Kochański & Partners has joined the United Nations Global Compact – the world's largest initiative bringing together businesses working for sustainable development, and forming an integral part of the UN system based in New York. In advising clients on environmental issues, energy transition, sustainable finance, human rights, labour law and corporate governance, Kochański & Partners also implements ESG best practices into its day-to-day operations.
Launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2000, the UN Global Compact is active in more than 160 countries and is the world's largest initiative bringing companies together around ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues. The UN Global Compact members develop strategies and operate with full respect for UN policies, in particular the Sustainable Development Goals and the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, which are focused on four areas: human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
Kochański & Partners has extensive experience in advising on ESG, including environmental protection, social responsibility, business ethics and corporate governance, setting out the principles of sustainable development. Not only does it advise clients in this area, but it also implements responsible and sustainable business conduct policies into its strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations.
Although the Firm is not currently subject to the legal obligation of non-financial reporting, it has for some years been taking action and engaging in initiatives towards building a human- and environment-friendly, diverse workplace and business environment, a course of action often inspired by the Firm's clients. Their innovative activities based on state-of-the-art technologies allow them to implement specific significant changes which have a real impact on the protection of human lives and health, the environment, and climate change. Through continually working towards achieving these goals, Kochański & Partners takes an active part in a number of important, world-changing processes, helping clients implement innovative solutions.
“Our membership in the UN Global Compact follows on from the idea that has always stuck with me: to run a business based on partnership, trust, responsibility and cooperation. It is in our DNA – we work with those who change the world for the better. We find the rules. Our strategic decisions are accompanied by a concern for building a sustainable world that is friendly both to people and the environment” – said Piotr Kochański, Managing Partner.
The Russian aggression against Ukraine has been the hottest social topic of 2022 and one in which the Firm has become engaged on many different levels. From setting up the Ukrainian Desk, appointing the first Ukrainian partner, engaging in initiatives within the Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and appointing a pro-bono lawyer, it has consistently implemented a programme of multidirectional assistance to refugees and Ukrainian companies seeking support in wartime situations. In October, Kochański & Partners made it to the finals of The Lawyer European Awards in the Best ESG Initiative category, also receiving a special mention in the Rzeczpospolita Ranking of Law Firms for “Support for struggling Ukraine” in June. Rebuilding Ukraine will continue to be one of the Firm's guiding principles for 2023.