Chairman's Message

At PwC, we believe in the collective responsibility of business, government and the public to create a sustainable future together. We focus our investment of skills and resources where we believe they will have the greatest, lasting benefit for our communities and the environment.

Our commitment to Corporate Responsibility is a strategic imperative for our organisation and our people, who take pride in our initiatives in this area. In a 2011 survey, 66% of our people said our Corporate Responsibility focus had influenced their decision to stay at PwC.

Our investment of skills and resources is focused across four areas - community, environment, marketplace and people. This enables us to truly integrate our programs throughout everything we do at PwC. Some areas where we believe we have made the greatest impact include:

Community – We are best equipped to serve our communities by using our professional expertise to support not-for-profit organisations - we call this capacity building. We perform this work at heavily discounted rates, and in FY11 the total value of such work reached close to $10 million.

Environment – We have been carbon neutral since 2008, and in FY11 we reduced our carbon emissions by 44% (against our FY08 baseline year). As a result we have increased our carbon emissions reduction target from 25% to 50% by FY12 (from FY08 levels). We remain the only professional services firm to publish independently verified greenhouse gas accounts.

Marketplace – Because of what we do and our size, profile and client base, we are uniquely positioned to influence the public agenda. We work alongside government and major Australian organisations to enhance the quality and integrity of Australian businesses. Our PwC Transparency Awards recognise and encourage improvement in the quality and transparency of reporting within the not-for-profit sector.

People – We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, and have been recognised as an EOWA Employer of Choice for Women and a Top 10 employer in the 2011 Australian Workplace Equality Index. Our second Reconciliation Action Plan creates a great opportunity for our people to help deepen the respect and relationships between the first peoples of this nation and other Australian groups and organisations.

I look forward to continuing to share our progress with you and encourage you to read more about our Corporate Responsibility agenda.

Mark Johnson
PwC CEO and Corporate Responsibility Advisory Council Chairman