KPMG gets serious about climate change

David Jackson , The Times, Published:Nov 02, 2008

 

Professional services firm KPMG has launched a global initiative to combat climate change, which it describes as one of the biggest challenges facing the world today.

 

In 2007 the group established a subcommittee on climate change to research options and recommend a strategy that would enable its member firms to make a meaningful global impact on climate change and to provide support to the firm’s clients.

 

As a result, KPMG’s Global Green Initiative — a three-tiered global approach to help address the challenges of climate change — was launched.

 

Carl Ballot, director of corporate communications and corporate social investment at KPMG, says its commitment to addressing climate change includes KPMG International’s ambition to reduce its combined member firms’ carbon footprint by 25% in 2010 (from a 2007 baseline).

 

It aims to achieve this by reducing emissions and using renewable energy in support of environmental projects to help address the challenges of climate change.

 

It also includes engagement with member firms’ employees to work towards reducing their own impact by at least 10% by 2010 and, with their suppliers and clients, to help them measure, report and improve their impact on the climate.

 

“Our first step is to understand our carbon footprint by measuring and reporting on our global footprint and assisting employees and clients in doing the same,” said Ballot.

 

“We are also providing our employees with the information and tools that they need to improve their own climate impacts, in the workplace and at home,” he added.

 

“Supported technically by our own Global Sustainability Services network and underpinned by the passion of our people, we look set to achieve some very desirable outcomes in this challenging space.”