Sustainable Business Solutions

Strategies for sustainability and corporate responsibility

2009-10-21: CSR TRENDS 3 CSR TRENDS is a practical working tool designed to give you useful insight into corporate social responsibility report trends around the world.

Our planet is changing and so is the way we need to conduct our business. Phrases like sustainability, climate change, good corporate citizenship and going "green" are no longer part of some fringe discussion — they are now on stakeholders' agendas. This has meant a huge shift in focus for many businesses, as public concern over sustainability has started to impact the bottom line. The business environment is changing. With change comes opportunity.

At PricewaterhouseCoopers, we take sustainable business practices very seriously. We know that the companies and organizations that will succeed in the 21^st century are the ones that incorporate sustainable business practices into the very fabric of their processes, systems and supply chains. We also know that sustainability and corporate responsibility affect numerous aspects of your organization — from marketing your brand and differentiating yourself from competitors to showcasing sustainability initiatives to attract and retain talented workers.

PwC's Sustainable Business Solutions practice works collaboratively with our clients to put strategic thinking at the heart of sustainability, and sustainability at the heart of corporate strategy. We can advise on both your sustainability aspirations and your commercial realities, and make those two agendas work together.

We specialize in five key areas:

• Corporate responsibility strategy
• Climate change advisory and assurance
• Reporting and assurance of non-financial information
• Chain of custody/supply chain risk management
• Management systems and certification

When should you call us?

• You are dealing with reputation issues or pressures from shareholder activists or other stakeholders
• You are planning to increase your organization's transparency through disclosure or independent assurance of non-financial information, such as environmental performance or greenhouse gas emissions
• You are certifying quality (ISO 9001), environmental (ISO 14001) or safety (OHSAS 18001) management systems
• You need supply chain advice or assurance, especially if it involves global sourcing, supply chain risk or an assessment of product attributes
• You are dealing with regulatory or reporting requirements
• You are developing your climate change strategy or assessing your carbon footprint, including consideration of clean technology and alternative energy solutions

How we can help

PwC has what it takes to help you address the business issues of a changing world. Our sustainability team isn't a group of re-branded auditors. It consists of sustainability professionals, each with specific credentials related to sustainable business practices and with experience helping major private- and public-sector clients with their sustainability initiatives. Our experience spans a range of industry sectors including retail, entertainment and media, mining, energy and utilities and forest and paper.

Contact us to today to see how we can help you begin or improve your strategies for a sustainable future.