Can a question start a ripple that will help the world ... · Can a question start a ripple that...

Can a question start a ripple that will help the world work better?Better questions lead to better answers. And each one we ask serves a shared purpose of helping the world work better. EY Australia Sustainability Report 2016

Can a question start a ripple that will help the world work better? EY Australia Sustainability Report 2016 Page B

Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Contents

A message from Tony Johnson 1

EY Australia FY16 highlights 2

Creating and sustaining value 3

Our people 5

Our clients 18

Our communities 28

How we’re built for purpose 35

Managing our own carbon footprint 38

Our approach to this sustainability report 39 Ernst & Young Australia (“EY Australia) is a limited liability partnership and is a member of Ernst & Young Limited (“EYG”), a UK company limited by guarantee.

In this report we refer to ourselves as EY Australia, “we” or “us” and “our”. EY refers collectively to the Global organisation of member firms of EYG.

Can a question start a ripple that will help the world work better? EY Australia Sustainability Report 2016 Page 1

Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

A message from Tony Johnson

The power of purposeThe role of business is changing. It is now widely accepted that business has to do more than make a profit. At EY we know that the prosperity and sustainable growth of our business lies in aligning our business goals with a commitment to broader social progress.

Nearly four years ago, we distilled our purpose: to build a better working world. We are now learning first-hand the transformative power of purpose in driving sustainable growth.

We know that the most significant impact we can have on society is through our client work and the influence we can have on the wider business world — by making a commitment to audit independence, financial transparency and sound governance to build trust in the capital markets, by advising our clients to support their sustainable growth, and by investing in our people and future leaders.

It’s also about the contribution we make to building stronger communities, focusing on supporting youth, championing entrepreneurship and promoting a more diverse and inclusive society.

As a proud member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), we believe the UNGC’s Ten Principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goals align closely with our own purpose of building a better working world. In 2016 I was a signatory to the Global Compact Network Australia CEO Statement of Support for the Sustainable Development Goals, reinforcing our commitment to continue to invest in these priority areas.

At EY, we see this as more than just the right thing to do. We believe the purpose-driven EY culture differentiates us from other professional services organisations, and inspires and motivates our people, delivering better results for our clients, our marketplace, our communities and ultimately our business. This report tells our story so far, how we are growing our business and building a better working world.

Tony Johnson CEO and Regional Managing Partner, EY Oceania

Tony Johnson EY Oceania CEO and Regional Managing Partner

Can a question start a ripple that will help the world work better? EY Australia Sustainability Report 2016

Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Locations

Service lines

1,500EY Australia people volunteer almost

hours for charities

Nearly

8,400

426not-for-profit Board positions held by EY Australia people

$2mpro bono work for charities

3rd


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Creating and sustaining value


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our peopleEY’s success depends on the quality and commitment of EY people and how they team together. That is why creating the highest-performing teams — attracting, developing and inspiring great people and promoting a culture that supports them in working together — is central to our growth and our purpose of building a better working world.

The exceptional EY experience Our promise to our people is simple: whenever you join and however long you stay, the exceptional EY experience lasts a lifetime. Whether our people pursue opportunities outside the firm or stay for their entire career, our commitment is that the EY experience brings exponential value — to them and to everyone they touch. Keeping this commitment is an integral part of how we achieve our purpose of creating a better working world.

A purpose-driven cultureWe believe the purpose-driven EY culture differentiates us from other professional services organisations and helps us attract, and keep, our best people: those who embody integrity, respect and teaming, and who demonstrate energy, enthusiasm and the courage to lead. We believe that, when people pursue meaningful careers and can maximise their contributions, then collectively we are one step closer to realising our purpose.

We offer all our people broad talent development opportunities, such as leadership training and transformational coaching, at all stages in their career journeys. Our extensive benefits program is designed to meet the needs of a growing and diverse workforce, and includes services that promote a work-life balance that is sustainable over the long-term.

We are continually working to create an exceptional experience and a better working environment for our people and our teams. To help us do this, every two years we survey our people to help us identify what we are doing well and areas where we need to make improvements. We complement this with a shorter, interim survey every other year, which helps track the impact of any changes we’ve made. The input provided through these surveys helps us shape how we create an exceptional experience for our people, from training and development initiatives, to how we create diverse and inclusive teams, how we enable flexibility, and the workplace in which we operate.

Highest-performing teams comprise highly engaged individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds who come together to deliver exceptional client service.

To support these teams, EY Australia continually provides our people with: training that develops their skills; challenging client opportunities; a diverse workplace, flexibility and choice; and a framework to guide their career development. We provide competitive compensation and benefits. And we offer informal and formal flexibility arrangements that give people the opportunity to achieve work-life balance.

Highest-performing teamsOur top work experiences include being part of a highest-performing team. The EY business strategy depends on delivering excellence to our clients. Collaboration is the way we do business, grow our people and foster innovative thinking. We do this by creating the highest-performing teams, which purposefully comprise a diverse mix of individuals. These teams hold themselves accountable to the highest standards, operate with integrity and trust, and consistently deliver exceptional client service.


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our people

Talent developmentThe value of the EY experience is fuelled by our talent development efforts. Through the global EY framework, we offer a three-part approach to personal and professional development: learning opportunities, stimulating work experiences and transformational coaching.

1. Learning opportunities Our people receive required professional training designed to help them advance their careers. Nearly 90% of our people took part in learning and development training in FY16. EY’s Global People Survey 2015 results indicate that 72% of our people in Australia feel EY provides them with the learning opportunities that build the skills they need to be successful. Our vast array of educational offerings fall into three main categories:

1. Leadership training — this focuses on developing the next generation of leaders — for EY clients, EY firms and the greater market in which they serve. EY has added and strengthened a number of training programs specifically to prepare our highest-performing professionals to lead more effectively. Each of these programs is built on the learning + experiences + coaching formula.

2. Technical training — EY Australia is a major technical learning institution, with 255,514 hours of formal learning completed by our people in FY16, across 287 courses and 7,355 participants. EY Australia people also have access to more than 1,100 courses via Skillsoft and nearly 400 financial courses via Intuition.

3. Non-technical training — this includes a wide range of management skills courses, ranging from developing effective presentations, facilitation skills and business writing to project management and cultural intelligence.

Because industry knowledge and insights are a key part of our success in the market, we provide extensive learning opportunities through a markets-focused program. This was expanded in FY15 and FY16 to include a stronger focus on sector-specific case study simulations and coaching.

72%of our people in Australia feel EY provides them with the learning opportunities that build the skills they need to be successful

of our people took part in learning and development training in FY16

90%

255,514hours of formal learning

completed by our people in FY16

1,100courses via Skillsoft

400financial courses via Intuition

7,355participants

287courses

EY Australia is a major technical learning

institution

EY Australia people also have access to more than

Each year our newly promoted people are invited to attend a ‘milestone event’. These events help to support effective transition by focussing on learning and development directly relevant to the responsibilities and expectations of the new position. They are also important opportunities for our people to network with peers across service lines, offices and regions, fostering regional and global connectivity and teaming.


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our people

2. Stimulating work experiences As important as classroom learning is to our professionals, at EY we believe the majority of learning comes from actual experiences. Through a process involving counsellors, engagement team leaders, managers and others, our people determine what experiences they need and build them into their annual development plan. We encourage people to stretch their boundaries — in terms of their knowledge, leadership abilities and relationship skills. Our international client base allows our people to learn and apply a truly global approach to business, and we value and promote mobility and diversity.

In EY’s Global People Survey 2015 results, 85% of our people in Australia say they believe they have valuable experiences here that help them grow and develop, and 81% feel they work on challenging assignments that build their skills. Both these scores have increased two points from the previous survey in 2013.

85%of our people in Australia say they believe they have valuable experiences here that help them grow and develop

81% feel they work on challenging assignments that build their skills


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our people

3. Transformational coaching Coaching involves active listening and powerful questions that help an individual think in new ways about their experiences on the job, with colleagues, teams and clients. Active and focused coaching transforms learning and experiences into practice. In addition to informal coaching, we run specific coaching programs, including:

• Partner Foundation Program. Now in its third year, this program helps our newest leaders be successful during one of the most critical transitions in their careers. It includes formal learning, experiences and coaching structured over the course of the first three years as a partner.

• Counselling Families. Groups of professionals in the same industry or specialty area guide, mentor and encourage one another on performance, career management, compensation, learning and other vital issues. This is part of our wider Counselling@EY framework which aims to empower our people to take advantage of career development opportunities. In FY16, 72% of counsellors participated in the new Global Counsellor Workshop and 78% of our people participated in workshops to coach them in ways to build engagement through the pathways provided in the Counselling@EY framework.

• Harvard Virtual Leadership Program. Introduced for partners in FY16, this blend of virtual classes and personal activity focuses on strategy, globalisation and personal leadership.

• Global NextGen Program. This 18-month partner pipeline development program prepares high-performing, high-potential senior managers to excel and thrive in demanding, multi-faceted leadership roles by being more connected, inspired and market-focused. An estimated 80% of Global NextGen participants are promoted to partner.

• Oceania Markets Growth Forum. Held approximately every two years for EY partners from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, more than 440 partners participated in the inaugural two-day forum in May 2015. The focus is on sustainable growth strategies, networking, building capabilities and sharing insights. This was complemented in November 2015 by the Asia-Pacific Partners’ Conference, with EY Australia partners among the 1,550 partners involved. Fostering and strengthening cross-border connections and relationships within EY across the region is key to exceptional client service and continued business growth and this was a key focus of the conference.

Feedback and performance Across EY Australia and EY, we are strengthening our culture of open and honest communication and emphasising two-way feedback that is forward-looking. We use digital tools to capture and manage continuous, real-time feedback which both motivates continual improvement and informs mid-year and annual performance reviews.


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our people

The EY culture At EY, we focus on enabling our people to make well-informed career decisions. We believe that when people pursue meaningful careers and can maximise their contributions — whether at EY or beyond — then collectively we are one step closer to realising our purpose of building a better working world.

That vision is fuelled by EY’s purpose-driven culture. This culture differentiates EY from other professional services organisations and helps us attract — and keep — our best people. We value people who demonstrate integrity, respect and teaming. Those who succeed here demonstrate energy, enthusiasm and the courage to lead. And our success — past, present and future — rests on our ability to build relationships based on doing the right thing.

Finally, we reward those who deliver exceptional client service while living our values with an extensive compensation package. In addition, our benefits program is designed to meet the needs of a diverse workforce, including flexible work arrangements and services to enable and encourage work-life balance.

Diversity and inclusiveness For EY, diversity and inclusiveness (D&I) is a business imperative. Diverse perspectives yield better outcomes. The ability to invite and learn from different perspectives is fundamental to driving innovation, building strong relationships and providing the most appropriate approaches for our clients. In a 2014 internal study of 22,000 EY audit teams around the world, EY found that gender-balanced teams had higher performance, both financially and from a quality standpoint.

This is why EY equips its people with the skills and confidence they need to team and lead inclusively so that all our professionals are able to maximise their contribution, and we maximise the power of different opinions, perspectives and cultural references. When this happens, we deliver exceptional client service and empower the highest-performing teams.

Our focus on diversity and inclusiveness leads to a stronger internal culture. The Global People Survey 2015 showed that 83% of EY Australia people believe the firm has created an inclusive environment where people with diverse backgrounds and experiences can succeed. This was a four-point increase from our 2013 Global People Survey results and one point below the external benchmark for best in class. The 2015 survey also found that 79% of EY Australia feel their managers encourage and respect varying viewpoints, perspectives and styles, and 77% believe that EY Australia provides a work environment where they feel free to be themselves. Both these results were five points higher than in the 2013 survey.

Given its importance to our clients and the wider community, gender has been a big focus of our D&I agenda to date. Many of the actions we take supporting other areas of diversity are not as easily measured, so we are working to enable greater reporting in those areas.

83%of EY Australia people believe the organisation has created an inclusive environment where people with diverse backgrounds and experiences can succeed

3rd 2016 Australian Workplace Equality Index (measuring LGBTI-friendly workplaces)


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

21% Increased our female partner numbers from 13% in 2010

Our people

Gender• Female partners. Since 2010 we have increased our female

partner numbers from 13% to 21%, with an increase of women in the pipeline.

• Gender targets. In FY16, EY Australia introduced new gender targets to accelerate gender parity. By 2020 we aim to have:

• 30% female partners

• 50% female senior managers

• 50% new graduate hires

• 0% firm wide pay gender gap for peer-to-peer roles (p2p)

• 30% or more of our top earning partners to be female.

Since FY15, we have incorporated formal processes in rating, promotion, succession planning and remuneration decision-making to monitor and address gender parity. In FY17 we will leverage the networks of our people to selectively target female lateral hires.

• Supporting future female partners. Accelerate is a two-year program for female senior managers and directors aimed at accelerating the next generation of female future partners. It focuses on providing access to high-profile experiences and sponsorship from senior leaders assisting women to build a business case for partnership. After a successful trial in our Tax service line, Accelerate will be expanded across the whole firm in FY17. The first intake of 60 participants and their sponsors began in October 2016.

• External recognition. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) recognised EY Australia as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for the 14th consecutive year.

• Pay Parity. We have pay parity up to and including manager level. As at October 2016, (beginning of annual remuneration review cycle), the overall gender pay gap was reduced to 0.7% for like-to-like roles, which compares employees to those in similar roles, departments, ranks, locations and performance ratings. In FY16 EY Australia CEO Tony Johnson signed the Workplace Gender Equality Agency Pay Parity Pledge.

202030%female partners

50%female senior manager

50%new graduate hires

0%firm wide pay gender gap for p2p roles

By

Employer of Choicefor Gender Equality by The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) for the 14th consecutive year

Chosen as

#1

Pay ParityAustralia CEO Tony Johnson signed the Workplace Gender Equality Agency Pay Parity Pledge

“EY is committed to pay equity and a culture of inclusion. Equity in opportunities, advancement

and compensation is a business imperative. EY’s leadership is actively engaged in fostering gender equality at EY and in the global marketplace.” Tony Johnson, EY Oceania CEO & Regional Managing Partner


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Indigenous reconciliation• Cultural awareness. EY Australia’s Reconciliation Action

Plan (RAP) includes a commitment to build respect and awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history within our organisation. Initiatives to date have included introducing ‘Welcome to Country’ protocols and annual celebrations and activities to mark National Reconciliation Week in each of our offices. We also trialled Indigenous cultural awareness training in our Brisbane office and will be expanding the program nationally in FY17.

Ethnicity and cultural identity• Measurement. In 2015, EY Australia began capturing the

ethnicity and cultural identify of our people through our Global People Survey and D&I Census. Our bi-yearly D&I Census shows EY Australia is more ethnically diverse than the broader community. In FY17, we will begin including cultural background in the profiles of our people to enable more robust reporting of progress of minorities within leadership roles.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment. Since 2013, we have worked with Career Trackers and directly with universities to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. We have steadily increased the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students participating in our vacationer (intern) program from two in FY13 to seven in FY16, with graduate offers made to six of these interns.

Vacationer program offers have already been made to seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students for FY17, and we are expecting this number to increase.

• Cultural leave. In FY16, we introduced a substituted public holiday policy, which allows our people to celebrate different days of cultural significance.

• Asia Professional Network. Initially established in our Sydney office in November 2015, this network is open to all EY people in Sydney. It provides a platform for networking, mentoring and experience sharing, recognising and building the professional development of our people.

• Interfaith Professional Network. Launched in our Sydney office in FY16, this network aims to support understanding and respect for religious diversity at the firm, providing opportunities to share and learn about faith and how it impacts personal wellbeing, business experiences and learnings.

• China Network Group. This Sydney-based group includes more than 150 of our people from or interested in Chinese cultures, providing support in professional and personal development in language skills, cultural knowledge and business networks.

Flexibility• Supporting our people. The Global People Survey 2015

found that 77% of EY Australia people feel their managers enable flexibility in terms of when and where people work (an increase of four points on the 2013 survey).

• Workplace of the future. This is a trust-based flexible working environment that enables our people to deliver exceptional client service, individually and through high performing teams — and helps to attract and retain the best talent. In FY16, people across EY Australia continued to move toward this more flexible working model, with a focus on outputs rather than face time.

• Parental support. We are committed to ensuring support for our people with new families or existing carers’ responsibilities. We offer 14-18 weeks of paid parental leave (in addition to statutory entitlements), and up to two years of unpaid leave. We offer career coaching for those transitioning back to work from leave, setting them up for success.

• Domestic violence. In November 2015, we introduced a domestic violence policy, providing 10 days’ paid leave to EY Australia individuals impacted and training to support people managers. Leave can be taken in any format, including ‘working leave’ allowing people to use the office environment and resources to make personal arrangements relating to their safety.

Our people

Ethnicity and cultural identity

Interfaith Professional Network

China Network GroupAsia Professional Network

Cultural leaveAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment

of EY Australia people feel their managers enable flexibility in when and where people work

Workplace of the future

Parental support

Domestic violence policy

77%


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Disability• Disability recruitment support.

We need an appropriate working environment to access the wide range of skills and qualifications on offer from across the one in six working age Australians living with a short-term, long-term or permanent disability. In 2015, EY Australia set-up a Disability Working Group to support this goal. We also work with the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator to identify and address gaps in our policies and practices to support the employment of people with a disability.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI)• LGBTI inclusive employer. EY Australia ranked 3rd in the

2016 Australian Workplace Equality Index (measuring LGBTI-friendly workplaces), up from 12th in 2015 and 18th in 2014.

• Unity. EY Australia’s network for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people and their straight allies was established in 2015 to support an inclusive workplace and encourage our people to be comfortable bringing their whole selves to work.

Identifying incidents of discriminationAs an organisation that celebrates and encourages diversity and inclusiveness, EY supports non-discrimination and takes immediate action to resolve any incidents that arise. In FY16, EY Australia dealt with one alleged incident of discrimination. The claim was resolved confidentially. EY Australia does not believe the allegation was founded.

Our people

UnityEY Australia’s network for LGBTI people EY Australia ranked 3rd

in the 2016 Australian Workplace Equality Index

National Disability Recruitment CoordinatorWorking to improve EY as a workplace for those with diverse abilities

“Being recognised as a top employer for LGBTI workplace inclusiveness shows that EY is a

place where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and where we can leverage individual differences to make EY an even stronger and more successful organisation.” Lynn Kraus, EY Oceania Markets Leader and Unity executive sponsor


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our people

EY Australia people breakdown by gender, age and rank at 30 June 2016

F M A

Age groups by rank

Partners

Under 30 0%

30-50 73%

Over 50 27%

Executive directors and directors

Under 30 0%

30-50 71%

Over 50 29%

Staff through to senior managers

Under 30 48%

30-50 49%

Over 50 3%

Administrative

Under 30 23%

30-50 55%

Over 50 22%

Interns

Under 30 93%

30-50 6%

Over 50 1%

Average age by rank*

Partner 46Executive director and director 48

Senior manager 38

Manager 33

Senior 29

Assistant 25

Intern 22


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our people

Compensation and benefitsCompensation EY Australia offers competitive remuneration packages for our people by location, skill set and practice. We provide a vast array of learning opportunities and mobility so our people can determine where their interests lie. We make every effort to create experiences that allow all of our people to flourish.

Depending on skill specialisation and market relativity, some of our people may participate in a variable pay plan where they share in the success of the firm’s business performance through a bonus payment.

In addition to pay, EY Australia provides:

• Length of service milestones. We recognise and celebrate length of service milestones every five years from 10 years of service, with financial reward and two ‘recognition’ leave days.

• Salary sacrifice. Our people have the flexibility to salary sacrifice various items, including superannuation, additional leave, charity donations and novated leases.

• Recognition awards. In FY17, we will launch a single national online recognition platform that allows our people to instantly recognise each other’s efforts and submit a nomination, ultimately redeemable for a wide selection of rewards.

Compensation by genderEY is committed to pay equity and a culture of inclusion. Equity in opportunities, advancement and compensation is a business imperative. We work hard to promote fair practices for all of our women and men. EY leadership is actively engaged in fostering gender equality at EY firms and in the global marketplace.

Since 2011, EY Australia has progressively introduced more rigorous gender pay reviews. The reviews compare like-for-like roles based on rank, level, geography, competency, performance rating and lateral hire versus internal promotion. This process has better identified areas of concern and how to address them. As at October 2016 (beginning of annual remuneration cycle), the overall gender pay gap in FY16 was 0.7% with like-for-like roles.


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our people

Wellbeing and benefitsIn addition to remuneration we offer a market-competitive wellbeing and benefits program including:

• Financial. Superannuation, salary continuance, life, death and disability insurance, and corporate discounts with a range of financial providers.

• Wellbeing. Our wellbeing program provides access to interactive assessments to review all aspects of wellbeing, plus online tools, information and apps to assist our people in improving their overall wellbeing. Our people have access to onsite wellness centres and gyms, a counselling service run by psychologists, onsite health checks, flu vaccinations and eye tests. Additional benefits include corporate discounts to health insurances, gym memberships and healthy food deliveries.

• Technology. Technology that supports working flexibly, plus a range of technology corporate discounts.

• Family and lifestyle. Options for flexibility, plus benefits and resources which help with the return to work after parental leave.

Flexibility We believe that flexibility is crucial to developing the highest-performing teams. As EY Australia pursues flexibility for all our people, we encourage them to focus on six key behaviours that support flexibility:

1. Trust your team

2. Focus on outputs

3. Set boundaries and clear expectations

4. Communicate effectively

5. Embrace different ways of working

6. Work intelligently

Most EY Australia people are able to flex when they need to on an informal basis. We also have formal flexibility for those who need to flex more consistently. During FY16, 9% of EY Australia people were part-time and 3% were using formal flextime, job share or only work from home arrangements.

The Global People Survey 2015 found that 82% of EY Australia people agree or strongly agree that their managers enable flexibility when and where they work. In addition to measuring satisfaction, we also measured engagement. Our data shows that those using our informal flexibility are more engaged, have better perceptions about their flexibility and feel better enabled by their managers.

Most importantly, flexibility has the strongest relationship to retention of any single item in the Global People Survey 2015. In a global study that combines the Global People Survey 2015 insights and business results, groups in the top quartile of the flexibility measure, compared to those in the bottom quartile, have 6.1 percentage points higher retention.

Family and community

Financial health Values Work

Physical and mental health


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our people

At EY, we have looked at the future of work for our people across the globe. We have examined new and emerging technologies, work styles, office layouts and functionality, flexibility, workplace culture and more.

Since 2014, we have been re-designing our workplaces across Australia around how people work — not where they sit — and making better use of technology to give people the right type of space to enable highest-performing teams.

A variety of work spaces designed for activity-based working whether individually or collaboratively, means our people can choose which work space to use, based on the work they are doing. And better technology means our people can connect more easily with colleagues wherever they are based — in or out of the office.

This trust-based, flexible environment better enables our people to provide exceptional client service, individually or as part of a highest-performing team, and helps us to attract and retain the best talent.

It also means we are able to manage growth in our workforce more sustainably, reducing occupancy costs that we can reinvest in our business and reducing our environmental footprint.

Our Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Darwin people have successfully transitioned to our new way of working, with our Sydney people also moving into a new custom-built office in mid-2016 as part of this evolution. Our Canberra and Brisbane workplaces will be evolving during 2017.

A better way of working Focus

Collaborate

Communicate


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our people

Universum’s World’s Most Attractive Employer (2016). EY is proud to consistently be voted one of the World’s Most Attractive Employers in the Global Universum 2016 Employer Rankings. Among Australian business/commerce students, EY was the number one ranked professional services organisation in 2016, ranked 6th overall.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency (2015). EY Australia was a WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for the 14th consecutive year.

Global Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise (MAKE) Award (2015). For the 17th year, EY was a Global Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise Award winner, recognised for creating a knowledge-driven culture.

Australian Workplace Equality Index. Measuring LGBTI-friendly workplaces, EY Australia ranked 3rd across all Australian employers in 2016.

Awards and recognitionWe’re always honoured when respected organisations recognise our achievements. Some of the organisations that have recognised EY for our efforts include:

#1

3rd


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our clientsFundamental to building a better working world is our commitment to promoting increased trust and confidence in business, sustainable growth within and beyond EY, talent development in all its forms and greater collaboration.

Exceptional client service In a complex and dynamic world, it is admirable to be technically excellent, but not enough. Our clients want professional service providers who are connected to their businesses, responsive to their needs and insightful about the future.

• Connected — Bringing all of EY to our clients with the right people in the right locations, building trust and enriching relationships

• Responsive — The desire and commitment of every EY person to be proactive, visible and timely

• Insightful — Sharing EY experiences and a point of view tailored to our clients, helping to advance their thinking

An important way we do this is through our high-quality professional services, which help build trust and confidence in capital markets around the world. We believe that through every audit, every tax return, every advisory opportunity, every interaction with a client or colleague, our people are making the working world a better place.

As the world becomes more integrated, EY firms are using one set of globally aligned metrics to manage accounts. All EY people work together toward the same goals, teaming seamlessly across service lines and country borders.


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our clients

Client compositionLarge global businessesGlobal organisations need advisors that can match their expanding reach and meet their exacting standards. They seek EY Australia’s help to evaluate new business opportunities, expand into and out of emerging markets, comply with regulatory rules across numerous countries, coordinate a global workforce and interact with governments.

Growth market companies Companies in the middle market are having a significant impact on the global economy. These companies come in different shapes and sizes, but what they have in common is their focus on accelerating and sustaining their growth. Helping these companies achieve their growth ambitions is one of the ways we build a better working world. Our broad perspective goes beyond people, systems and operations, helping organisations reduce the volatility usually associated with rapid growth and ensuring that growth is sustainable.

EntrepreneursEY recognises that entrepreneurs are one of the greatest sources of sustainable economic growth. For several decades, EY Australia has been dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs as they achieve their business dreams. Since 2001, we have celebrated their success through the Entrepreneur Of The Year™ awards in Australia. Our focus has helped us develop a deep understanding of how entrepreneurial businesses grow. Collectively, EY member firms globally are leaders in advising, guiding and recognising outstanding entrepreneurial talent. We help clients become market leaders, whether they are start-ups, emerging fast-growth businesses or established companies.

Government and public sectorGovernment and public sector organisations are continually seeking innovative answers to complex challenges as they strive to provide higher quality, lower cost services and ensure sustainable economic development, increased accountability and a better environment for their citizens.

Drawing on years of experience from across the globe, EY works with government and public sector organisations to address complex challenges and drive transformational change.


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Investing in EY services EY member firms provide services across four service lines: Assurance, Tax, Advisory and Transaction Advisory Services. EY wants clients to benefit from a highly integrated service model. This means bringing the most appropriate services to clients through borderless teaming across service lines, industries and geographies.

The strength of EY’s global reach is balanced with deep local knowledge. We use a market segment model to group local accounts together, allowing EY Australia people to set account investments and market priorities locally, while maintaining global consistency in terms of metrics and enablement. The model allows account teams to offer more relevant and tailored services to clients, particularly those who may not be global in scope.

To remain close to our clients’ issues and respond quickly to market changes, we have continued to invest in our organisation — in our services, our people, in technology and acquisitions . Over the past two years, to keep pace with changes in the market, EY Australia made seven strategic acquisitions that rapidly broadened and bolstered our capabilities and service offerings, in areas including data and analytics, energy market modelling, sustainability and market research.

Complementing these acquisitions, EY is building a portfolio of alliances globally with other leading organisations, using our world-renowned culture of collaboration to work with the right people to create innovative solutions to help our clients grow their businesses. Our alliances include LinkedIn, Procter & Gamble, EMC, SAS and more. For more information regarding EY alliances, please visit www.ey.com/alliances.

Innovation within EY is also vital — not just in terms of technology, but in thinking of new ways to work with clients and each other. In July 2015, EY set-up a Global Innovation Team and appointed Silicon Valley executive Jeff Wong as EY Global Chief Innovation Officer to lead this group in challenging the way EY works and developing new technologies, strategies and solutions that will strongly position EY in the market. As part of this global initiative, in FY16, EY Australia set-up an innovation network to encourage new ideas, from all our people, to improve our core businesses, anticipate business disruption and develop new offerings for clients.

Remaining connected to our alumniOur EY Alumni network helps connect all EY people, past and present, to more opportunities, more resources and more of the people they need to know for the future.

It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, allowing alumni to continue to build on the legacy they created at EY and helping EY to continue to grow our business and deliver on our promise to build a better working world.

In FY15, we began to revitalise our EY Alumni network in Australia. In FY16, this continued with the launch of the EY Alumni Network portal, providing members with more regular news, insights and alumni profiles. The portal also promotes opportunities to return to EY and helps members directly seek EY alumni talent for their own businesses.

EY Australia now has more than 7,300 actively engaged alumni through the portal, the quarterly Access e-newsletter and our LinkedIn group. In FY17, we will be introducing discussion forums on the portal, to further help connectivity among alumni, and between alumni and EY people.

As part of our more strategic approach to engaging alumni, in FY16 we also increased the opportunity for face-to-face networking, with events held in each office across Australia tailored for specific interest groups, such as emerging leaders, key buyers and influencers.

The number of people joining our alumni program increased 31% between FY15 and FY16, representing both established alumni and new leavers. In FY17, we will continue to seek to grow this network and active engagement with and within it.

Our clients

http://www.ey.com/alliances


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Assurance EY Australia’s Assurance practice provides robust and clear audit perspectives to audit committees as well as forensic, sustainability and financial accounting advisory services to stakeholders. In the process, we help promote greater trust and confidence in businesses, capital markets and economies.

We are currently undertaking a multi-million dollar, multi-year EY Audit Transformation program to help us deliver against our primary aim of providing high quality audits. As part of Audit Transformation, the EY organisation is launching a new audit tool with real-time updates to quickly assess risks and see the status of engagements and better manage the complexities of an audit.

Tax The role of the tax function has changed dramatically. Today’s business environment is more competitive and complex thanks to continued globalisation and the evolution of regulation and business models. This evolution is changing the role tax plays in setting the strategic direction of business.

Against this backdrop, EY Australia’s Tax practice helps clients understand and manage their tax compliance and reporting obligations responsibly and proactively.

We advise on tax planning that aligns with the needs of our clients’ businesses and recognises that change is crucial to sustainable growth. We help build a better working world by advising our clients on meeting their tax obligations and helping them resolve tax controversies. We also foster open dialogue with tax administrators, government officials and other stakeholders about tax issues, the impact of policy decisions and the contributions that companies and individuals make to society by paying the correct amount of a variety of taxes.

Significant regulatory developments and wider scrutiny of tax planning mean that clients increasingly want end-to-end tax and reporting services that drive quality, manage risk and improve efficiency and value. To meet that need, in FY15 we combined our Global Compliance and Reporting service with Accounting Compliance and Reporting. Uniting these offerings better enables us to serve clients across their entire life cycle — from “record to report” — helping them to fulfil their compliance and reporting requirements in an increasingly complex environment for tax regulation and accounting standards. In the past two years we have also significantly expanded our legal service offering, broadening the services offered and adding greater experience and capabilities.

Similarly, we have evolved existing joint service offerings to reflect the changing needs of our clients. EY Australia Tax teamed with Advisory to bring together our people and organisational change and human capital competencies, helping clients gain competitive advantage by looking at people as part of an integrated business strategy.

Our clients


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Advisory EY Australia’s Advisory practice helps clients manage risk and improve performance to achieve measurable and sustainable results. In a world of unprecedented change, we believe a better working world means solving big, complex industry issues and helping our clients grow, optimise and protect their businesses.

Through a collaborative, industry-focused approach, we combine a wealth of consulting capabilities — strategy, customer, finance, IT, supply chain, people and organisational change, program management and risk — with a complete understanding of a client’s most complex issues and opportunities, such as digital disruption, innovation, analytics, cybersecurity, risk and transformation.

Global connectivity, diversity and a collaborative culture inspire our consultants to ask better questions. We develop trusted relationships with clients across the C-suite, functions and business unit leadership levels, from the largest multinationals to leading disruptive innovators.

Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) How organisations manage their capital today will define their competitive position tomorrow. EY’s Australia TAS practice helps clients make more informed decisions about strategically managing capital and transactions.

We advise on strategies to raise, invest, optimise and preserve capital. Our teams bring together transaction professionals across functional areas, sectors and geographies to evaluate our clients’ capital agendas.

We assess growth opportunities by identifying areas for revenue generation, market expansion and synergy capture. We evaluate potential future cash flows and identify favourable funding options. We can help clients avoid financial and regulatory risks by finding deal breakers early and accelerate efforts by focusing on the highest-impact value drivers.

In the past two years, we have expanded and enhanced our service offerings in restructuring, working with clients to build business resilience and sustainable turnaround plans.

Similarly, EY has invested in building our corporate finance strategy consulting services, globally through combining with The Parthenon Group in FY15, and locally through lateral hires to enhance our investment strategy advice across the capital cycle.

Our clients


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

To provide this insight, our partners and senior people are each aligned with specific sectors, building on their experience from working with clients in the sector through internal sector communities which provide industry-focused training and education. EY Australia people also have access to dedicated EY global sector professionals around the world, who serve as networks for sharing industry-focused experience and knowledge. Our immersion at the sector level enables us to anticipate market trends, identify implications and develop clear points of view on relevant issues related to our principal industry sectors, including:

• Automotive and Transportation

• Banking and Capital Markets

• Consumer Products and Retail

• Government and Public Sector

• Health

• Insurance

• Life Sciences

• Media & Entertainment

• Mining and Metals

• Oil and Gas

• Power and Utilities

• Private Equity

• Real Estate, Hospitality and Construction

• Technology

• Telecommunications

• Wealth and Asset Management

Applying an industry focus Our clients expect us to be more than technically proficient. They also expect us to have deep industry knowledge to provide the insights and services that are appropriate for their businesses and the industries in which they operate.

Our clients


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our clients

Our contribution to the public debate By engaging with stakeholders, including governments, policymakers, regulators and standard setters, EY Australia plays a part in building a better working world and promoting transparency and trust. EY Australia encourages improvements in corporate governance, financial reporting, audit quality, tax transparency, as well as other matters that affect the global capital markets. EY thought leadership offers insights on issues of the day, analysis and updates on opportunities and challenges across markets and sectors.

For more information regarding our public policy activities, please visit ey.com/publicpolicy

For more information regarding our thought leadership, please visit http://www.ey.com/gl/en/issues/insights

Compliance with applicable legal requirements EY Australia complies with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, EY values underpin our commitment to doing the right thing, and the EY Global Code of Conduct (Code) provides a clear set of standards that guide our actions and business conduct. All newly hired EY Australia personnel are required to complete online training on EY values and the Code within six months of hire. Current personnel are required to annually affirm their commitment to abide by the principles stated in the Code. This important commitment is also supported by a number of policies and procedures.

Anti-bribery and anti-corruption The EY Anti-Bribery Global Policy provides our people with direction to help address certain unethical and illegal activities. The policy emphasises the obligation of our people to comply with anti-bribery laws and provides greater definition of what constitutes bribery and corruption. It also identifies their responsibility to report bribery and corruption.

In FY14, we launched a mandatory “Anti-Bribery & You” online learning program to our personnel. The course is designed to help our people recognise, prevent and resist bribery. In addition, we disseminate ethics vignettes and related communications periodically.

EY’s membership in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) further underscores our commitment to anti-corruption efforts. For more information on how EY upholds the UNGC’s Ten Principles, one of which is anti-corruption, please refer to ‘EY continues to be a member of United Nations Global Compact’ by visiting www.ey.com/ungc.

http://ey.com/publicpolicy

http://www.ey.com/ungc


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our clients

Insider trading The EY Insider Trading Global Policy reaffirms the obligation of EY people not to trade in securities with material non-public information, provides details on what constitutes insider information and identifies who our people should consult if they have questions regarding their responsibilities.

Data protection Protecting confidential information is an essential part of our professional services to clients, which we take seriously. We are bound by the confidentiality requirements of the APES110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants issued by the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board and the EY Global Code of Conduct (Code).

The Code stipulates that EY people must respect and protect the personal and confidential information received from or relating to clients or third parties, the EY organisation and one another. In addition, the EY Global Data Privacy Policy and Confidentiality Global Policy set out a common set of data management principles that provide a framework for processing confidential information to comply with applicable laws and professional standards. EY firms have also adopted a Binding Corporate Rules Global Policy that legitimises international data transfers across EY member firms, in conjunction with European data protection standards.

To reinforce our policies and procedures and keep pace with constantly evolving threats to confidentiality, we regularly conduct awareness-raising programs in a variety of forms and through numerous communications channels to maintain and improve our people’s understanding of data protection practices and security threats.

For more information regarding our commitment to protecting personal data, please visit: http://www.ey.com/publication/vwLUAssets/ey-protecting-your-data/$FILE/ey-protecting-your-data.pdf

Independence Independence is fundamental to the audit profession and is essential in all dealings between EY member firms and their audit and assurance clients. Maintaining our independence is pivotal for achieving audit quality.

For more information related to our independence practices, please visit: http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY_Transparency_Report_2015/$FILE/2015-EY-transparency-report-Australia.pdf

Client acceptance and service delivery Providing the right services to the right clients is an essential foundation of EY Australia’s risk management processes.

The EY global client acceptance and continuance policy, which all EY member firms must follow, outlines principles to identify whether to accept a new client or a new engagement or to continue a relationship with an existing client. These principles are fundamental to maintaining quality and independence, managing risk and meeting regulatory requirements.

The objectives of the policy are to:

• Have a rigorous process for evaluating risk and making decisions to accept or continue clients or engagements

• Meet applicable independence requirements

• Identify and deal appropriately with any conflicts of interest

• Identify and decline clients that pose excessive risk

• Consult with designated professionals to identify additional risk management procedures for specific high-risk factors

• Comply with legal, regulatory and professional requirements

http://www.ey.com/publication/vwLUAssets/ey-protecting-your-data/$FILE/ey-protecting-your-data.pdf



http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY_Transparency_Report_2015/$FILE/2015-EY-transparency-report-Australia.pdf




Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our clients

In addition, the EY Global Conflicts of Interest Policy defines global standards for categories of conflicts of interest and a process for identifying potential conflicts of interest. It also includes provisions for managing potential conflicts of interest quickly and efficiently by using appropriate safeguards. Such safeguards range from obtaining a client’s consent to act for two or more clients, to member firms declining an engagement to avoid a potential conflict.

The EY Global Tool for Acceptance and Continuance (GTAC) is an intranet-based system for efficiently coordinating client and engagement acceptance and continuance activities in line with global, service line and member firm policies. GTAC takes users step-by-step through the acceptance and continuance requirements and connects to the resources and information needed to assess business opportunities and associated risks.

For more information regarding EY Australia’s client acceptance and continuance policies, as well as EY Australia’s audit quality review process, please visit: http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY_Transparency_Report_2015/$FILE/2015-EY-transparency-report-Australia.pdf

Supply chain and procurement EY firms purchase goods and services that enable them to perform their work and deliver quality services to clients.

The EY Global Procurement Policy applies to all EY member firms. In addition to requiring compliance with independence rules and doing business in a responsible way, the EY Global Procurement Policy also requires all member firms, including EY Australia, to evaluate the impact of procurement decisions and encourage suppliers to support sustainability initiatives.

The procurement policy includes a separate EY Supplier Code of Conduct for our suppliers, as well as requiring: environmental risk management; compliance with human rights; equal opportunities policy; occupational health and safety; and the highest ethical standards and zero tolerance to any types of corruption, extortion, bribery or embezzlement.

In FY16, EY Australia engaged nearly 2,500 suppliers for work across a broad range of services, from talent to technology, travel, marketing and communications, professional services, legal and facilities. Payments to these suppliers in FY16 exceeded $144 million.

The EY Global Supplier Code of Conduct also recommends that member firms require suppliers to increase their cooperation with local communities to promote these communities’ social and economic development. EY Australia currently does not have the mechanisms in place to capture data relating to the number or percentage of suppliers that were screened using criteria for impacts on society. However, this is something EY Australia Procurement is currently exploring and hopes to implement in the future.

2,500 $144 millionIn FY16, EY Australia engaged nearly

Payments to these suppliers in FY16 exceeded

suppliers for work across a broad range of services

talent technology travel marketing and communications

professional services

legal facilities





Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Delivering exceptional client serviceDifferentiating EY by delivering exceptional client service is critical to winning in the market.

As part of a global EY initiative, EY Australia runs a client care program to monitor and continually improve how we serve our clients, enabling us to monitor the quality of service and act on feedback we receive. The client care program seeks to protect and grow revenue by helping our teams understand what being connected, responsive and insightful means to our clients, and drive the right behaviours to meet these expectations. It also helps us build strong, mutually respectful relationships at all levels and across all sectors of our clients’ businesses.

In Australia, quantitative and qualitative client insights are gathered through face-to-face interviews with key people in the business, including audit committee chairs and board members, where relevant, and are conducted by senior professionals. These interviews may be:

• Expectations of Service Quality (ESQ): held by the account teams to understand what constitutes exceptional client service for an individual client. These interviews have enabled our account teams to win more work by better understanding the clients’ business strategy, reduce surprises by proactively discussing expectations around scope creep, and gain insight into what a client expects for future work. These discussions are an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of a client’s strategies and issues and what exceptional client service means for that company.

• Assessment of Service Quality (ASQ): held by independent senior executives to identify if exceptional client service was delivered, often as compared with our agreed-upon client expectations. It also allows further opportunities to be identified. Quantitative information is organised into three categories based on answers to the question: “Would you recommend EY to others?” Respondents are asked to rate their response on a scale of 0 to 10. Our FY16 results indicate that 96% are either neutral or positive. When clients were asked if they considered their relationship with EY Australia to be better, the same or worse than a year ago, 99% of respondents thought their relationships were the same or better.

In FY16, we undertook 878 ASQ interviews across 395 global and national accounts.

Our clients

96%

Would you recommend EY to others?

are either neutral or positive

99%of respondents thought

their relationships were the same or

better than a year ago

ASQ


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our communitiesTo support our commitment to building a better working world through our work with our clients and our markets, we also invest in our communities. Making a positive difference in the world is not a side activity. We can make the biggest contribution to our communities when we take the same distinctive services and competencies we use in our business every day and apply them to helping solve some of our communities’ most pressing challenges. This is reflected in our key areas of social impact focus: supporting youth, growing the positive effects of entrepreneurs and building a more diverse and inclusive society.

Community contributionsIn FY16, nearly 1,500 EY Australia people volunteered almost 8,400 hours for a range of charities across Australia. Employee workplace giving, together with matched donations from EY Australia, partner donations and EY Australia cash donations totalled more than $1.1 million in financial contributions across our communities. EY Australia contributed a further $2.0 million in probono work to charities and provided sponsorship to our communities worth nearly $1.2 million. Our people also contributed their time, skills and experience to boards, with 281 of our people holding 426 positions on the boards of not-for-profit organisations in FY16.

We provide practical help to those that need it through pro bono professional services, mentoring, financial giving and volunteering. We work individually with each of our supported charities to see where we can add the most value, tailored to meet their individual needs.

We also understand the importance of acting as a role model, addressing issues we care about internally and speaking publically about them.

These are some of the ways we are contributing to building stronger communities.

In FY16...

281 EY people holding 426 positions on boards

8,400 hrs

1,500 EY Australia people

Volunteering

not-for-profit organisations

>$1.1million+

Workplace giving and donations

$2.0 million pro bono work to charities and

community organisations

nearly

$1.2 million sponsorship to our communities

Pro bono and sponsorship


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our communities

Supporting youth in AustraliaYoung people are vital to the sustainable progress of business and society. Developing future generations of talent means helping young people prepare for and succeed in the working world of today and tomorrow.

Young people with the right skills and behaviours are critical to the sustainable progress of business and society. Every business needs the right talent to avoid future skills gaps and to continue to build the diverse and inclusive workforce that is essential to resilience and innovation.

EY firms’ hiring and development practices have helped them build a reputation as great developers of talent. Every year, EY member firms hire tens of thousands of smart young people, train them with valuable skills and integrate them into our high-performing teams.

At EY Australia, we seek to extend our impact by working with and supporting community organisations that are focused on young Australians, particularly disadvantaged or at risk youth. We do this through our national strategic charity relationships with ReachOut Australia and the Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN), and by supporting local focus charities for each of our offices. From March 2016 our local focus charities are Esther Foundation, HYPA, Australian Childhood Foundation, Hartley Lifecare, Weave and Youngcare.

ReachOut AustraliaSince 2012, EY Australia has had a strategic relationship with ReachOut Australia, a leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents. ReachOut provides practical support, tools and tips to help young people get through anything from everyday issues to tough times - and the information for parents makes it easier for them to help their teenagers too. EY Australia provides a much-needed annual cash donation that contributes to operational costs, in addition to fundraising and workplace giving from our people.

As importantly, EY Australia works with ReachOut to undertake and publish research designed to improve the way young people and their families access help for mental health problems. This work brings together ReachOut’s expertise and knowledge with EY’s skills and experience in analytics, economics and government services, in producing a series of reports designed to raise awareness of and inform public discussion on the economic costs of mental illness, the cost to the health-care system and alternative models for the provision of mental health services in Australia.

This combined knowledge and skills has helped foster constructive debate and raise the profile of both ReachOut and the issues at the heart of its existence — including at EY Australia client events, giving ReachOut access to an audience it may otherwise have struggled to connect with. This joint effort has contributed to Government’s recognition of the role of digital services in the future of effective mental health service delivery.

In turn, ReachOut supports EY’s vision of a building a better working world by supporting the wellbeing of our people and their families through an annual wellbeing campaign, seminars and bespoke programs across Australia.


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our communities

Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN)EY Australia has been a supporter of the Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN) since its inception in 2005. We partner with ABCN in mentoring students in disadvantaged schools across Australia, with the goal of improving opportunities and increasing awareness of the personal, educational and vocational choices available.

In 2015, 1,200 EY Australia volunteers offered the equivalent of 900 days of mentoring and volunteering to support nearly 6,000 students in more than 40 disadvantaged schools across Australia. As a result of various programs on learning skills, literacy, maths, leadership skills and career pathways:

• 76% of year 9 students at risk of disengaging now want to go to university

• 86% of primary students who participated in a basic maths program improved their maths skills

• 94% of Year 11 students in the Aspirations small-group mentoring program had a better understanding of the key employability skills

• 86% of students in one-to-one mentoring for reading and literacy improved their reading skills

• 82% of Year 11 female students now demonstrate leadership in day to day life and 96% have a better understanding of their leadership potential, after three sessions of small group mentoring focusing on leadership skills

EY Australia’s support of ABCN included volunteering to improve school playgrounds and other facilities at nearly 40 schools around Australia on our EY Care Day in October 2015.

Using maths to build children’s self-beliefResearch shows that struggling with basic numeracy can lead to wider problems of low self-esteem, poor behaviour and disengagement from school. Left unchecked, these issues can seriously hamper children’s prospects of entering tertiary education and finding gainful employment.

That’s why the Australian Business Community Network (ABCN) is committed to helping students from disadvantaged schools to build their confidence in and enjoyment of math through its 1:2:1 program. Matching Year 1 students with mentors for weekly sessions, it boosts their understanding of math and its applications, with remarkable results.

Not only have 86% of participating children shown significant improvements in their mathematical understanding and ability, but this is also having a positive ripple effect on their overall behaviour and participation in class.

Helping to propel children’s enjoyment and success in maths provides a perfect avenue for EY people to share their knowledge and experience and act as positive role models.

ABCN CEO, Jacqui Jones, says: “Regardless of their postcode, every child should have the same opportunities to succeed. The value of EY’s contribution in providing mentors to programs such as 1:2:1 is critical to our goal of improving outcomes for disadvantaged students.”

76% of year 9 students at risk of disengaging now want to go to university

86% of primary students who participated in a basic maths program improved their maths skills

86% of students in one-to-one mentoring for reading and literacy improved their reading skills


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our communities

Growing the positive effects of entrepreneursGrowing the positive effects of entrepreneurs means championing entrepreneurs as creators of social and economic value.

We have made it our business to be the world leader in advising, guiding and recognising entrepreneurs. EY’s identification with entrepreneurs and high-growth companies, through programs such as EY Entrepreneur Of the Year™ (EOY) and the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, serves as the cornerstone of the EY brand.

We know that entrepreneurs can transform economies, drive innovation and change communities. EY Australia supports entrepreneurs at their many stages of development through our own programs and by supporting the initiatives of others that aim to grow the positive effects of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Some of these programs are noted below. For more information regarding our efforts around entrepreneurship, please visit: ey.com/entrepreneurship.

• EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, this EY program celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognising them through regional

and national awards programs in over 145 cities in more than 60 countries. Each country’s winner then competes for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™. In 2015, EOY marked 15 years in Australia, having celebrated more than 1,400 entrepreneurs who, in just the year of their participation, generated a combined revenue of more than $50 billion and employed more than 180,000 people. For more information on the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program in Australia, please visit http://www.ey.com/AU/en/About-us/Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/EY-eoy-welcome

• Accelerating Entrepreneurs. This new program gives high-potential, fast-growth technology start-ups support to help scale their businesses, with one-to-one guidance, ongoing mentoring from EY teams, and the opportunity to network with peers from the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. As part of this program, six Australian entrepreneurs participated in the two-day EY Strategic Growth Forum event in Shanghai in May 2016.

In addition to our own programs, EY Australia supports many initiatives that encourage and facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship, including Tank Stream Labs, York Butter Factory and Stone & Chalk.

Purpose, innovation and integrity drive entrepreneur successIn June 2016, Manny Stul, Chairman and Co-CEO of Melbourne-based toy company Moose Enterprise, was named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2016 — the first Australian to ever win the prestigious business award.

Since taking over Moose in 2000, Manny has increased sales by 7,200% and built a global business that is now the fourth largest toy company in Australia and, by sales, the sixth-largest in the US.

Through the Moose Foundation, Moose Enterprise strives to extend its mission of making children happy in the wider community through philanthropic initiatives that positively make a difference to the lives and well-being of less fortunate children.

Mark Weinberger, EY Global Chairman and CEO, said: “Moose Enterprise has a very clear purpose at its heart that has guided the company’s outstanding growth. It’s the ability to combine this purpose with innovation, integrity, determination and grit that makes Manny a truly worthy EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year winner.”

http://ey.com/entrepreneurship

http://www.ey.com/AU/en/About-us/Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/EY-eoy-welcome




Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our communities

Building a more diverse and inclusive societyBuilding a more diverse and inclusive society means championing diversity and inclusiveness, including increasing the representation of women in business.

We believe that well-managed diversity is essential to building a better working world. Diverse perspectives, harnessed by an inclusive culture, drive better decision-making, stimulate innovation, and increase organisational agility and resilience in a rapidly changing world. Increased representation of women as leaders, in particular, has been shown to correlate positively with sustained economic growth and community investment.

We demonstrate our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness through our own award-winning practices. These include working to incorporate cross-cultural learning in each stage of our people’s careers, and to embed core principles of inclusiveness in all of our processes and across our entire organisation, so that diversity and inclusive leadership are part of everything we do.

We seek to extend our impact as champions of diversity through programs that harness the untapped leadership potential of women and by supporting successful women entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses and becoming market leaders. Our programs for women include:

• Women. Fast forward. We are determined to do our part to accelerate women’s progress in the workplace. We’ve worked hard for many years to create effective internal and external programs focused on women’s advancement and leadership around the world — and we know there is more to do. EY has brought all these efforts together to create one unifying accelerator. Through Women. Fast forward we will use our collective knowledge, experiences and convening power to push ourselves further and to do our part to accelerate the global gender parity clock. For more information regarding the Women. Fast forward program, please visit ey.com/womenfastforward.

• EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™. This program connects women entrepreneurs with promising high-growth businesses to an elite business network and offers a customised executive leadership program designed to help them accelerate and sustain the growth of their companies. Since 2015, eight dynamic women entrepreneurs from Australia have participated in the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ Asia-Pacific program, which brought them together with a community of successful entrepreneurs, experienced board executives, private equity and venture capitalists and EY leaders, all experienced in helping entrepreneurs grow and scale internationally. For more information regarding the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, please visit ey.com/winningwomen.

EY Australia also champions women in leadership through thought leadership and public discussion. Our report series “Women in Leadership” has contributed and helped to further discussion on gender equity issues in the workplace. We are active supporters and sponsors of the initiatives of others in regard to gender equity, including the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Chief Executive Women. For more information regarding our Women in Leadership reports, please visit ey.com/au/women.

http://ey.com/womenfastforward

http://ey.com/winningwomen

http://ey.com/au/women


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Our communities

Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) equityDiversity and inclusiveness, including the inclusiveness of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community is not only a social responsibility, it’s a business imperative. Diversity drives innovation and teaming, promoting creativity and helping us to develop more innovative solutions to problems.

We acknowledge that nurturing diversity is essential to our future success: our people deserve it, our clients demand it and our society expects it. Championing inclusiveness in our communities is equally important. In May 2015, EY Oceania CEO and Regional Managing Partner Tony Johnson signed the Marriage Equality Pledge on behalf of EY Australia. Additionally, in FY16 EY Australia was involved with or sponsored a number of supportive events, including:

• Sydney Mardi Gras in collaboration with ReachOut (supporting LGBTI youth)

• Australia and NZ Gay Rugby Tournament — The Purchas Cup

• Sydney Convicts, Australia’s first gay and inclusive rugby union club

Indigenous reconciliationEY Australia is committed to contributing to promoting and facilitating Indigenous reconciliation. Our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), launched in 2011, focused on building respect and awareness within our organisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, and generating opportunities for Indigenous people and enterprises to access employment and business prospects. Our 2016-2019 Stretch RAP was released in late 2016 and outlines our ambition to do more for reconciliation.

Progress to date include:• Introducing protocols and policies around

Acknowledgment of Country and Welcome to Country

• Hosting annual events and activities to celebrate and mark National Reconciliation Week in each of our offices

• Encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses to participate in our Entrepreneur Of The Year Award program

• Introducing Indigenous cultural awareness training for our people, to be expanded nationally during FY17

• Recruiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to participate in the EY Australia vacationer (intern) program, increasing Indigenous student numbers from two in FY13 to seven in FY16, with graduate offers made to six of these interns

• Support for Indigenous organisations and entrepreneurs through purchasing, donations, volunteering and pro bono services

• Working with Supply Nation to provide opportunities for Indigenous businesses to compete to provide supplies and services through EY procurement

• Featuring Indigenous artwork in our offices, including a feature installation at our new Sydney office

Additionally, EY Australia’s Indigenous Sector Practice, established in FY16, has built relationships with Indigenous organisations with the aim of working with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

For more information regarding our RAP, please visit ey.com/au/RAP.

“In signing this pledge, EY Australia proudly recognises the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people to experience the same freedoms as

others, including with whom they choose to make a commitment of love and marriage.”Tony Johnson, EY Oceania CEO and Regional Managing Partner, signing the Australian Marriage Equality pledge, May 2015

http://ey.com/au/RAP


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

How we’re built for purposeAt EY, we have long thought that globalisation is one of the defining issues of our time. Our response has been to transform our organisation so we keep in step with the changing needs of our clients and our people. The EY global network preserves the independence of each member firm, yet enables collaboration so all member firms work together seamlessly. This allows us to make decisions quickly, execute our strategy and provide exceptional client service wherever in the world our clients do business.

Our member firms are grouped into four geographic Areas: Americas, Asia-Pacific, EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India and Africa) and Japan. The Areas comprise a number of Regions, which consist of member firms or sections of those firms.

EY Australia is part of the Asia-Pacific Area, which comprises member firms in 22 countries, organised into five Regions. EY Australia is part of the Oceania Region and a member of Ernst & Young Asia-Pacific Limited (Asia-Pacific Limited).

We are a global organisation, unified in our approach. EY Australia, and each member firm, can tap the scale and might of our global organisation to build a better working world with our people, our clients and our communities.

Aligned for global impactGlobalisation is shaping our world: expanding horizons as trade, technology and investment increasingly connect countries and companies around the globe; and compressing time and distance as people and products move — and ideas spread — faster than ever before.

Our clients need integrated, cross-border services of the same high quality wherever they do business around the world. Our people want to build careers in an organisation that’s global in its outlook and inclusive in its approach. This is why EY drives strong global alignment in order to deliver consistent quality service on a global basis.


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

How we’re built for purpose

The principal governing bodies for the Oceania Region and EY Australia are:

Oceania Executive TeamThe Oceania Executive Team has the authority and accountability for strategy and execution. It comprises the Oceania Managing Partner, the Markets leader, the Operations leader, the Strategic Growth leader, the service line leaders for Assurance, Advisory, Transaction Advisory Services and Tax, and the Financial Services Office leader.

Regional Partners ForumEach Region elects a Regional Partner Forum (RPF), whose representatives advise and act as a sounding board to Regional Leadership. The partner elected as Presiding Partner of the RPF also serves as the Region’s representative on the Global Governance Council.

EY Asia-PacificAsia-Pacific Limited, a Hong Kong company limited by guarantee, is the principal coordinating entity for the Ernst & Young Global Limited (EYG) member firms in the Asia-Pacific Area. Asia-Pacific Limited facilitates the coordination of these firms and cooperation between them, but it does not control them. Asia-Pacific Limited is a member firm of EYG, it has no financial operations and does not provide any professional services.

The principal governing bodies of the Asia-Pacific Area are:

Area Operating ExecutiveThe Area Operating Executive has authority for overseeing the execution of the global EY strategy in the Asia-Pacific Area. It comprises the Area Managing Partner, the Deputy Area Managing Partner, the leaders for Talent, Risk and Accounts, the service line leaders for Assurance, Advisory, Transaction Advisory Services and Tax, and the Regional Managing Partners of the five Regions in the Asia-Pacific Area.

Network arrangementsEYG, the central entity of the EY organisation, coordinates the activities of the EY member firms and promotes cooperation among them. EYG does not provide services to clients, but its objectives include promoting the provision of exceptional, high-quality client service by its member firms worldwide. Each member firm is a legally distinct entity. Their obligations and responsibilities are governed by the regulations of EYG and various other agreements.

Scope 1 emissionsSince FY15, full-time equivalents (FTEs) have increased by 12%, yet Scope 1 emissions have decreased 27% to 1,290 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2-e). While we believe the reduction in Scope 1 emissions is in part attributable to our efforts to reduce fuel consumption, we are also focused on improving our data collection processes for reporting direct fuel consumption across our operations, including separating out consumption for our tenancies with base building consumption. We therefore set no expectations on future direct fuel consumption until we have a better understanding of this dataset.

Scope 2 emissionsScope 2 emissions have decreased from 6,780 tCO2-e in FY15 to 6,109 tCO2-e in FY16. This is largely due to revised emissions factors, reflecting the lower carbon intensity of the Australian electricity network in 2016. EY Australia has implemented a number of energy efficiencies in our office environments and hope to see corresponding reductions in our energy consumption. We are starting to see the result of this, with more FTEs per square foot of office through our continued efforts to move to activity-based working and encouraging flexible working options, including working from home. We expect ongoing emissions reductions specifically as a result of our Sydney office relocation to 200 George Street, which is a 6 Star Green Star building and one of Australia’s most environmentally advanced and sustainable buildings.

Scope 3 emissionsScope 3 emissions increased slightly between FY15 and FY16, from 29,959 tCO2-e to 31,394 tCO2-e.* Reducing our Scope 3 emissions remains a challenge for us. To deliver exceptional client service by the highest-performing teams — to provide the right people in the right places — our people often need to travel. Although travel is critical to our business, we are investing in travel alternatives, like telepresence video conferencing and enhanced desktop and mobile options.

Indirect CO2-e emissionsTotal purchased energy20157,891,942 kWh* (6,780 tCO2-e)

20167,909,345 kWh (6,109 tCO2-e)

Total travel emissions201529,959 tCO2-e

201631,394 tCO2-e

* kWh - kilo watts per hour

* Scope 3 emissions are calculated using the business air travel plus well-to-tank emissions factors, providing a more holistic and conservative reflection of our environmental impact through air travel.

Direct and indirect emissions sources are included in the scope of our carbon footprint report, which gathered and analysed information from:

Scope 1Direct fuel usage for heating and

maintenance of backup generators

Scope 2Office energyconsumption

Scope 3Business travel

(including air travel)


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Managing our own carbon footprintEY believes we should serve as a role model for transitioning to a low-carbon economy by systematically measuring the environmental impact of our own operations and taking demonstrable steps to reduce it. Working with its own in-house Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) professionals, EY measures its global carbon footprint annually and reports its environmental impact via the UNGC.

Our carbon output comes from two sources: office energy consumption and business travel (particularly, air travel).


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Economic aspects Environmental aspects People and culture Society Product responsibility• Economic performance

• Market presence

• Community involvement

• Procurement practices

• Energy

• Emissions

• Products and services

• Compliance

• Transport

• Employment

• Occupational health and safety

• Talent development

• Diversity and inclusiveness

• Equal remuneration for women and men

• Labour practices and grievance mechanisms

• Wellbeing

• Local communities and collaboration

• Pro bono work and volunteering

• Ethics and Code of Conduct: anti-corruption and anti-competitive behaviour

• Public policy

• Compliance

• Supplier social practices/supplier Code of Conduct

• Entrepreneurship

• Brand, marketing and communications

• Client/data privacy and confidentiality

• Regulatory compliance

• Exceptional client service

• Embedding sustainability in service delivery

Our approach to this sustainability reportWe have leveraged the work of the EY global network and international frameworks such as GRI G4 Core Sustainability Reporting Guidelines in framing what is most significant to our business and to inform the content of this report.

This is our first EY Australia sustainability report and we welcome your feedback as we consider how we communicate the sustainability of our business in the future. Contact us via ey.com/au/contactus


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

How we’re built for purpose

Supporting the sustainability journeyEY Australia’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) team helps clients take concrete actions to identify competitive advantages, increase operational efficiency and mitigate the strategic, operational, compliance, reporting and reputation risks related to sustainability. We look at all of the components that can affect a client’s business, from climate change emissions, innovation and the energy agenda, to tax implications, supply chain and compliance, social impact and reporting. Specifically, EY Australia helps clients in three areas along their sustainability journey:

• Credible reporting. We help our clients assess and understand environmental and social metrics material to managing their operations. Using our proven methodologies, we help organisations build the necessary monitoring and management processes and controls while interpreting and implementing emerging standards and frameworks. Through our assurance services, we also help our clients improve accuracy and reliability when reporting transparently in the market.

• Sustainable business solutions. We help organisations make better business decisions by bringing environmental, social and governance concepts out of the sole purview of the sustainability function into strategic risk, supply chain, marketing, product development, finance and internal audit.

• Corporate compliance and operational improvement. We assist organisations in managing corporate compliance and operational improvement by helping them manage environmental and sustainability regulations and voluntary initiatives. We use a pragmatic business approach that focuses on improving client operations by providing cost-effective solutions to material risks.

In addition to the service we provide to our clients, EY Australia and other EY member firms work with regulators, governments and non-government organisations to help standardise definitions and approaches to sustainability. We are also part of working groups, including the International Integrated Reporting Council, the Global Reporting Initiative and The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.

For more details, or to download a copy of thought leadership related to sustainability, please visit ey.com/au/sustainability.

http://ey.com/au/sustainability


Crea

ting

and

su

stai

ning

val

ueO

ur p

eopl

eO

ur c

lient

sO

ur c

omm

uniti

esH

ow w

e’re

bui

lt

for p

urpo

seM

anag

ing

our o

wn

carb

on fo

otpr

int

Our

app

roac

h to

this

su

stai

nabi

lity

repo

rt

Appendix A - Memberships and associations

Memberships and associations

EY | Assurance | Tax | Transactions | Advisory

About EYEY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organisation, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organisation, please visit ey.com.

© 2017 Ernst & Young, Australia. All Rights Reserved. ED None. S1629787. APAC No. AU00002942.

This communication provides general information which is current at the time of production. The information contained in this communication does not constitute advice and should not be relied on as such. Professional advice should be sought prior to any action being taken in reliance on any of the information. Ernst & Young disclaims all responsibility and liability (including, without limitation, for any direct or indirect or consequential costs, loss or damage or loss of profits) arising from anything done or omitted to be done by any party in reliance, whether wholly or partially, on any of the information. Any party that relies on the information does so at its own risk. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

ey.com

Can a question start a ripple that will help the world ... · Can a question start a ripple that...

Documents

Transcript of Can a question start a ripple that will help the world ... · Can a question start a ripple that...