KPMG aims for net-zero carbon by 2030

KPMG, one of the Big Four accounting firms, plans to become a net-zero carbon organization by 2030, joining the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The plan is part of KPMG’s continued focus on delivering growth in a sustainable way and providing climate solutions for member firms, clients and society, it said on Nov. 9.

“To underpin this goal, the global organization has signed up to a series of new climate actions, including a 1.5°C science-based target, which will focus on achieving a 50 percent reduction of KPMG’s direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 2030,” the accounting firm said in a statement.

Additionally, the company’s offices in its board countries will use 100% renewable electricity by 2022, to be followed by other regions by 2030. It operates in 154 countries, with its global board members spread across 20 countries, including South Korea.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, KPMG had reduced its net carbon emissions per full-time employee by around one-third over the last decade. It is also on track to meet its 2020 renewable energy target of 60%.

The announcement comes after KPMG released results of a survey of chief executives last month in its KPMG 2020 CEO Outlook report.

“Chief executives are more than aware that climate change also offers a significant economic and humanitarian threat over the coming decades and that there is a need to rebuild organizations in a way that supports a new and sustainable economy,” it said in the report.

“The seriousness with which they take the issue of climate change is reflected in the fact that many believe that managing climate-related risks is key to their own job security and long-term legacy,” it added.

Write to Hyun-il Lee at hiuneal@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.