New LSA Travel Report

Research conducted for the LSA has found that law firms are embedding technology solutions in their business travel programmes to reduce costs, improve collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, and manage their carbon emissions.

The LSA business travel survey, completed by 30 law firms with an estimated expenditure of £50 million on business travel, examined the issues that were important to law firms when managing their travel programmes and explored engagement in climate change and the carbon agenda.

It found that over three quarters of law firms are investing in and promoting solutions like video conferencing, web conferencing and webinars to enable employees to achieve business outcomes without travelling.

The LSA's Micael Johnstone said: “Individuals travel to exchange information and ideas. Business travel enables this, but travel is not an outcome in itself. Law firms are experiencing the value of integrating technology in their business travel programmes and are benefitting as a result.”

The report, produced by 3SIXTY Global and supported by Reed and Mackay, found that law firms are increasingly managing business travel and technology together and advising travellers how they can meet business outcomes most effectively.

Carbon management remains a core agenda item and performance measure amongst respondents. Almost all (94%) of respondents described reducing their firm’s business travel carbon footprint as either “Very Important” or “Reasonably Important”. The importance attached to carbon management was higher than standard travel key performance indicators like ensuring compliance to travel policy and compliance to approved travel suppliers (86% and 73% of respondents respectively attached this level of importance).

Jeff Twentyman Vice Chairman of the LSA said: “Business travel has a significant impact and is a challenging source to address. We need to ask why we are travelling, how we are travelling and what we can do to work smarter, whilst still servicing client needs, with the aim of reducing business travel emissions. This report builds a platform from which the LSA and the business travel industry can collaborate with one another with the aim of achieving smarter and more sustainable business travel practices”.

Download the report (PDF 732kb)