Environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals are no longer limited to Fortune 500 boardrooms. Corporate clients are weaving ESG expectations into their RFPs, compliance reviews and partner evaluations, and that pressure is landing squarely on law firms.
For firms that want to remain competitive and credible, ESG has to be more than a value statement. While many discussions focus on pro bono commitments or DEI initiatives, your technology stack plays an equally important role. IT decisions – from how you host infrastructure to how your team collaborates, directly impact your ESG posture.
Technology’s Overlooked ESG Impact
Paperless operations and hybrid work aren’t just conveniences – they’re ESG levers, especially for mid-sized firms that need to show progress without adding overhead.
If your infrastructure still includes on-prem servers, manual filing systems or fragmented apps, ESG compliance becomes harder to prove and harder to scale. With client due diligence increasingly asking about ESG practices, it’s no longer enough to have strong values. Your systems have to show them.
Paperless operations and hybrid work aren’t just conveniences; they’re ESG levers – especially for mid-sized firms that need to show progress without adding overhead. In fact, the World Economic Forum estimates that digital document management can cut office paper consumption by up to 80%, while hybrid work models can reduce commuting-related emissions by over 50% per employee. For law firms, that translates into both measurable environmental savings and tangible data points to strengthen ESG reporting.
If your infrastructure still includes on-prem servers, manual filing systems or fragmented apps, ESG compliance becomes harder to prove and harder to scale. Studies show that traditional data centers consume up to 50 times more energy per square foot than modern cloud environments, making outdated infrastructure a visible liability in client audits.
And the pressure is real: a Thomson Reuters survey found that more than 60% of corporate legal departments now weigh ESG factors in outside counsel selection. With client due diligence increasingly asking about ESG practices, it’s no longer enough to have strong values. Your systems have to show them – in efficiency, accountability and sustainability.
Cloud Hosting as an ESG Win
Moving to the cloud doesn’t just improve performance – it also helps the planet. Data centers operated by organizations like Microsoft and AWS are far more energy-efficient than local server rooms, benefiting from renewable energy programs and third-party certifications your firm can reference in reporting.
In fact, public cloud users still waste 27% of spend on average. Moving to a managed cloud partner with flat per-user pricing avoids this inefficiency while reinforcing ESG discipline. Even better: A Forrester TEI study found that cloud desktops deliver 94–217% ROI over three years, thanks to reduced hardware refreshes and lower power usage.
👉 Related Reading: The Administrator’s Guide to Leveraging Cloud IT and Energy-efficient Technology for Law Firms
Rethinking Remote Work
Remote work became a necessity in 2020 — now it’s an opportunity. Supporting hybrid work through secure cloud desktops reduces commuting emissions, lowers your real estate footprint and improves staff flexibility.
A 2025 study found that 65% of attorneys feel more productive working remotely, and 71% now conduct client consultations online. Linking ESG goals with productivity is a win-win. When structured properly, remote access improves sustainability and client service, and a managed services partner delivers that without burdening your internal IT.
👉 Related Reading: Law Firms Are Losing Time and Talent to IT Friction — Here’s What to Do About It
Paperless, Automated Workflows
Sustainable legal IT isn’t just about servers — it’s about workflows. Every printed document, scanned page and misplaced file adds to the environmental and operational burden.
Solutions like NetDocuments and DocuSign help firms eliminate waste without sacrificing compliance. Combined with retention policies and secure e-signature tools, these solutions allow firms to reduce paper usage and simplify audits. Automated document workflows not only reinforce ESG goals, but also save billable hours by cutting manual tasks.
👉 Related Reading: Simplifying Law Firm IT: From Frankenstack Chaos to a Secure, Unified Cloud
ESG Reporting and Vendor Alignment
Clients want transparency. They’re asking about:
- Your sustainability practices
- Your vendors’ security posture
- Your commitment to DEI
This is where ESG reporting comes in.
Many IT providers support frameworks like ISO 14001 (environmental) and SOC 2 (governance). A recent IBM study pegged the average breach cost at $4.88M, underscoring why governance (the “G” in ESG) is inseparable from IT.
Afinety itself has completed multiple clean SOC 2 Type II audits, giving firms reporting-ready assurance to share with clients.
👉 Related Reading: Why SOC Reports Matter When Choosing an IT Partner for Your Law Firm
A Smarter, Simpler ESG Strategy
Firms don’t need to overhaul their entire infrastructure overnight to make ESG progress. In fact, the most meaningful steps are often the most practical:
- Consolidating your IT environment
- Supporting hybrid work
- Reducing paper workflows
- Aligning with vendors who meet your compliance standards
Clients are paying attention. Firms that can prove they’re secure, efficient and ESG-aware will have a clearer edge and fewer RFPs stuck in review.
Turning ESG Goals into Everyday IT Wins
Law firms are realizing that ESG isn’t just a marketing statement — it’s a client expectation. And technology is one of the clearest ways to demonstrate progress.
Let’s talk about where your firm is on the ESG journey and how Afinety can help simplify the IT side.