KPMG LLP (UK): influencing environmental change

KPMG’s Environmental Management System (EMS) covers all of the business’ significant impacts: resource consumption, waste generation, and direct and indirect impact on climate change through client engagement, business travel and energy use.

Part of the EMS process involved close measurement of the business’ environmental impacts and it was discovered that half of KPMG’s carbon footprint came from business travel. The business has therefore invested resources in assessing alternatives to both internal and client based face-to-face meetings. In November 2009 the business issued a strict travel policy which ensured all staff used rail for selected UK and European destinations and economy class travel for all flights under 3hrs. KPMG also invested in new technologies to offer a sufficient substitute for some client meetings that had previously been face-to-face only. Virtual conferencing suites, Halo, have enabled the business to conduct high-quality, international meetings with clients as well as internally and has resulted in reductions in air travel. In 2008/2009 1,000 Halo bookings were made which averaged at 120 hours worth of meetings a month.

Employee engagement in other areas, such as resource use and energy efficiency, has been focused around a ‘Saving for Good’ and ‘Green Giving’ campaign. This campaign encourages all staff to donate money saved through resource efficiency (procurement reduction) and energy usage reduction, to the business’ People Charity. In two years a reduction in paper use alone resulted in £260,000 being donated to the charity. Dispersing environmental responsibilities to all staff in this way helps to ensure that sustainability is embedded right through the business to bring operational change rather than as an add-on.