KPMG Achieves 22 Percent Carbon Reduction Through "Living Green" Initiative

NEW YORK, July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, today announced it achieved a 22 percent carbon reduction over three years from its 2007 baseline target, as part of its plan to improve the environmental performance of its business. The firm also reduced its paper consumption by 33 percent and decreased its emissions from electricity by 16 percent.

KPMG launched its U.S. "Living Green" program in 2008 to support the firm's commitment to reduce the amount of waste it generates, the volume of natural resources it consumes, and its overall carbon footprint.

The U.S. firm's 22 percent reduction from 2007 through 2010 is based on the results of a recent analysis by KPMG's 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, 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."

In achieving these results, KPMG implemented leading practices and established new programs and processes at both the local office and national levels. They include:

• Living Green Teams collaborate to harness the passion of KPMG's employees and partners in local offices nationwide. These teams implement the Living Green program at a grassroots level, driving innovation and making a difference through initiatives such as local specialized recycling programs, outdoor cleanup projects and hosting programs to support vendors of locally-grown produce during KPMG's annual Living Green week which is held each year in conjunction with Earth Day.  
• KPMG's technology center won a 2011 ENERGY STAR CHP Award for its natural gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) system which generates 50 percent of the electricity used to run the technology center.  
• 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 (TN), San Diego, Orange County (Calif.), Charlotte, Boston and Greenville (S.C) offices are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

"At KPMG, being a responsible corporate citizen is a component of our core values and a key business driver," said Kathy Hannan, KPMG national managing partner, diversity and corporate responsibility. "Our Living Green program is a fundamental pillar of the firm's Corporate Responsibility strategy and vital to our role in ensuring a sustainable future."

In addition to KPMG's firmwide commitment to reducing its own carbon footprint, the firm's Climate Change & Sustainability practice works with leading global companies to establish sustainable, environmentally-friendly business practices that help reduce costs and boost efficiencies.

To learn more about KPMG's Living Green initiative and the firm's overall commitment to corporate responsibility, visit the program's web page at http://www.kpmg.com/US/en/WhoWeAre/CSR/LivingGreen/Pages/default.aspx.

About KPMG LLP

KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (www.us.kpmg.com), is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International").  KPMG International's member firms have 138,000 professionals, including more than 7,900 partners, in 150 countries.

Contact:
Megan Dubrowski
KPMG LLP
[email protected]
(P) 201-307-8237

SOURCE KPMG LLP