Earth Day Q&A: How our people are driving a more environmentally sustainable future

A workplace is only as strong as its culture, and at PwC, we’re proud that our people – who represent varied experiences, communities and identities – continue to shape who we are as a firm. Through shared cultural experiences that help foster diversity of thought and perspectives, we live our values of building on a culture of belonging. That priority extends to how we celebrate heritage months and other holidays and observances that are important to our people.

Each year, Earth Day provides us with an opportunity to emphasize the importance of protecting the planet and the communities that depend on it, while also reflecting on the role we play to create a more sustainable future. In addition to our own sustainability commitments as a firm, like our net zero commitment, our people are taking action in their own communities to influence positive change. Hear from our community of solvers on why sustainability is important to them, how they’re protecting our planet year-round and encouraging others to get involved to drive a collective impact.

Q: Why is environmental sustainability important to you? 

Eddie Cha: Environmental sustainability is important to me because I love my children. In my opinion, we all have a responsibility to preserve our natural resources for future generations so that society continues to exist and evolve without being in a state of crisis. I want to ensure they have a future.

Nate Chung: Everyone enjoys life in their own ways. Despite this variety, I feel that all humans are connected in their reliance on the Earth, for its resources that help fuel health and happiness and as the place where we all exist to enjoy life in our own ways. Personally, I love the outdoors and recognize the positive impact my time spent in nature has on my mental and physical health, so I want to protect their longevity. 

Mariana Isturiz: For me, being committed to sustainability is a priority. Reducing our carbon footprint and the amount of toxins released into the environment will make our planet safer for us and future generations. When we’re collectively taking responsibility to focus on sustainability, the entire world benefits and gets to experience clean and healthier living conditions.

Huw Lester: Environmental sustainability is important to me because it’s essential. Creating a better environment is a win for all of us, especially for future generations, and I feel like it’s the right thing to be invested in as a collective society.

Shu Liu: For me, I’m passionate about preserving our planet’s biodiversity to ensure all of the important plants and animals can continue to thrive and contribute to a habitable environment for us all.

Q: How do you recognize Earth Day?

Trusha Bhatt: Earth Day is a day to reflect on what it means to be environmentally conscious and what that looks like for me personally. I take the time to reflect on how the choices I’m making are impacting my local community as well as the world from an environmental perspective.

Cayla Carson: I love to recognize Earth Day by volunteering at community gardens, donating to organizations that are dedicated to Ocean research, and joining fellow Environmental Inclusion Network (EnvIn) members in the fun activities we plan to connect and make a difference in our communities.

Nate Chung: Outside of work, I’ll get outside and enjoy a day of hiking, biking or skiing. Related to work, the Environmental Inclusion Network has provided me with a platform to put my purpose into action and help others do the same for our planet. As the head of the Environmental Inclusion Network Boston Chapter, I coordinate an Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup event. During this event, a group of 25-50 PwC volunteers come together with many others to pick up litter, remove invasive species and assist with park maintenance along a section of the Charles River. 

Mariana Isturiz: Every year is different for me, but it’s always a good day to take stock of your personal environmental footprint and reflect on the potential changes you can make to take care of our planet. You can start with small acts like using less water, using alternative transportation, and adopting and encouraging recycling efforts. Or if you’re super passionate about driving large scale impact you can get involved in your community and participate in clean-up efforts or tree planting initiatives. No matter what action you take, every little bit helps!

Shu Liu: For me, I try to treat every day as Earth Day. I’m always reflecting on how I can reduce my negative impact on our environment and determine how I can get involved to help others do this year round as well.

Daniela Acevedo: This Earth Day, I will be honoring our planet by participating in a challenge with my entire family: going zero waste for one day! 

Q: Why have you gotten involved in environmental sustainability efforts and how did you get started?

Eddie Cha: I have a true passion for environmental sustainability and wanted to leverage my experience working with energy, technology, clean energy and tech companies to contribute my expertise to my local community. As a part of this, I became involved in nonprofit board service and was led to become a board member at Acterra, an organization dedicated to bringing people together to create local solutions to ensure we have a healthy planet.

Trusha Bhatt: Environmental sustainability is something I'm deeply passionate about and since taking on a leadership role on the EnvIN, it’s been amazing to be in a position where my ideas are heard. Through the EnvIN, I’m able to empower others to get involved by organizing events and can bring people together to weigh in on key issues to drive tangible change at the firm.

Huw Lester: I was inspired to get involved and use my skills to do something outside of work that provides value to other communities. I then became involved in PwC’s Nonprofit Board Program and was eventually appointed to a board of a  non-profit promoting ecological health, environmental stewardship, and community development in Southeast San Francisco.

Shu Liu: I wanted to do something to actively protect our planet and its environment. This led me to learn about PwC’s Environmental Inclusion Network where I then joined the committee to get more involved. The first event I helped organize was our tree planting initiative in San Francisco which was so meaningful for me to see it come together.

Daniela Acevedo: I became involved in environmental sustainability because of my daughter. When she was in kindergarten, she saw her classmate had a sustainable pencil box made from recycling. They had a program at school where once a month they exchanged the recycling that they brought from their home for points, and then once a year, they would exchange their points for sustainable products. This helped establish the importance of caring for the environment in our home. Today, we have a recycling station at home that we take to the recycling center once a month. With the money we receive from the recycling center, my daughters fill their piggy bank so they can buy sustainable products, and sometimes they even donate the money to nonprofit organizations.

Mariana Isturiz: I wanted to find something that aligned with my personal passion and goals to help others protect our planet. Through our Nonprofit Board Program, I became involved in board service and now sit on the board for Dream in Green. I connected with them because of their focus on teaching and providing children with the tools to be environmentally conscious. Learning these skills at a young age is so important and I’m so happy that I was matched with an organization that helps our planet long term.

Q: We know that to make a difference in creating a healthier planet, it will take our collective efforts. How would you recommend people get involved who are looking to drive meaningful change?

Trusha Bhatt: I recommend looking up some local nonprofits in your community that are driving change you’re passionate about and see how you can get involved. And while one person isn’t responsible for making a difference in this space, it’s a good reminder that we all can make small changes in our lives that amount to a greater impact.

Cayla Carson: I recommend people focus on a few things that make the biggest impacts and also have a lot of other personal benefits. I personally emphasize eating more plant based foods, taking care of electronics to delay upgrading and causing waste, and purchasing goods secondhand where possible. By tackling these easy but important tasks, you can make a substantial impact without sweating the small stuff. 

Eddie Cha: I suggest starting with being more intentional with the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in your daily life and sharing your actions and experiences with others including your family, friends, and coworkers. Each person's intentional behavior can make a big difference when combined and can inspire someone else to get involved.    

Mariana Isturiz: I recommend starting with the personal changes you can adopt that will make a difference and then letting that passion lead to collective action. The more people we have who can set an example, take action, and be vocal about it, the more it will lead to opportunities to connect with and motivate others to do the same. 

Shu Liu: Start small! Bring a set of reusable utensils, bottle and bag with you every day. You can also start taking public transportation or riding a bike more to commute to help make a difference and inspire others to do the same. At the end of the day, helping the earth is very cool and important work.

Daniela Acevedo: I recommend knowing your carbon footprint. There are different free calculators on the web that can help you measure it. Another easy way to get involved is by reducing the pollution your personal mail causes.