TORONTO, June 18, 2007 — PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Canada went big and went green as part of the first annual PwC Canada Green Week. From June 11 to 15, 2007, over 230 PwC staff and partners participated in 11 unique day-long environmental events across the country. From Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to Vancouver, British Columbia, teams of up to 50 PwC volunteers helped better their communities by doing activities such as tree planting, watershed improvement and invasive plant removal.
PwC’s Canadian Senior Partner and CEO, Chris Clark was part of the kick-off event in Toronto with environmental organization Evergreen. Clark says that, “At PwC we believe that a healthy, thriving environment is everyone’s responsibility. As leaders, it is important we personally get involved and demonstrate the significance of giving back to the community.”
PwC’s Green Week activities emanated from the firm’s Environmental Action Plan (EAP). The initial actions of the EAP are focused on assessing the environmental impact of PwC’s current operations; investing in new policies and initiatives to support sustainability; and perhaps most importantly, empowering all staff to help PwC become a more environmentally responsible organization.
The firm’s first “Low Carbon Day” was a part of Green Week, where all of our people were encouraged to pledge to reduce their carbon footprint in the coming year. They committed to reducing their energy consumption while at home and during travel, by selecting from a list of simple changes to their daily habits and lifestyles.
Other key EAP activities during Green Week included a series of volunteer activities focused on the environment through the PwC Canada Foundation’s Team Volunteering program. Each year, all PwC Canada employees get a paid day off work to participate in a team-based volunteer activity. Since PwC’s Team Volunteering Program began in 2005, almost 3,000 staff have taken advantage of the chance to give back. Through more than 325 day-long projects, PwC employees across the country have contributed a running total of 20,000 hours of time to their communities.
Team Volunteering is one of several initiatives of the PwC Canada Foundation. Established in 2004, the Foundation’s mission is to make a positive, lasting change in the community through the sharing of our time, expertise and resources.
“At PwC we recognize our obligation to good social and environmental practices and governance. The EAP provides a holistic and realistic approach for PwC. It is based on a corporate responsibility framework where we lead by example — do as we do, not just as we say,” says Clark.
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PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 140,000 people in 149 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. Now celebrating 100 years of excellence in Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (www.pwc.com/ca) and its related entities have more than 4,700 partners and staff in offices across the country.
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