Elias Neocleous & Co LLC – Cyprus’ largest law firm with a global professional network

‘The quality of our service is evidenced by the ‘tier one’ rating awarded to us by the premier independent rating bodies. We seek to undertake actions which promote Cyprus as an international business hub and an attractive destination for foreign investment. Alongside this we have an active policy framework which allows us to promote ideals such as education, environmental awareness, and charitable giving’

Building sustainability into the brand does not only help the environment, but it also helps businesses that want to cultivate company longevity. Does your organisation have a sustainability programme in place that helps support your overall mission?
“We certainly share this opinion; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability policies, in general, are the key to social, economic and corporate prosperity. Our firm is part of the Cypriot community, and we believe that, if our policies can help the community thrive, then so too will the firm. We have an established sustainability framework, included as part of our Employee Manual, which states our respect for and appreciation towards our people and clients, the communities we work with, and the natural environment. We actively seek to make a positive contribution to the world around us by focusing on the way we work and live.”

What initiatives and events has your organisation undertaken to ensure its positive impact socially, environmentally, and economically?
“Our Sustainability Framework summarises our key focus areas and highlights some of the ways we measure our efforts. Some of the initiatives our firm has undertaken so far are:
To recycle paper, aluminium, glass, plastic, batteries and reuse any reclaimable material/equipment.
To implement double-sided printing and timed lights.
To encourage alternative methods of transportation such as electric cars or bicycles as a means of reducing staff production of greenhouse gas emissions.
To encourage the use of video conference technology as a means of reducing airline, train, and car travel.
To work with suppliers and partners to determine whether their services and products are produced in a sustainable manner.”

What sustainability challenges does your organisation face and what are the key elements of this framework?
“Our firm faces similar sustainability challenges as any other organisation within our business field. We always try to find ways to achieve zero waste, including decarbonisation, paperless operations/resource efficiency, fairness in our interaction with society and adaptation to the constantly changing business environment. Our firm’s key elements of action in this framework include:
Delivery of Services: We work closely with our clients to deliver value-added expertise and solutions for the cases, projects, and programmes across the complete project lifecycle. We assess sustainability performance and identify opportunities for continual improvement.
People: We celebrate diversity and inclusion. Our diversity and inclusion policy outlines how all our people should be treated as individuals, with respect and dignity. This is reflected in all our practices, including recruitment and selection, performance management, personal development and growth plans and career paths.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing: Through our health and safety strategy we manage our principal risks and hazards beyond simple compliance with the aim of creating a zero-harm culture for our people, clients, associates, suppliers, other stakeholders, and the communities in which we operate. By developing, implementing, and continuously improving our systems we ensure health, safety, and wellbeing.
Environment: We do our utmost to act as conscientious ambassadors of the environments in which we work by implementing office and project-site based actions to reduce environmental impacts. This includes measuring and reducing our own waste and acting to reduce the consumption of energy and natural resources.
Community: Through the generosity our people, we seek to work with communities to improve their conditions in a sustainable way. By giving our time and other resources and partnering with clients and community groups, we provide a hand-up, not a hand-out across the continents in which we work. This falls in line with our Corporate Responsibility initiatives including support for breast cancer awareness month, raising mental health awareness, and support for men’s health via participation in the Movember campaign. Moreover, we encourage our people to use their legal knowledge on a pro bono basis to help people in the communities where we live and work.”

Why, in your opinion, is sustainability the future of business?
“In the near future, considering environmental and social factors will become central to all business operations. The preference of customers for companies that show practical sensitivity and participate in supporting a range of initiatives advancing social and environmental responsibility is already evident. As major global challenges such as climate change become increasingly prominent in the views of public opinion, businesses will be even more encouraged and pressured, to incorporate in their policies measures that will effectively address these concerns. In doing this they will send the message that we all have to change if we want to survive in an ever-changing world.”