Professional services firm PwC Bermuda has released its Environmental, Social and Governance Highlights 2020 report.

The report notes PwC’s progress against ESG indicators and its commitments to continue improving its ESG performance.

In the environmental area, the firm said it decreased total carbon emissions per employee in fiscal year 2020 and continued to offset 100 per cent of its Bermuda firm energy use and air travel. The firm also made a commitment to become “net zero” by 2030.

In the social sphere, the firm said it has digitally upskilled its people as part of its “New World New Skills” initiative and the PwC network’s investment of more than $1 billion in digitising firms globally.

Despite the impact of Covid-19, it said its employees volunteered more than 1,020 hours of their time in the community and gave more than 1,800 hours of pro bono support.

In the governance area, PwC Bermuda said it continues to embody independence, ethics, transparency and integrity in all aspects of its work, and implement programmes aimed at creating an inclusive workplace.

The firm said it held a number of industry-focused webinars and launched thought leadership, including its FT Digital Dialogues, viewed by more than 2,000 globally, PwC’s annual Corporate Directors’ Survey and its Caribbean CFO Pulse Survey, to help its clients and communities navigate the crisis.

The report also highlighted that PwC donated $1.2 million to non-profits, donated $100,000 to Covid-19 emergency response, and $75,000 in annual funding for scholarships and education.

The firm also reported that 100 per cent of its air travel and energy emissions have been offset since fiscal year 2019.

The report is introduced by Arthur Wightman, PwC Bermuda leader; Scott Watson-Brown, PwC Bermuda Community ambition leader; and Keir Savage, PwC Bermuda Environment ambition leader.

They wrote: “It goes without saying that 2020 was a year of tremendous challenge. The world has changed more profoundly than we could have imagined. How we live our purpose, to build trust in society and solve important problems, is more important than ever.

“We believe that businesses have a critical role to play in addressing some of the biggest issues facing our society. Our communities continue to face a growing gap between those who have access to opportunity, and those who do not. This is a clear indication that we should do more, inside and outside of our firm.

“We approach this challenge the same way we do our client work – by identifying the root issue and executing solutions for sustainable impact. We care equally about the work we do with our clients and investing in our employees, supporting our communities, protecting the environment and dealing fairly and ethically with suppliers.”

See the report at: https://www.pwc.com/bm/en/publications/assets/pwc-bermuda-esg-highlights-report-2020.pdf