The Right Thing Our Clients: Enterprise Sustainability Group

Just as sustainability has become a consideration whenever decisions are made within Deloitte, it also factors into the counsel we give clients. This is especially so for the fast-growing Enterprise Sustainability group which increased its business by more than 50 percent versus plan in fiscal 2009.

Only a few years since its formation as an IMO (integrated market offering), the Enterprise Sustainability group draws on resources from every region, function, and industry within Deloitte. Working collaboratively, it provides solutions that benefit from the breadth and depth of our understanding, experience and varied skill-sets in the areas of sustainability, corporate responsibility, carbon, climate change, energy supply and demand, alternative/renewable energy, smart grid, safety, water, and other resource issues that drive environmental and social performance. The Enterprise Sustainability group's mission: "Help clients drive enterprise value by improving environmental and social performance in an economically responsible way."

Capabilities

The Enterprise Sustainability group's approach to assignments is to discover, unlock, and amplify the value of sustainability that exists throughout every organization in order to benefit revenue generation, competitive positioning and branding, and cost and risk reduction. This is done by covering the full life-cycle of sustainability—a challenge we believe Deloitte is uniquely qualified to deliver. Along with a heritage of client service skills honed over more than a century, few organizations are as large, as globally connected, and as broad in their offerings.

Sustainability Enterprise Value Map™

The Sustainability Enterprise Value Map™ is an important aid to view the many dimensions and interconnections that could be at play when making sustainability decisions. The map provides a framework that demonstrates the relationship between the sustainable business practices that generate environmental and social value and impact the creation of shareholder value. The mapped intersections of stakeholder and shareholder value drivers show hundreds of sustainability-related actions.

The map can be used to help understand and manage sustainability risks and opportunities in a systematic and pragmatic way and demonstrate a more comprehensive picture of priorities. A condensed version of the map in brochure form can be found in the "Want to know more?" section.

Advancement

Within the diverse Enterprise Sustainability group, accomplishments come in many forms.

Associations
Active participation in prominent organizations is an investment that pays off for all involved in terms of learning and contribution. We are proud of our association with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Global Reporting Initiative, the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations Climate Panel, to name a few. Because we view membership as a serious commitment, we are selective in regard to which organizations we join. However, as we grow in our approach to sustainability, we expect our relationships to grow as well—both in terms of impact and number of memberships.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT)
Among our closest stakeholders are the member firms of DTT. Two of the most prominent examples of collaboration are Enterprise Sustainability leader Chris Park who serves on the Deloitte Carbon Council; and Eric Hespenheide who is the AERS leader for the Enterprise Sustainability group as well as the global leader for Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability.

Communications
The most important relationship we have is with our own people, followed by our clients and stakeholders. As the Enterprise Sustainability group enlarged its engagement within Deloitte and the marketplace, innovative communication vehicles have emerged. During fiscal 2009, we launched The Greenway, a quarterly client newsletter, and released Deloitte's first-ever external blog, with initial topics on sustainability and "green" business. Meanwhile, the sustainability and corporate responsibility section on Deloitte.com has grown to include 25 pages of case studies, leadership profiles, and service description content.

Thoughtware/Reaching out
Last year we reported more than 35 pieces of thoughtware created through collaboration among Enterprise Sustainability professionals. The contribution during fiscal 2009 adds another 25. And findings from our study, "The Dollars and Sense of Green Retrofits," were quoted in testimony before Congress. Additionally, Deloitte people spoke on sustainability and corporate responsibility topics at 30 external events. The Enterprise Sustainability group sponsored 5 events and conducted 14 national virtual training sessions.

Resource Additions
During the course of 2009 we welcomed game changer John Kao. The author of the bestseller Innovation Nation, Kao was named one of the 200 most creative Americans and one of the 200 top management authorities worldwide. Innovation is essential for growth, and our collaboration with Kao will help Deloitte deliver break-through solutions.

Also on board this year is Mark McElroy. His work in the sustainability arena began in 1998, when he served as board chair of the Sustainability Institute. Most recently, McElroy was Executive Director and Chief Sustainability Officer at the Center for Sustainable Innovation, a non-profit think tank focused on sustainability metrics, measurement and reporting. At Deloitte, McElroy heads up the Center for Sustainability Performance.

Moving Forward

For fiscal 2010, we see service focus in carbon, sustainability/climate strategy, corporate responsibility reporting, environmental audit, tax incentives, SAP and Oracle, and supply chain. From an industry standpoint, our sights are set on Energy, Consumer Product and Retail, Federal Government, and Clean Tech.