Towards the Just Transition with our suppliers
PwC UK’s annual 2023 Sustainability Supplier Forum focused on the need for a just transition to a net zero world, and the role that green skills can play in achieving this.
Setting the scene
The recent synthesis report from the IPCC outlined that although we face uncertainty over whether warming will be limited to 1.5°C, the power is still in our hands to take actions that will resonate for years to come. It is evident that in order to mitigate the worst consequences of the climate crisis, an accelerated transition to a net zero world is required. What is also becoming increasingly apparent is the need for the transition to be fair and just. A crucial part of this is ensuring that workforces are prepared to retrain and upskill in sustainability and other ‘green skills’. The results of PwC UK’s Green Jobs Barometer illustrate the current picture across the nation covering 5 key pillars: green job creation, employment multipliers, sunset jobs, the carbon intensity of jobs and green workspaces.
Our long standing Sustainable Supply Chain programme encompasses a range of engagement and collaboration activities with our suppliers that look to reduce carbon emissions, minimise our resource use and promote equality in our supply chain. In September 2020, the PwC global network announced a worldwide science-based commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. A key element of this commitment is advocating for net zero beyond our own operations, by supporting our clients and suppliers to reduce their emissions. This is important because as a professional services firm, the emissions from our own operations are relatively low whilst those of our suppliers are many times bigger.
“Our economy, and our ambitions for net zero, rely on a greener workforce that can adapt to the changing demands of a changing planet – from the transition away from fossil fuels to the technology that will accelerate the pace at which we move towards net zero.”
What we did
Our 2022 supplier forum focused on how organisations can achieve their net zero ambitions by harnessing the capabilities of climate technology. Building on the theme of the ‘how’ of net zero transition, this year's forum looked at the role that green upskilling and green jobs need to play in achieving a just transition, in addition to providing an update to suppliers on our Sustainable Supply Chain programme and future expectations.
Suppliers were given an overview of the results and insights from the Green Jobs Barometer from Nick Forrest, UK Economics Consulting Leader, PwC UK, before having the opportunity to ask questions during a panel session with Darcy Laceby, Co-Founder at Absolute Collagen and Chris Mansell, Corporate Affairs at PwC UK on the challenges and opportunities of green upskilling.
The agenda also included a session with representatives from PwC UK’s Corporate Sustainability team, who gave an update on the firm’s sustainability strategy and objectives, in addition to a deep-dive into the need to move away from spend based estimates to actual service and product carbon footprinting.
Making a difference
“PwC sets the bar for others to follow”
“The main action I will take away is to think at a more granular level how to make practical changes to "green" day to day roles.”
“PwC is driving high standards and leading amongst our customers. This is helping us at a group level to be aligned and to demonstrate commitment to driving actual change.”
“I will feed back to my business on the strength of PwC's environmental commitment, to help further motivate us to increase our own efforts.”
We had over 80 attendees representing 55 different companies across five sectors - from travel to marketing. Participants rated the event as extremely informative, describing it as ‘thought provoking, enlightening and motivating’.
We were encouraged to receive live poll votes throughout the forum, illustrating that businesses are taking strong action to tackle the climate crisis:
- Recognising the need to upskill: Encouragingly, 28% of suppliers already have an existing programme for green upskilling, with a further 40% suppliers exploring their options. With only 10% of suppliers yet to consider green skills.
- Net zero an opportunity for business: The majority of suppliers in attendance view net zero as an opportunity for business. Specifically, 80% think the transition to net zero will have a mostly positive impact on business, while 20% think it will have a combination of both positive and negative impacts, compared to 72% and 26% respectively last year.
- Moving towards more accurate carbon data: It’s energising to see that 32% of suppliers in attendance are already using actual carbon emissions data for the products and services they provide, but with 18% not yet capturing carbon data, there is scope to improve the quality of data available.
It is evident that businesses need to take action to keep warming under 1.5°C, and upskilling and retraining the existing workforce to tackle the sustainability challenges of tomorrow is a key component to achieving this.
Through engaging, collaborating and innovating with our supplier base, we at PwC UK are working to play our part in delivering a net zero economy.
Our Sustainability team works to help clients understand their climate risks and set net zero strategies.
