Responsible operations

We try to incorporate elements of responsibility and sustainability into our day-to-day operations. We exert positive influence on our supply chain by requiring responsibility and sustainability and by contracting social businesses and non-profit organisations. Every year, we measure the carbon footprint that our activities leave behind. In a year-to-year comparison, we were able to lower the carbon footprint per employee by 14 percent. We are a demanding and socially responsible customer.

We are a demanding and socially responsible customer

We emphasise the quality and reliability of the services that we provide to clients, with whom we want to build long-lasting relationships. But we are not just a supplier but also a recipient of goods and services, hence we aim to apply the same criteria to our relationships with our suppliers and be a responsible purchaser.

  • In all our activities, we pay increased attention to social responsibility. We aim to instil the principles of responsible entrepreneurship in our suppliers as well.
  • When managing our purchasing and supplier relationships, we follow a defined tender process for our significant and strategic suppliers.
  • Our main selection criteria are the quality of the goods and services, reliability, the stability, reputation, social responsibility stance of the supplier, the price and the terms of delivery.
  • As we are a provider of audit services, a significant criterion when choosing a supplier is their independence.
  • To serve alongside defined tender processes, we have also introduced a Suppliers’ Code of Ethics for KPMG in the Czech Republic, which we integrate into all our supplier contracts.
  • This code of ethics binds our suppliers to the adherence to all legal regulations, human rights and ethics, as well as to the protection of the environment.
  • More than 80 percent of our purchases come from local suppliers and entrepreneurs.
  • We regularly purchase goods from firms whose staff is in more than 50 percent made up of disabled persons.

Destination: Zero Waste

Throughout the year we inform employees about the impact of their activities on the environment, while motivating them to minimalise these effects. We positively influence the carbon footprint of our firm and of our employees’ households. In the past year, we focused on waste and the utilisation of circular elements in the elimination of waste, initiating our new Destination: Zero Waste programme. We take time out to discuss with our employees topics like how to recycle correctly, how to best go about upcycling and zero waste, and how to limit the wasting of resources.

Employees thus got the chance to create their own bags from feed and produce bags (Relu bags), enjoy a zero-waste breakfast with the Bezobalu (packaging-free) organisation to find out that it is possible to shop without unnecessary packaging, and purchase all kinds of ecological and zero waste helpers at our regular non-profit fairs. As part of our non-profit cinema, we show environmental documentary films like Plastic Ocean and Death by Design, followed by topic-related discussions.

To lower our environmental impact, it is necessary to undertake concrete actions. In that respect, we were able to eliminate the use of single-use coffee cups in our offices. We also instituted the rental of take-out containers, so that people can bring their take-out lunch to work to eat together with their colleagues. With 100 containers available, we may save up to 2 200 single-use take out containers per month. We have further provided employees with spaces to swap reading materials in our Hub bookcases.

Next year, we would like to focus on clothing sustainability as well and would like to organise our first KPMG swap meet.

We monitor our carbon footprint

Even though we are not a production company, we are nonetheless well aware of the impact our activities have on the environment. We therefore monitor our carbon footprint on a regular basis and aim to lower the negative impact of our activities on the environment. Since 2010, we have been the member of KPMG’s Global Initiative that monitors all environmental impact and activities that serve to lower the carbon footprint.

For 2016 to 2020 our goal was to lower our carbon footprint by 10 percent per employee.

Between 2016 and 2017, our carbon foot print per KPMG Česká republika employee declined by 33,1 percent. And last year, we were able to bring down our numbers by another 14 % per employee. Our overall results have nevertheless been affected by the remodelling of our Prague office building (taking place until August 2018).

Business travel and the consumption of paper and energy have been our main areas of focus due to the nature of our business undertaking.

We monitor and measure our carbon footprint based on the calendar year.

Total Emissions

Business car travel

Distance (km/year)
Emission (CO2/year)
Km Emission faktor Emissions
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
Petrol
KPMG owned vehicles 26 186 35 494 55 915 0,1918 0,1857 0,1837 5 024 6 591 10 270
KPMG leased cars 46 660 40 355 0 1918 0,1857 8 951 7 494
Business travel in personal cars 268 257 236 874 256 741 0,1918 0,1857 0,1837 51 462 43 988 47 158
Total petrol car travel 341 103 312 723 312 656 65 437 58 073 57 428
Diesel
KPMG owned vehicles 461 407 374 815 316 466 0,1831 0,1788 0,1775 84 470 67 017 56 182
KPMG leased vehicles 172 876 170 323 129 789 0,1831 0,1788 0,1775 31 648 30 454 23 041
Business travel in personal cars 295 229 371 529 243 335 0,1831 0,1788 0,1775 54 048 66 429 43 199
Total diesel car travel 929 51 916 66 689 59 170 16 163 90 122 42
Business trip by car total 1 270 615 1 229 390 1 002 246 235 602 221 973 179 850

Business airplane travel

Distance (km/year)
Emission (CO2/year)
Km Emission faktor Emissions
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
Short-haul
(Less than 500 km)
All classes 197 267 117 262 153 340 0,278670 0,267440 0,298320 54 972 31 360 45 744
Medium-haul
(Between 500-1,600 km)
Economy class 930 341 715 331 829 346 0,165080 0,158450 0,159700 153 581 113 344 132 447
Business class 29 100 20 730 21 285 0,247610 0,237670 0,239550 7 205 4 927 5 099
Class unknown 0,168440 0,161030 0,162360
Long-haul
(more than 1,600 km)
Economy class 1 150 848 1 334 690 643 446 0 146780 0 151190 0 162790 168 922 201 792 104 747
Premium Economy class 89 700 46 224 57 138 0 234840 0 241890 0 260460 21 065 11 181 14 882
Business class 545 391 532 321 379 129 0,425650 0,438430 0,472080 232 146 233 386 178 979
First class 0,604730 0,651150
Class unknown 0,197450 0,212560
Business airplane travel total 2 942 647 2 766 557 2 083 685 637 891 595 990 481 898

Business train travel

Distance (km/year)
Emission (CO2/year)
Km Emission faktor Emissions
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
Business train travel 203 108 204 255 167 503 0,0121 0,0123 0,0123 2 466 2 502 2 054

Paper consumption

Purchased sheets
Purchased sheets
2016 2017 2018
Print or Copy Paper 3 960 850 3 152 750 2 520 375
Letterhead Paper 118 000 63 000 45 000
Total Paper Procured 4 078 850 3 215 750 2 565 375

Green company

For some time, we have been involved in REMA system’s Green Company project, which aims to collect old company electrical equipment and batteries. Collection boxes at our premises make it also possible for our staff to rid themselves of any used and faulty electronic equipment or small appliances. In fiscal year 2016, we helped to ecologically liquidate 105,15 kg of electronic waste; in 2017, it was 123,65 kg; in 2018, our employees collected 174,55 kg; and last year our employees collected 134,1 kg.

Number of liquidated electronic waste (kg/year)

ISO 14001

To increase the level of environmental protection and to monitor and mitigate potential risks of contamination, we introduced an integrated Environmental Management System in line with ISO 14001 standard in our firm.

In October 2017 we were recertified and received certificate ISO 14001, valid until 2020.