Sustainability initiative

A catalyst for change

You can’t change an organization as large and diverse as ours without having serious strategic commitment at the highest level – for us, this means our Global Board. The Board creates a sustainability strategy that is then driven by a global task force of partners and senior business leaders bring a comprehensive range of skills and experience to the job. The task force implements the strategy and, in turn, presents its findings and recommendations to the Global Board.

At the heart of this approach is a central menu of ideas that guide and inspire local offices to improve their own environments in ways that suit their unique cultural factors and challenges. Around the world we have made a difference in a hundred small ways, from holding contests for sculptures made from office waste to replacing plastic cutlery with biodegradable ‘vegware’. From offering grants for the purchase of hybrid cards and sourcing green energy, to promoting video and telephone conferencing, we keep the channels of communication open so that we can adapt and apply what works in one corner of the world in another. We work hard to nurture the sustainability instinct that is already strong in our people.

Our sustainability task force is the catalyst for change, but the change itself happens on the ground as a result of the commitment and inventiveness of our people. This can only happen because we encourage and support each other to develop creative solutions. Ours is an evolving and collective strategy, always adapting to the challenges of being a more responsible business.