Sustainability and Climate Change

Climate and carbon
Sustainability and international development
Sustainability strategy and management frameworks
Measuring, managing, reporting and assurance
Supply chain and sustainable procurement
Financing the future
People and sustainability
Tax and Incentives
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What can sustainability save me?

Just possibly a workforce, a reputation, a supply chain, a penalty, a merger – and maybe even a planet. 

As sustainability becomes increasingly important to employees, regulators and consumers, any miscalculation or misjudgement of related matters can have serious repercussions on how the world judges a company and values its shares. The changes are unprecedented, the risks significant, the opportunities huge.

Sustainability and climate change have moved to the top of the corporate agenda, gaining traction among employees, shareholders, regulators and consumers alike. Most organisations know it’s an area that can no longer be ignored, but many are at different stages of understanding. Whether driven by revenue opportunities, corporate conscience, stakeholder pressure or regulation and taxation, all recognise that action has to be taken now.

Proactively managing environmental and social performance can help companies reduce risks, reduce costs as well as generate new revenue streams. Examples include: managing carbon emissions normally links to reduction of costs through increased resource efficiency; General Electric formed Ecomagination and its products and services have generated over US$85 billion in revenue since 2005.  PwC can help clients realise the full potential that sustainability can bring to the organisation - from risk reduction to cost savings to revenue generation.

Finding the right balance among competing economic, social and environmental goals is the essence of a sustainable strategy. Sustainability considerations have moved way beyond philanthropy and ethics. They go to the heart of corporate strategy and competitive advantage, whether it’s through understanding changing regulation, changing consumer preferences, security of supply chain, access to scarce resources or cost optimisation, to name but a few.

Sustainability and climate change are also critical for the public sector, with the government, other public bodies and international development stakeholders all facing increasing pressure to respond with an appropriate, cost-effective and integrated approach.

In order to stay relevant, companies must respond to current market developments
and an array of emerging sustainability issues. To meet the challenges of sustainability, companies have to put these issues at the heart of their business. A sustainable business should to be able to measure, document and report a positive return on investment on economic, environmental and social bottom lines.

 

Are you considering…

  • How does sustainability impact my company's reputation?
  • Can sustainability become a strategic advantage and open up new markets?
  • How much of ‘doing the right thing’ is enough and where should I be doing it?
  • How much do my current sustainability initiatives cost me? Do my contributions have a positive impact?
  • Am I maximising the impact of my sustainability budget?
  • How can sustainability reduce costs while qualifying for tax incentives?
  • How can I build sustainability into my talent management strategy?
  • Has sustainability been integrated into my key functions, e.g., supply chain, human resource, operations, corporate communications and marketing?
  • Who in my value chain can I partner with to address sustainability challenges and how?
  • What do I report? Does my non-financial reporting conform to local and international standards?
  • Should I seek independent assurance to add credibility to my sustainability reporting?

We can help you address them…

At PwC, we put strategic thinking at the heart of sustainability, and sustainability at the heart of corporate strategy. We have a blend of skills, experience and tools, as well as scale and reach in all service areas with our global sustainability network comprising over 800 practitioners and spanning over 40 countries. The network functions effectively within and between territories and continents to help solve cross-border issues of concern to our national and multi-national clients, both government bodies and public and private companies.

We can advise you on both your sustainability aspirations and your commercial realities, and make those two different agendas work in tandem. We can support you through the whole process from high-level sustainability strategy to its practical implementation on the ground. We look at how evolving sustainability trends could affect your business as a whole, or do an in-depth analysis of the specific sustainability issues that concern you most.