This third edition of the KPMG in Brazil Sustainability Report has been prepared in accordance with the international guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), version G3, with the self-declared application level of B+ and independent assurance of BSD Consulting.
Published annually since 2010, the Sustainability Report
shows the performance of the 26 offices comprising the
network of independent firms that operate under the
KPMG name, in Brazil (referred to throughout this report
as KPMG in Brazil).
It covers the period from October 01, 2011 to September 30, 2012, which coincides with the financial year of KPMG in Brazil, which will be referred to as 2012.
The information in this Report was provided by the various departments managing activities relating to the performance indicators presented. As in the previous edition of our Sustainability Report, the accounting data complies with the practices adopted in Brazil. It is important to mention that in 2012 we can evaluate the first complete period of activities of our Organization since the incorporation of professionals coming from the operations acquired in 2011.
Nevertheless the scope, limit and measurement methods have not changed, therefore, there are no reformulations of the information provided in the previous year.
For a better understanding and to put the data reported into context, in certain cases information of KPMG International is presented, as well as the methodologies, the bases used or the specific periods for certain data.
Please send us your comments, doubts, suggestions or feedback so we can enhance our Sustainability Report every year.
Maria Cristina Bonini
Director of People, Performance and Culture
Eliane Momesso
Manager of Corporate Citizenship
comunidade@kpmg.com.br
Tel: +55 (11) 3736-1228
The structure of our Sustainability Report is based on the KPMG International's Global Strategy for the period 2011-2015. These fundamentals are Global Consistency, Growing with Quality, Professionalism and Integrity, and People. The Global Strategy seeks to integrate and leverage the member firm's actions via the following objectives, which are undertaken by the entire KPMG network throughout the world as priorities:
Integrating sustainability into our strategic view means we have a broader sense of purpose, geared toward serving public confidence and helping resolve some of the world’s most complex problems. To be part of the essence of our strategy, sustainability is being incorporated into the way we handle opportunities and challenges in our business segment.
Throughout this Report we will demonstrate that the pillars of our Global Strategy are completely connected to the material issues identified with our stakeholders - as shown in the next figure and detailed below, which reinforces our belief that we are on the right track.
GRI 3.5 | 4.14 | 4.15 | 4.16
In 2009, KPMG in Brazil prepared its first mapping, prioritization and engagement of stakeholders. Representatives from all of the group’s areas and all of the offices were invited to participate in the initiative, which we called Workshop – Sustainability Committee. Based on the understanding of the context in which our business is inserted and its role in society and the markets, the participants mapped out 14 groups of stakeholders.
During stage two, the KPMG in Brazil Executive Committee and the director from the Corporate Citizenship department classified the groups according to their level of influence on business performance: those that most impact KPMG, and those that are most impacted by our activities. Subsequently, four stakeholder groups were prioritized for our business: partners and partner-directors; internal public; clients and the market; regulatory bodies and the Government.
Following our participation in the Stakeholder Engagement Research, a pilot program of KPMG International, contributed to by UK independent consultants Good Business, in 2011 we included three more important groups: sector specialists, civil society and the media.
The selection of these seven priority stakeholders is crucial for an increasingly efficient management, as it has enabled us to invest in a progressively qualified dialogue tailored to each stakeholder. However, we are clearly investing in our relationship with all the stakeholders mapped out in stage one, as they are also contributing to consolidating our repute.
After KPMG in Brazil had defined its priority stakeholders, the next step was to consult them so as to understand what these stakeholders believed to be the main responsibilities of a professional service company.
Based on the understanding of the three core services we provide - Audit, Tax and Advisory – Good Business identified nine themes entailing a wide range of impacts deriving from the duties and responsibilities of the services in relation to the business world and the public in general.
Via individual interviews (personally or by telephone) stakeholders were invited to evaluate the importance of each theme raised and to add others which they believed were important to our business.
This contact was important for KPMG to not only further engagement with our stakeholders but to provide valuable feedback for the enhancement of our practices.
The consultation did not produce additional themes to those suggested, which were considered sufficient to cover the relevant issues for KPMG in Brazil.
The findings of the interviews conducted revealed four themes of major importance. The priority themes are strongly connected to the foundations of our global strategy and throughout this report we seek to demonstrate their interdependence with our management, policies and corporate actions.
Four material or relevant themes
Prioritization results
Ethical business conduct | ||
Responsible, transparent governance systems | ||
High quality independent audits | ||
Good treatment of employees | ||
Supply chain impacts | ||
Positive social and community contribuitions | ||
Environmental impacts | ||
Environmental and social client services | ||
Responsible tax advice |
What is the sustainability role of a service sector business like KPMG?
Our contribution is being built via two convergent paths: what we follow as an Organization and what we help our clients to follow.
The first path concerns our internal journey to understand our contribution to sustainability, to earn the conviction of our professionals in respect of this and to encourage responsible actions by all in the conduct of our business and our personal lives. It’s our homework assignment, to develop each day for the long term, and which is shaping the way we relate with our stakeholders.
The second way in which we are making a contribution to sustainability is by putting our know-how at the service of our clients, voluntary organizations, the press and industry bodies.
Our practices offer an insight into the complexity, identify opportunities and challenges, and anticipate the potential impact of the changes that are continually taking place in the field in which we operate. Using that information, we can help our stakeholders to find the best solutions. That contribution involves:
To help us draw up the policies and actions that comprise these two pathways (to be explored in more detail in the next chapter), we have also signed up voluntarily to a series of international initiatives already consolidated by the UN and the World Economic Forum, as described in the chapter People/Corporate Citizenship.
As we advance along these pathways, we contribute to the transition to responsible capitalism and to the generation of collective value.