Commenting on our success in reducing our environmental impact, KPMG’s Managing Partner, Seamus Hand, cites the example of commuting habits as evidence of the firm’s commitment: “In 2009, we were the first organisation in Ireland to launch a sustainable travel website and we have been actively looking at sustainable modes of transport for both commuting and business travel.” We also work with Natural Capital Partners to measure our carbon footprint and to select suitable off-set projects.

KPMG’s Head of Corporate Citizenship & Diversity, Karina Howley, says: “This achievement has in part come about via our sustainable travel website, the promotion of the ‘bike to work’ scheme, switching our electricity requirements to renewables and recycling. In particular, we promote alternatives to car use and used Vipre – a consultancy to help us assess our commuting habits.” In addition to the workplace, we have also supported initiatives such as the Native Woodland Trust Trees for Schools Programme. This initiative helped make a positive impact on the environment by planting over 29,000 native Irish species in almost 1,000 schools throughout Ireland.

• KPMG in Ireland was the first professional services firm to achieve carbon neutral status in January 2007 – thus we off-set all elements of doing business including energy use, business travel, waste, water, paper
• KPMG has also moved all its electricity requirements to come from renewable sources
• In 2009, KPMG was the first organisation in Ireland to launch a Sustainable Travel website and actively encourages staff to look at sustainable modes of transport for both commuting and business travel
• Our Dublin offices have exceptionally low rates of car travel – 89 percent of staff travel to work by bus, car-share, train, on foot, or by bicycle
• Since 2009 we have reduced our Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions (electricity/heating/car business mileage) by 42% per FTE
• We are committed to saving paper and use recycled paper in all printers/fax machines and all headed paper/ stationery is also made using recycled paper
• All KPMG offices are fitted with comprehensive recycling facilities with separate containers for recycling, general waste, and compostable materials
• We provided all employees with reusable cups and water bottles to reduce waste and provide compostable cutlery and containers in all our staff restaurants

We also support international projects to sustain our carbon neutral status, such as the Kenya Improved Cookstoves Project. 

The Kenya Improved Cookstoves project aims to tackle key development issues by building sustainable supply chains for the provision of these efficient cooking products. As a Gold Standard project, the objective is to serve the most vulnerable communities across Kenya, tackling health issues of traditional cookstoves, reducing dependence on non-renewable biomass sources, while promoting financial security and female empowerment. 

According to Seamus Hand, Managing Partner, KPMG in Ireland: “We’re proud to play our part in the effort to reduce carbon emissions and to contribute in a positive way to protecting our environment. Our vision is one that sees KPMG as the clear choice professional services firm in Ireland. That requires us to be, amongst other things, respectful of our surroundings and the environment in which we operate. Our firm is built on a foundation of trust and integrity and we are fully committed to ensuring that we provide the highest quality services to our clients in the most sustainable way possible.”