Environmental Leader

In the wake of the UK government’s launch of its carbon reduction goals, aimed at achieving an 80 percent reduction of carbon emissions by 2050, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) has developed a carbon emissions reporting model as a guideline for UK businesses for climate change and greenhouse gas emissions reporting.

The new reporting model is designed to help standardize carbon reporting for UK companies. To demonstrate the model, PwC has published a 28-page sample report on the carbon reporting and finances of a fictitious UK listed technology company, Typico plc, that produces consumer durables and IT products with operations in Asia, UK, and the US, reports WhatPC?.

The report illustrates the strategy, targets, performance, and benchmarking of how the company is working to reduce its impact on and adapt to climate change, reports WhatPC? The auditor told the news site that its reporting model is the first to demonstrate the practical relationship between emissions reporting and financial and non-financial data to determine the value and impact of carbon emissions on a business.

The Typico plc carbon emissions report model includes:

• Purpose of the report, and background to the company
• Company climate change strategy
• Impacts of climate change on the business
• Governance of the business
• Financial performance overview (impact of greenhouse gases)
• Regulatory schemes affecting the business
• Director’s responsibility and approval
• Primary statement of greenhouse gas emissions for the group
• Greenhouse gas reporting policies
• Assurance Statement

PwC also introduced two programs to drive the company’s corporate responsibility efforts by empowering its employees. The program, Project Make [it] count, encourages its partners and staff, to demonstrate their responsible leadership through voluntary community service projects, while the flexible work initiative enables PwC professionals to pursue community, educational and personal interests through partially paid sabbaticals of up to 16 weeks or to take advantage of a Reduced Work Arrangement.

PwC is offering “Flexible Fridays” between May 25 and September 7, providing its employees with an opportunity to shorten their work week and to take some time off on some Fridays during the summer months. These work options provide PwC with added workforce flexibility, work load balance, scalability and the benefit of helping the firm’s cost management efforts.