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Why Environmental Responsibility Is Part of How I Run My Practice

  • Writer: Rika Sawatsky
    Rika Sawatsky
  • Jan 5
  • 2 min read
1% for the Planet proprietary photo, showing a cliff face with trees in the foreground, with their logo in the centre

I don’t often write publicly about charitable giving. It can feel performative or uncomfortable, and I understand why many people prefer to keep it private.


That said, transparency and accountability matter, especially when values are part of how you present your work.


Clausework is a proud member of 1% for the Planet, a global initiative that encourages businesses to commit 1% of annual revenues to vetted environmental organizations. As part of that commitment, I recently completed my 2025 donations, including a contribution to Environmental Defence, a Canadian organization that has been doing steady, evidence-based, non-partisan environmental work for more than 40 years.


Why 1% for the Planet Resonated With Me


What drew me to 1% for the Planet is how it frames environmental responsibility.


It isn’t treated as philanthropy on the margins or a branding exercise. Instead, it’s positioned as part of how a business operates, much like compliance, governance, or risk management. The premise is simple: businesses rely on environmental systems, and contributing to their protection should be built into the cost of doing business.


Thousands of companies across industries participate globally, including many professional services firms and law practices. That normalization matters. It shifts environmental responsibility from something exceptional to something expected.


Why Transparency Matters


I’m aware that posting publicly about charitable giving can be off-putting. The intention here isn’t self-congratulation.


For me, transparency serves two purposes:


  1. Accountability

    Being open about my participation in 1% for the Planet holds me accountable to the commitment.


  2. Visibility for Good Work

    Initiatives like 1% for the Planet, and organizations like Environmental Defence, do long-term, often unglamorous work that underpins systems we all rely on. They deserve visibility.


Environmental Defence, in particular, has a long track record of pragmatic, non-partisan advocacy grounded in research and evidence. Supporting organizations like this is one small way I try to align my practice with the broader systems—environmental, social, and legal—that make our work possible in the first place.


Environmental Responsibility and How Businesses Operate


My work as a lawyer is largely about systems: how they’re designed, where discretion lives, and what happens when structures don’t account for real human behavior.


Environmental responsibility fits squarely within that lens.


It’s not separate from professional practice; it’s part of the same question: What systems does this business rely on, and how does it take responsibility for its impact on them?


For me, participating in 1% for the Planet is one way of answering that question with intention rather than abstraction.


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