Friday 26 January 2018

PwC cut carbon footprint by third in last decade

Consultancy firm PwC has cut its carbon footprint across the UK by nearly a third over the past decade.

The company reduced the carbon footprint associated with energy consumption in its buildings by more than three quarters over the period while expanding its business by 44%.

In 2007 the company committed to reducing carbon emissions by a quarter, keeping carbon emissions from travel at steady levels and halving energy consumption.

The firm's new targets for 2022 aim to reduce its carbon footprint by 40%, procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources and further reduce travel.

The company's largest energy savings were made by making buildings greener - it introduced initiatives to turn lights off out of hours, reduced office space and usage by setting up flexible working spaces and improved insulation and windows.

It also recycled or reused 86% and cut waste volumes by nearly half.

Kevin Ellis, Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC, said: "By setting clear targets we’ve been able to make a significant difference to our carbon footprint over the past 10 years.

"Being very clear on what we wanted to achieve has allowed us to challenge ourselves to do things differently - from how we light, heat and cool our buildings, to how we design and use our office spaces and how we work."

A new report suggests many global businesses are not taking the necessary steps to go green.