b'With increased disclosures comes increasedrising.Staff now have far greater flexibility responsibility to provide relevant, accurateand choice in making employment decisions and useful information about both a firmsand greater awareness and understanding positionanddirection.Itismorecriticalof key issues and associated data. thanevertoavoidgreenwashing,or informationthatismisleading,inaccurate,Stafforfiltered,whichleavesbusinessesopenLaw firm staff are in an excellent position tomisinterpretationandaccusationsoftospotcontradictionsinfirmvalues, greenwashing.commitments,andperformance.Their internal perspective and high stake in their Whilegreenwashingcanbeadeliberatefirm make them sensitive to inconsistencies act,itismorelikelytobeinadvertentbetween what a firm may say publicly and miscommunicationcausedbyalackofwhat they experience. understanding.Whendevelopingand planningsustainabilityprogramsandThisfrictioncanmanifestinstaff communication,firmsmustconsiderthedisengagement,resignations,theinternal risk of greenwashing. andexternalrumourmillorexposureto clients or even the media. THE GROWINGActivistsDEMAND FORWhilerarelyconsideredstakeholders, INFORMATION activistsarebeginningtoembarrass organisationsthatmisrepresenttheir Clients sustainabilitycredentials.Whilelawfirms Clientsbeganaskingforsustainabilityappear to be a low-priority target for those informationaroundtenyearsago.firms with exposure to controversial clients, During this time, the range and depth ofsuch as those in the fossil fuel sector and information sought have expanded, in lineextractiveindustries,orexposurewith with ever-increasing market improvementstrade to countries with poor human rights, in disclosure guidance designed to enablerisk of guilt by association is still possible. greater transparency of information.Activistshavethepowertorelease sensitive information and make assertions This trend for greater demands on data isin forums like social media that are difficult set to continue.Clients are no longer justfor established organisations to anticipate interestedintheinformationprovidingor combat. ahigh-levelsenseofvalues.TheyareRegulatorsbeginningtoexpandaccountingintoRegulatorslikeASIChaveidentified theirvaluechains.Theywantaccurategreenwashingasafutureriskasmore information in order to make decisions andconsumersincludesustainabilityimpact report on impacts in areas where they haveas a core feature of a product or service. set their own commitments. The current guidance focuses on consumer Climate change is a prime example.Withproductsbutindicateshowconsumer 2000+organisationshavingsetnet-zeroorcontractlawcouldbeappliedto targets through the Science Based Targetsmisrepresentation in more areas.Initiative, inclusive of accounting into their value chains, we are witnessing a rapid shift in demand for improved carbon accounting and disclosures.Alongsideincreasingclientdemandsfor data, other stakeholder expectations are also'