Taking action for a sustainable future - Annual Review 2008

Life on this planet

Taking action for a sustainable future

In today’s world, it is no longer acceptable for businesses to simply mind their own business—companies must engage with the communities in which their employees live and work.

Focusing on the environment
One of strongest messages coming from stakeholders is that Deloitte needs to act as a responsible steward of the environment. Through a network of practitioners, Deloitte member firms provide corporate responsibility and sustainability services to clients, helping organizations measure, improve, and sustain their environmental and social performance. A growing number of Deloitte member firms, including nine of the ten largest, also have internal sustainability programs to administer such changes in their own operations.

For example, Deloitte Netherlands gave all employees the NS Business Card, a device that boosted train travel. The use of the card over the past year resulted in a CO₂ emissions reduction of 200 metric tons. Similar efforts are being made at Deloitte China, where the Environmental Management Taskforce, reporting to the firm’s leadership, has begun implementing policies and business practices that seek to lighten the environmental footprints of the 8,000 people of the Chinese firm.

Commitment to communities
Deloitte member firms have a long tradition of actively supporting the communities where their professionals live and work. Each year, tens of thousands of people in the member firms participate in activities to support their communities through IMPACT Day, the annual celebration of community investment, and through specific programs designed to meet the needs of their community.

Many of the programs focus on addressing the education achievement gap. Deloitte China, for example, provides scholarships and mentoring in a middle school dedicated to educating students with strong academic potential who fall below the poverty line. The scholarships support students who plan to study accounting and finance at university.

Critical to success in school is a solid understanding of math and reading. In collaboration with Education Business Partnerships, Deloitte United Kingdom developed a literacy and math mentoring program: Deloitte UK professionals go into primary and secondary schools weekly to work with students on literacy and math skills.

A strong commitment to communities and to helping resolve global challenges is an integral part of the Deloitte culture. As John Connolly, DTT Chairman, notes, “People in the member firms demand that commitment to society be a business priority. It’s just the right thing to do.”