Engaging our people

Ultimately, we want every employee at PwC to know they can be part of making a difference. A recent employee survey showed that 74% of our employees are satisfied with our environmental performance. We’re pleased with this number, but it also means we need to do more. We are working not only to reduce our overall impacts, but also to engage and demonstrate our commitment to the employees we’re seeking to retain – and the new talent we’re seeking to recruit.

To meet our environmental goals, we need to have systems and policies in place that enable all PwC employees to contribute to these objectives. We also need to support the types of behaviors and engagement that will embed responsibility into our everyday practice. Both of these elements – the systemic and the behavioral – require building consensus and shared values across our different business units.

We are establishing systems and fostering behavioral changes in several ways, including the following:

Green Teams – To succeed in our environmental efforts we need to engage with our people at the office level. Our local Green Teams support our broad environmental stewardship strategy and make it relevant to individual offices and markets. Since FY08, the number of US offices with Green Teams has increased from three to 35 – and over 80% of our staff work in an office that has a Green Team. Some examples of Green Teams’ activities and accomplishments are:

• Dallas – The Green Team in Dallas created a unique partnership with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks Trees for Threes. The idea is simple. For every three-point shot the team scores, PwC will plant a tree in one of the city’s local parks. As sports and recreation are a way that communities come together, this partnership is a natural fit.
• Chicago – When our Chicago office wanted to revitalize its Green Team, our people formed a steering committee that works to design and implement policies and engagement programs across our green themes of energy use, transportation, materials and waste, and community. However, they knew that for their efforts to be successful they needed to not only create the programs but engage the staff. So, at the first meeting, they advertised a bicycle giveaway. This attracted the attention of a large number of staff and the Green Team’s kickoff event was standing room only.
• San Francisco – Our San Francisco office has one of the firm’s most advanced waste and materials programs. In addition to reduction, reuse and recycling programs, they use composting, which is supported by a city ordinance. They’ve also successfully engaged staff through creative programs like “Bring Your Ugly Mug to Work Day,” a competition to recognize the owner of the ugliest coffee mug. The light-hearted approach has a serious aim. It encourages people to move away from using paper coffee cups and substitute reusable mugs – ugly or not.
• Tampa – Our Tampa Service Center provides the critical support services that allow us to be the high-performing firm we are. Given this unique role, this office operates very differently from our offices that are focused on client services and has the opportunity to create a different type of community. Their “Do a Little, Change A Lot” program is just one example. Watch a video on this program.

Green Week – In April 2011 we held our third annual Green Week, which provides an opportunity to highlight the firm’s work on environmental stewardship and present our staff with opportunities to engage. In FY12 we will transition to CR Week, which will focus on the wide range of corporate responsibility (CR) activities in which we engage and recognize the interdependence of our economic, environmental, and social success.

Dashboards – We are developing an online “dashboard,” which is being designed to present our entire range of CR data at various levels – including markets and offices. Ultimately, we intend to enable each employee to understand, monitor, and track their impacts, such as their carbon footprint and energy use, volunteering, and giving, and compare their data to others in their market or line of service.

Carbon Calculator Tool – We implemented a carbon calculator tool that enables employees to calculate their individual carbon footprint, and provides tips to reduce their impacts, both at work and at home.

PwC My Ride – Our carpooling site matches staff and partners to others who have a similar commute and are open to ride-sharing.

Rewards program – PwC’s Well-Being Rewards Program includes an environmental component to reward activities such as carpooling, taking public transit, or using reusable mugs.