Accenture and the Environment
From Lauraibm
Contents |
MI Summary
Accenture
Accenture gives a rounded description of its environmental policies and metrics, quoting examples from around the world: Spain, Bangalore, Brazil, Japan, Manila and the UK. It aims to drive change through its role as supplier, customer and employer.
The UK entry is comprehensive, if in parts trivial. (How important is it for us to know that Accenture's staff canteen stocks Fairtrade products and that Accenture uses a special purifier of mains water to avoid having to buy copious bottled water?)
The UK entry also contains details of the amount of paper Accenture uses, how many flights it books, the fact that each workstation generated 94 kg of waste in FY06, its recycling of old office furniture to Remploy etc, and its commitment to continuous improvement.
What the Vendor says about itself
Consideration for the environment is an essential aspect of our business operations.
We believe that the health of our business is inextricably linked to the health of the environment in which we operate. As part of our core values and our Code of Business Ethics, we have a corporate social responsibility to understand and reduce our environmental impact.
Around the world, Accenture seeks to capture and share good practice between locations, and drive change through our role as a supplier and procurer of services and as an employer.
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Environmental Policy
Accenture is committed to incorporating environmental best practice in our business. To fulfil our commitment, Accenture will strive to:
- Foster environmental responsibility among our stakeholders including employees, contractors, suppliers and clients
- Identify the environmental impacts associated with our operations and implement a continuous improvement programme
- Conduct our operations in a manner that minimises our consumption of natural resources and manages waste through responsible disposal and the reuse and recycling of materials where economically feasible
- Comply with all applicable legal requirements
- Integrate environmental related factors in our procurement processes when purchasing goods and services
- Monitor and review our objectives and targets to ensure they remain appropriate and achievable
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Environment: Activities
Pioneering ISO¹ 14001:2004 certification in Spain
Madrid's main office is the first Accenture location to achieve the ISO 14001:2004 certification across its consulting, solutions and outsourcing businesses. A multi-workforce team of five employees designed and developed an environmental management system—noted as highly innovative by the certification body's third-party auditor—that uses processes to drive more efficient energy consumption, recycling and reducing paper use, as well as separating and managing waste generated by the office. Established in 1996, ISO 14001 attainment is recognized worldwide as demonstrating a commitment to improving environmental performance—a matter of increasing concern for Accenture clients and employees. Accenture Madrid achieved the ISO 14001:2004 certification in May 2006, within just nine months of initiating the project. "ISO 14001" certification is based on continuous improvement," says Juan Ignacio de Arcos, senior executive. "During our quarterly Environment Committee meetings we review the metrics to meet annual objectives and assist other countries as ISO 14001certification is extended across more Accenture locations in Spain." Communication has been vital in inspiring Accenture employees to maintain certification standards and includes posters, training and a website for advice and feedback. In the last three years, Accenture in Spain has run several initiatives resulting in reducing its use of plastic bottles by 800,000, recycling 300 mobile phones annually and donating unused computers to local not-for-profit organizations.
Environmental standards success in Bangalore, India
The Facilities & Services team at the Accenture India Builder Corporation Knowledge Park facility in Bangalore is the second location to gain ISO 14001:2004 certification following the implementation of an environment management system. The certification recognizes the achievement of globally recognized standards to control and improve environmental performance, with the environmental management system framework establishing conservation programs for energy, water and paper as well as managing legal compliance, waste management and emergency preparedness and response. Potential energy savings in the region of 8 percent—US$133,300 per annum (INR 6,000,000)—can be achieved. Initiatives have brought in biodegradable materials, measures to control noise and safeguard air quality, as well as facilitating the donation of unwanted computer equipment to charities. This Accenture Bangalore facility was also awarded the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001 certification for its health and safety systems, being the first location in Accenture's global network to receive these awards. "Achieving the combined certification is testament to the quality of our systems and processes," says Rekha Menon, Human Capital & Diversity lead for India. "We are committed to maintaining this high standard." Computer-based training helped develop employees' environmental awareness and internal communication campaigns continue to influence their attitudes.
Action with Attitude in Brazil
Twelve months since the launch of Accenture Brazil's broad cultural change initiative known as the Attitude Program, the environmental aspects of the program have been so successful that now they are being implemented in project sites within clients' offices. In addition to trading recyclable waste collected in Accenture Brazil's offices for recycled materials—such as envelopes, notepads and pens—a 45 percent average reduction in paper usage has been achieved as a direct result of double-sided printing. What is more, Accenture's environmental policies and procedures are supporting social enterprise initiatives such as Accenture Curitiba, for example, where waste given to garbage collectors is sold to the recycling industry for a small profit, providing an additional income for local people, many of whom are homeless. Accenture executives are invited to undertake training programs that create awareness of the environmental challenges faced by clients. Overall, the Attitude Program drives economic, social and environmental excellence and has gained public recognition in 2006, with Accenture identified as one of the 25 Brazilian companies demonstrating excellence in corporate citizenship practices according to a major Brazilian business publication, Guia Exame da Boa Cidadania, a special edition of Exame magazine.
Sustainable forestry in Japan
Established in 1961, WWF² is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in the world addressing nature conservation. High on the agenda of conservation is deforestation; Japan is the second-largest importer of wood in the world and it is suspected that 20 percent of the wood received may be illegally logged. Accenture in Japan is committing US$138,000 during the next financial year to WWF Japan to promote the sustainable use of renewable forest resources. Accenture hopes to stem the tide of destruction as well as raise awareness amongst the Japanese community to improve conservation efforts. As a result, Accenture is contributing to programs that encourage well-managed forestry. Working with WWF, the funding will contribute toward the Forest Stewardship Council initiative in Japan—a program that is developing a national standard and verification scheme to ensure that a "responsible purchase" approach is being adopted. This program is one of several Japanese initiatives undertaken since 2004 to help build a future in which people live in harmony with nature.
Coastal clean-up in Manila Bay
In response to Earth Day and International Coastal Clean-Up Day in April and September 2006, respectively, volunteers from Accenture Philippines spent two half-days clearing debris from the local shores of Manila Bay. Nearly 275 enthusiastic employees removed hazardous and unsightly debris to help restore this popular coastal area to its former glory and help protect the ocean's ecosystem in the longer term. The initiative is part of the Accenture Caring for Tomorrow program run by Manila employees that focuses on projects affecting education, the environment and livelihoods.
Caring for the environment in the United Kingdom
Launched in the United Kingdom in May 2006, cafés across the Accenture London offices are offering a range of products from Fairtrade—an independent consumer label that appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers in the developing world are getting a better deal. Examples include the popular bottled water, One Water. One Water's profits are channeled into building "roundabout pumps" overseas that provide free, clean water. Other products include Fairtrade organic fruit juices, tea, cakes and organic sandwiches, plus a whole range of snack products. Feedback on the new range from Accenture people using the cafés has been very positive, and all products are showing buoyant sales. The United Kingdom will be sourcing new Fairtrade organic and ethically sourced products on an ongoing basis. Other "green" initiatives in the United Kingdom include:
Furniture recycling: Registered charity and social enterprise Green-Works recycles Accenture's surplus standard office furniture items in the United Kingdom. Green-Works collects redundant office furniture for resale to charities, schools and other community-based organizations. The warehouses used to refurbish the furniture also train and employ disabled, disadvantaged and long-term unemployed people. All donated items that are not reused are broken down into component parts and recycled.
Water processing: Environmentally conscious catering facilities across all the Accenture London offices are using the Vivreau water bottling machine to process purified mains-fed tap water to supply still or sparkling water into recycled glass bottles for reuse in all Accenture meetings and events. The scheme has eliminated the need to recycle 25,000 glass bottles and is expected to extend across all Accenture offices in the United Kingdom.
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Accenture and the Environment: United Kingdom
Nearly every activity carried out by Accenture has some impact on the environment. Our travel and energy use contribute to the greenhouse effect and local air pollution issues. We all use large volumes of paper and stationery which deplete natural resources and our activities generate waste.
As a good corporate citizen, Accenture has an obligation to minimise its environmental impact and strive towards a programme of continuous improvement. This will ensure that we meet best practices and comply with all relevant government legislation.
We are facing a number of key challenges we would like to address through our Environmental programmes:
- Utility use in office buildings—Reducing energy usage and costs, in particular electricity, water and gas.
- Consumption of office consumables—Reduce consumption of consumables such as paper, cardboard and stationery.
- Recycling—Ensuring all staff have access to recycling facilities and educating them on ways to increase recycling activity.
- CO2 emissions from business travel—Reduce air emissions and financial costs associated with travel by increasing video conferencing and reducing any non-essential travel.
- Employee awareness and communications—Continue to raise awareness of environmental issues and encourage greater involvement in environmental improvement programmes.
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Paper Usage
In the United Kingdom, Accenture uses on average around 3,700 reams of A4 paper every month which is the equivalent of just over 9 tonnes of paper. A number of steps have been taken to raise awareness and engage our workforce to reduce this usage, including printer upgrades and standard two-sided printing.
Energy Consumption
In FY06, in Accenture offices across the UK (excluding Park Lane), Accenture used 2705.34 kWh per workstation. Steps taken to achieve our energy consumption target include:
- Switching off all lights in the office at the end of the working day.
- Taking energy readings to accurately monitor usage
- Moving into an energy efficient office complex that includes adjustable lighting facilities, greater use of natural lighting and solar reflectors, computerised lighting controls and energy monitoring facilities.
Travel
In the United Kingdom, Accenture books around 4,000 flights per month through our travel department. Air travel generates significant quantities of carbon dioxide emissions, a gas known to be detrimental to the environment. In FY06, Accenture produced 19936 tonnes of carbon dioxide due to air travel, which equates to around 1.78 tonnes of carbon dioxide per employee per year. We are offering our employees viable alternatives to air travel through enhanced facilities for audio and video conferences.
Additional travel measures such as car pooling schemes are being considered. Cycling facilities are offered in our major sites.
Waste Management
There has been a gradual decrease in the volume of general waste generated over the last two years. In FY06, across Accenture’s London sites, 94kg of waste was generated per workstation. In an attempt to meet our 5 percent general waste reduction target, we are striving to raise awareness among our employees and improve recycling facilities. In FY06, across Accenture’s London sites, 20 kg of paper was recycled per workstation.
A pilot initiative saw the removal of individual waste bins from under desks to promote recycling and reduce the amount of general waste to landfill. Paper recycling has increased by 15 percent as a result. We are looking at extending this initiative to other buildings.
Accenture continues to explore alternatives to landfill and has sent 19 tonnes of unusable furniture for repair which was then resold to community-based organisations. We have also launched a national scheme for the return of old mobile phones, generating income for charities.
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Continuous Improvement
Accenture’s Environmental Operations Committee meets every two months to review progress and ensure continual improvement. Some of our current environmental commitments include:
- The fit-out of our London Delivery Centre office to become the first project of its kind to achieve a carbon neutral status
- All printers, faxes and photocopiers are stacked with 100 percent recycled paper
- Continued engagement with our clients and suppliers encouraging environmental good practice
- Availability of organic products in our staff restaurants.
Some of the specific initiatives Accenture is involved with include:
Fenchurch Street Offices
The Fenchurch Street building demonstrates our strong commitment to protecting the environment. The construction and fit-out processes were carbon-neutral and any waste generated was segregated and recycled wherever possible. By way of illustration, some 75 percent of all the waste produced during the construction phase was recycled. The significant effort Accenture has made in this field has earned the company a BREEAM rating of Very Good. BREEAM stands for BRE Environmental Assessment Method and is regarded by the UK's construction and property sectors as the measure of best practice in environmental design and management, and assesses a construction in areas such as management, energy use, health and well-being, pollution, transport, materials and water.
Recycling Furniture
Accenture is partnered with Green Works, a not-for-profit organisation that collect and recycle our redundant furniture. Green Works collect furniture and office equipment and their recycling agents take it to community organisations such as Remploy (the largest employer of disabled people) or the Foundation for Human Development (providers of youth training and employment) which repair and refurbish them before passing them onto local charities and community groups.
Recycling Mobile Phones
Accenture is currently using Fonebak, a company specialising in the refurbishment, reuse and recycling of mobile phones. Around 15 million mobile phones are replaced in the United Kingdom each year, most of which are still in good working order. They are refurbished and sent to poorer countries where new mobile phones are prohibitively expensive to the general population. Mobile phones in bad condition are taken apart so that their constituent parts can be recycled or disposed of safely.
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