PwC sets its sights on sustainable development

PwC partners and employees have devoted more than 1,100 hours to voluntary projects

Brussels, 20 August 2009

PwC has published an internal report on its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility for the past financial year, from July 2008 to June 2009. The goal is to congratulate employees who participated actively in the firm’s efforts to encourage sustainable development, by working on environmental and social projects. In so doing the firm hopes that its employees will step forward more often and make a contribution in the field of social responsibility.

PwC has undertaken a series of measures to reduce its ecological footprint. The goal set by the audit and consulting firm for 2009 is to reduce paper use by over three million pages (equivalent to a 15% reduction). The firm also gets 25% of the water it consumes daily from groundwater. In early 2008, it introduced a green policy for its vehicles, to encourage staff not only to opt for environmentally friendly vehicles but also to familiarise themselves with driving techniques that are more ecologically and socially responsible. One can learn to drive more economically, safely and courteously. In 2009, PwC is seeking to reduce fuel consumption by 10%, which should generate savings of more than 173,000 litres of fuel or the equivalent of over 448 tonnes of CO2.

PwC employees can also volunteer their services on a pro bono basis for up to four hours a month or six days a year during their working hours, for local projects they propose. These are specifically social profit projects, such as holiday camps for the handicapped or school tutoring, so a truly hands-on approach. Furthermore, PwC provides tax and management advice free of charge to organisations with which the firm collaborates on a permanent basis, such as Médecins Sans Frontières. A Community Day is also organised every year (this year it was in May), during which PwC employees and their families may participate in a social profit or ecological project – such as a day trip to Bellewaerde with young handicapped adults or clearing away rubbish from a nature reserve in De Panne. In all, 15 different projects are organised, so there’s something of interest for everyone.

According to Karel De Baere, Partner and Chairman of the Corporate Responsibility Steering Committee at PwC: “Both in 2009 and 2008, some 200 people invested more than 1,100 hours in over 20 different organisations and projects. By highlighting the initiatives and personal contributions made by staff, we hope to motivate everyone to help make a difference in society.”