As a long-term partner of WWF-Australia, the PwC Foundation was dedicated to the organisation’s push to make the first Earth Hour a reality. Three employees were seconded for two months to WWF to provide expertise in project planning, collaborative partnerships and event management. The assistance not only bolstered Earth Hour’s impact but supported WWF’s broader mission to counter climate change; a mission PwC has adopted as a shared responsibility.
"Earth Hour gave people the chance to convert their concerns about climate change into practical actions at work and home. They weren’t only discussing it but actually reducing their carbon footprint in the process,” said secondee Eric Coonan, who acted as the corporate engagement officer at WWF.
When the evening arrived, the city made a powerful and unprecedented display of darkness. The resulting 10.2 per cent drop in energy use saved 24.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions - the equivalent of taking 48,613 cars off the road for an hour. The team’s media work generated more than 500 references to the event in foreign media as far away as Bolivia, China, Croatia and Iceland. Discussions with the Earth Hour partners and international cities have already begun to explore the potential for a global event.
Eric and team mates Sonya Divall and Gavin Riddell, enabled WWF to focus on their main objectives, avoiding the costly and lengthy process of hiring and training specialists. The result was Sydney’s example of the collective impact of individual actions.
"The overwhelming support for Earth Hour from Sydneysiders and communities across the country amazed us and shows the willingness of both business and individuals to start cutting emissions,” said WWF-Australia National Communications Manager, Andy Ridley.
While raising awareness and preventing further environmental harm is critical to sustaining life as we know it - correcting existing damage is just as important. PwC’s relationship with WWF encompasses both.
Species conservation is still at the foundation of WWF’s work in Australia. Climate change, ongoing habitat destruction and the threat posed by feral animals and weeds place our native plants and animals at high risk. WWF is tackling these challenges through a broad range of campaigns and programs, including the Shorebird Conservation Project, supported by PwC.
Twenty per cent of shorebird species that regularly migrate 20,000 km each year have been listed as globally threatened. While facing the effects of unbridled economic expansion in Asia, the birds must also confront lifethreatening human disturbance, four wheel drives and domestic pets in their Australian nesting areas.
This year, the PwC People Giving program helped to fund a Shorebird Conservation Toolkit to assist residents of key conservation zones in understanding shorebird habitat and conservation needs, and how to support researchers in developing site surveys and monitoring programs. Several of PwC Melbourne’s staff attended a pilot shorebird monitoring and training program developed by WWF and Birds Australia to measure the effectiveness of the toolkit initiative around Victoria’s Cheetham Wetlands.
Shorebirds not only play an important role in global ecosystems but can be one of the first indicators of environmental damage from climate change. From broad international campaigns to roundwork in local habitats, PwC is working side-by-side with WWF to address climate change on all fronts.
