KPMG Sustainable Value event

How can we increase the commercial and operational value from our sustainability initiatives?

We were thrilled to host our inaugural ‘Sustainable Value’ event on 19 September where we explored this very question.

This exclusive gathering brought together leading voices to discuss how best to drive, measure and communicate tangible value from sustainability initiatives, with deep dives on opportunities across sustainable infrastructure and technology.

View the highlights video

Richard Andrews

Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

KPMG in the UK

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Key takeaways

Summary takeaways:

Sustainability must be at the top table in order to drive corporate value, with the CSO sitting alongside with the CFO and with equal stature.
Focus on driving commercial and operational value. It is essential to broaden the conversation beyond sustainability alone and align with and identify wider organisational objectives to drive tangible value.
There are numerous areas where sustainability can be embedded to drive both efficiency and lessen environmental impact, such as Sustainable IT and Infrastructure which we explored.
Building stakeholder buy in and support will be key to success and long-term impact.
Create a platform for young professionals and future leaders to voice their perspectives, ensuring diversity of thought.

Sustainable Infrastructure:

Sustainable Infrastructure is crucial not only in the fight against climate change, but also to drive green economic growth and build resilience.
Communicate the long-term value of sustainable solutions in order to secure commitment from leadership, investors and wider stakeholders.
Private and public sector partnership will be crucial for accelerating project implementation through value creation of sustainability initiatives.
Leverage technologies and innovation to give you actionable insights on your carbon and wider sustainability data.

Sustainable IT:

For most businesses, sustainable growth must be underpinned by sustainable IT.
CIOs should be leading in this area - driving the digital transformation of business products, services and internal operations, decarbonising their own operations, and enabling compliance with legislation and regulations.
New technologies like GenAI must be assessed not just for their ability to increase revenue, but also for their sustainability – don’t add to the problem!
What are you doing with your data? Chances are most of it is being used once – but still being stored!
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good – you can now get a fairly accurate measure your digital carbon footprint which can serve as a baseline for understanding where you can make the most impactful changes.
And finally - there’s a good chance your existing initiatives already have a sustainable element to them - so you can save or make money AND save the planet at the same time!