KPMG Cuts Carbon 22% in Three Years

KPMG has achieved a 22 percent carbon reduction over three years from its 2007 baseline target, while reducing paper consumption by 33 percent, the company has announced.

The results stem from the company’s Living Green program, launched in 2008 to reduce KPMG’s carbon footprint, consumption of natural resources, and waste generation.

The firm says its 22 percent carbon reduction was calculated through a recent analysis by its Climate Change & Sustainability practice. The 2010 Living Green results also indicate that the U.S. firm has reduced its non-recycled waste by 51 percent, air travel by 26 percent, emissions from electricity by 16 percent, and office energy usage by 7 percent.

"We are proud of our accomplishments as a firm, as well as our employees' individual efforts to reduce our carbon footprint," said Steve Clemente, KPMG principal and leader of the Living Green program.  "We will continue to challenge ourselves and continue to develop sustainable business practices."

Initiatives to achieve these results include:

• KPMG's technology center installed a natural gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) system which generates 50 percent of the electricity used to run the center. It won a 2011 ENERGY STAR CHP Award for this initiative.
• Recycling of every KPMG laptop, monitor and printer, for both reuse and responsible disposal.
• Implementing green IT leading practices including server virtualization.
• Eliminating bottled water from KPMG's conference centers.
• Increasing video conference usage 95 percent.
• Achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for a number of its offices. KPMG's Nashville, San Diego, Charlotte, Boston, Greenville, S.C., and Orange County, Calif., offices are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

A recent study found that the Big Four financial audit firms, including KPMG, lead the market in corporate sustainability assurance services.