our Planet is the one thing we all have in common
Corporate responsibility and sustainability are a part of VdA’s history. VdA became a pioneer in the legal market when we launched a widely awarded program that reflects our strong commitment to the Community and includes extensive pro bono work and neutralization of the carbon footprint, activities that we monitor and report in accordance with internationally recognized indicators and standards.
We have long invested in sustainability, establishing specific and measurable goals and acting in accordance with the Principles of the United Nations Global Compact. We were among the first 600 undertakings worldwide to adhere to the SDG Ambition Program, because we are deeply committed to helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Sustainable development is at the cornerstone of our culture and shared values. It is central to an ecosystem we recognise as ours, and to which we are dedicated as an imperative commitment to future generations.
VdA’s passionate engagement to the purpose of sustainable development is reflected in our ever-growing contribution to the acceleration of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achieving of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We firmly believe that compliance with ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) metrics leveraged by the power of digital technologies – within measurement management and across the value chain –, is a fundamental step towards long-term competitiveness. Equally, it represents a unique opportunity to advance the growth business model by focusing performance on sustainability and innovation, creating long-term value for businesses and society alike.
Our multidisciplinary team is focus on assisting clients to tackle these complex issues and navigate the increasingly regulatory context.
Our identity is based on a corporate commitment to future generations, as part of an ecosystem to which the firm actively seeks to add value as a catalyst for positive change.
We relied on the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to develop the different aspects of our responsibility and corporate sustainability all primarily aimed at ensuring that the firm has a positive impact on every community in which we operate, including by contributing towards solving enduring societal problems while minimizing negative impacts of our operation, including environmental impact. Because we staunchly believe in the power of network work, we always try to take advantage of every opportunity to work in partnership with other players within the context of SDG 17 (Partnerships for Sustainable Development), acting as a social enabler and bringing stakeholders closer together.
Our transparency culture and commitment prompts us to report our actions and so we publish our Responsibility and Sustainability Report and our Carbon Footprint every year.
We know that no organization can beat the sustainability challenges alone and so we are members of the leading collaborative business networks that seek to join forces to build a more responsible and sustainable business ecosystem and invest in training, because we believe that developing new skills is critical for such purpose.
We are firm advocates of a global transformative business agenda that harnesses the full power of digital technologies to reshape the current economic growth and production model and aspire to create value in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. We have therefore adhered to the “Digital With Purpose Movement” led by GeSI - Enabling Digital Sustainability, a recognized leader and proactive driver of the ICT sustainability agenda.
GRACE – Empresas Responsáveis – chaired by VdA since 2018 – is a public interest association dedicated to Responsibility and Sustainability of organizations. Member of the European network CSR Europe, a leader in sustainability and corporate responsibility, GRACE brings together more than 180 undertakings of different sizes and from different economic sectors, committed to playing a bigger role in the implementation of solutions for sustainable growth.
VdA is a member of BCSD, a business association that is part of the global network of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, which brings together forward-thinking companies working together to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world.
VdA has been a member of the Legal Sustainability Alliance since 2011, an international organization of law firms committed to promoting and adopting environmentally sustainable practices in their activity.
We actively encourage a diverse and inclusive environment, as well as the empowerment and personal and professional growth of our staff, notably through the firm’s Corporate Academy - VdA Academia - which develops programs that ensure a life-long learning and skill development journey crucial for the coming disruptive future.
We are extremely proud of how far we have come and to have incorporated the indispensable ESG factors in our strategy, in our management and in our business early on. But we are keenly aware that our commitment to sustainability is a long journey and the road is best travelled together. Only if we keep establishing ever more demanding and ambitious goals will we achieve a future world we can leave to future generations.