Environment

We know that we each need to take personal responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts caused in the course of business – through travel, energy and resource consumption and waste generation.

As a firm, we are committed to doing the right thing and we are part way through five year targets for environmental performance.

Our top level targets are as follows:

• By July 2012 we will reduce our Financial Emissions Intensity through a reduction in our scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and emissions from business air travel of 27% from a 2007 baseline.
• By July 2012 we will reduce our overall energy consumption kwh / m² by 25% and we will reduce tCO₂e / m² from energy by 30% both from baseline 2007.
• By July 2012 we will reduce tCO₂e / head arising from client facing air travel by 25% and we will reduce tCO₂e / head arising from non-client facing air travel by 45% both from baseline 2007.

Why this matters to PwC

Doing the right thing in terms of our sustainability footprint is a major part of who we are.  Our sustainability strategy is based not just on understanding our impacts but also on being motivated to manage them more effectively. 

What we do

Our environmental management system was certified to ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems in 2008 for all our operational buildings within the UK.  This certification provides assurance that the firm meets, and will continue to meet, the commitments made in our Environmental Policy.

View a copy of the Certificate of Registration (Certificate No:EMS532263)

The firm measures its performance in various areas and performance is reported publicly, including in our Annual Report.

As a business, our greatest environmental impact comes from the carbon emissions created by our office energy use and business travel.

We are actively working to reduce our total carbon emissions.  Business travel is a necessary part of the way we do business, but we challenge ourselves on the need, frequency and mode of travel and provide information to our frequent travellers on their sustainable travel choices and personal CO₂ footprint.  To reduce our air miles, we have on-going investment in various technologies, including video-conferencing where there are now some 40 systems available for use.

To encourage reduction in car miles, our Green Fleet initiative provides advice on cleaner fuels and vehicle selection. We also provide interest-free season ticket loans, the 'Cycle to Work' scheme, and cycle racks and shower facilities in many of our offices. Where car usage is unavoidable, PwC and Masterlease have teamed up with The CarbonNeutral Company, through our Choices car scheme, to provide staff with the opportunity to make their motoring carbon neutral.

Programmes to reduce energy usage include installing low energy lighting, purchasing green electricity from renewable sources over and above the Renewable Obligation Certificate requirements, together with effective operational management of heating and air conditioning systems.

The firm also engages with its people around climate change through initiatives like walking routes between offices as well as the PwC Carbon Calculator.  The calculator enables staff to calculate their personal carbon emissions and offers advice on how to reduce their carbon footprint.

We recognise that some emissions are unavoidable – which is why we have committed to offsetting the firm's residual greenhouse gas emissions from office energy consumption and business travel. The firm has sourced carbon credits from a portfolio of projects with Climate Care, including new carbon finance for two projects in India and South East Asia providing sustainable energy to local communities from wind turbines and biomass generators.  

Our environment commitment also includes waste management and reducing our use of resources and paper.  We have increased recycling facilities, provided better communication of recycling opportunities and reduced the number of desk side printers through the roll-out of energy efficient multi-function devices (MFDs) which print and copy double-sided, saving paper, energy and toner.

• Case studies