PwC UN Global Compact communication on progress 2019

Our progress

In 2018, PwC set global ambitions for our community investments and environmental action. Building off these global commitments, we took steps this year to increase our impact.

Skills, education and communities

PwC’s progress on UNGC principles linked to human rights and labour is strongly demonstrated by our community commitment to invest in skills training and capacity building with the goal of maximizing the potential of 15 million people, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social and micro-enterprises by 2022.

• Since 2018 thanks to the ongoing efforts and dedication of our people we have reached 8.5 million people
   

• In September 2019 we launched a new initiative called New world. New skills. to help prepare people and organizations with the skills for the workforce of the future. Actions underway this year include:

  • Working with students and teachers in disadvantaged communities to grow their skills and capabilities through key programmes such as PwC US’s Access Your Potential and strategic local collaborations such as PwC China’s efforts with the Adream Foundation.

  • We’ve offered a free version of our Digital Fitness App, a tool to enhance digital acumen, to everyone across the globe, to help people and businesses understand essential technologies and new ways of working to navigate today’s world.

  • PwC joined forces with UNICEF in a global collaboration focused on upskilling the world’s youth. The collaboration supports Generation Unlimited, a multi-sector partnership aimed at giving 1.8 billion young people access to education, skills training, entrepreneurship and employment on a large scale.

Environment

Our environmental commitment aims to drive efficiency by reducing our absolute carbon footprint, to source 100% renewable energy for our electricity consumption, to offset residual energy use by FY22 (July 2021 - June 2022) and to offset 100% of our air travel emissions from FY19 (July 2018 - June 2019).

• PwC is a signatory to the RE100 initiative, we’ve committed to source 100% renewable electricity. The proportion of electricity coming from renewable sources increased, from 60% in FY18 (July 2017 - June 2018) to 65% in FY19 (July 2018 - June 2019).
   

• Air travel emissions are our largest source of carbon emissions and in FY19 we saw an increase in Scope 3 emissions. We are managing this by exploring how to increase our use of online meetings when our offices open post COVID-19 and use less carbon intensive forms of travel, such as rail, within the context of stricter travel policies. In light of COVID-19, we have eliminated all but truly essential travel and will be considering how we adapt our longer term business travel to support the ongoing safety and wellness of our people and clients, as well as lower our carbon footprint.
   

• PwC supports a range of high-quality voluntary carbon offset projects to mitigate the impact of our air travel. These projects not only reduce carbon emissions, but also allow us to take responsibility for our impact while we investigate longer-term solutions.

Our people

The PwC network is committed to creating and supporting an inclusive workforce. 

• The PwC network is committed to pay equity, with firms regularly conducting comprehensive reviews of compensation data to understand any differences between and among staff, and make adjustments as appropriate. Some PwC firms may choose to add additional types of pay equity reviews, such as compensation differences among partners, or an analysis along racial/ethnic lines. Several PwC firms have disclosed this information, including:

  • PwC Australia

  • PwC Ireland and

  • PwC UK
     

• PwC Switzerland obtained EQUAL-SALARY certification after having been audited by an independent third party.
   

• We joined the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum to advance global progress for equality and social and economic inclusion for LGBT+ people.
   

• PwC leaders and employees marched with pride in cities around the world and brought together 200 PwC LGBT+ leaders and staff from 28 countries to share knowledge, network and talk about LGBT+ issues at our first ever Global LGBT+ Summit.

We encourage healthy behaviours and habits through our wellbeing programme, The Habit Bank.