are required to:
- always put the interests of our clients first in all matters
- maintain client confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest
- always act in accordance with good legal practice and in a manner that preserves the integrity and credibility of the legal system
- avoid acting unlawfully or in a manner that undermines justice
- maintain sufficient competence to perform our work properly by continuing to pursue further training and staying up to date professionally.
Bribery and corruption
Our anti-corruption policy sets out our approach to compliance, conflicts of interest, and gifts. The policy is based on compliance with:
- The ten principles of the UN Global Compact, including the UN Convention Against Corruption
- The Code of Conduct for the Danish Bar and Law Society
- Danish legislation
- The CCBE Code of Conduct for European Lawyers
We are committed to complying with all applicable rules and ethical standards and to remaining updated on the latest knowledge. Consequently, we do not tolerate corruption, bribery, kickbacks, extortion, fraud, or misuse of inside information. If our employees suspect a violation, they can report it to their immediate superior or via our whistleblower scheme.
We support the UN Global Compact
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