deloitte sustainability case studies

4 Steps Can Help Make Biopharma Supply Chains More Environmentally Sustainable

A survey finds some biopharma companies making progress on Scope 3 emissions. Industry examples show how building a strong value case and other practical steps can improve value chain sustainability.

deloitte sustainability case studies

The CFO Agenda: Climate and Sustainability

CFOs have a central role to play in helping companies develop a plan of action for climate and sustainability disclosures that can meet the requirements of multiple stakeholder groups.

deloitte sustainability case studies

How the EU AI Act May Accelerate Compliance Regime for U.S. Enterprises

Once final, Europe’s AI regulations will likely add pressure on companies to improve protection, safety, and fundamental rights for individuals. Four actions can help affected U.S-based companies prepare.

deloitte sustainability case studies

Catalyzing the Shift to Clean Hydrogen with Business Model Innovation

Co-Opetition is among several novel business models that can help advance large-scale expansion of clean hydrogen by mitigating first-mover risks and uncertainties, according to a Deloitte analysis.

deloitte sustainability case studies

ERMCO CEO: Transformer Supply Chain Risks Could Impact US Energy Transition

Tim Mills, CEO of the distribution transformer manufacturer, discusses energy infrastructure risks, and why it’s important not to move too far, too fast in the energy transition.

deloitte sustainability case studies

California’s Third Climate Law Requires New Carbon Offset Disclosures

The “Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures” law requires companies to provide new details on carbon offsets, but has gray areas to consider, including disclosure timing and applicability to companies.

deloitte sustainability case studies

Closing the Climate Financing Gap for the Food Sector: 5 Strategies

A World Economic Forum-Deloitte report details how the finance community can design, deploy, and scale climate funding solutions for food production systems, with examples from HSBC and other lenders.

MORE EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVES

deloitte sustainability case studies

2024 Renewable Energy Outlook: A Variable-Speed Takeoff

The push of federal investments flowing into clean energy coupled with the pull of decarbonization demand from the public and private sectors could accelerate renewable energy development this year.

deloitte sustainability case studies

Q&A: AdventHealth Leaders Discuss a Mission-Driven Approach to Climate Action

AdventHealth leaders Marisa Farabaugh and Rob Roy explain how the organization is shifting to renewable energy as it seeks to achieve sustainability targets, including its focus on Scope 3 emissions.

deloitte sustainability case studies

Q&A: Bank of America’s Chris Fabro on Mental, Emotional Health at Work

Promoting mental and emotional health at work is more than a good deed. It’s good business. A healthy workforce is an important resource for enabling growth—and can be a competitive advantage.

deloitte sustainability case studies

At GM, Supplier Relationships, Agility Power EV Battery Supply Chain Strategy

General Motors’ Jeff Morrison says finding true partners among sustainability-minded companies and tech innovators is key to ensuring execution of a vertically integrated supply chain strategy.

deloitte sustainability case studies

Gen AI: Leaders Have High Expectations—and Governance, Equity Concerns

Most surveyed global leaders expect Gen AI to transform their companies, but only a quarter feel highly prepared for related governance and risk issues; many have economic inequality impact concerns.

deloitte sustainability case studies

A 5-Step Shift to Circularity Can Reduce Waste and Emissions, Boost Revenues

With examples from lululemon, Apple, and other companies, an EDF-Deloitte report shows how to implement circular economy strategies that help companies deliver for the planet and their balance sheet. 

deloitte sustainability case studies

How Inclusive Boards Can Make the Most of Diversity

Boards can be intentional about how they foster an inclusive culture in the boardroom, which is critical to help realize the benefits of their efforts to promote diversity.

deloitte sustainability case studies

2024 Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Sustainability Predictions

Deloitte Global’s “TMT Predictions 2024” report explores what the year ahead may hold for sustainability, including telcos reducing their carbon footprint, and soaring ESG reporting software sales.  

deloitte sustainability case studies

How to Strengthen, Not Abandon, the Voluntary Carbon Market

The voluntary carbon market is flawed but can be crucially important to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Two sustainability executives discuss how to strengthen the market with specific actions. 

deloitte sustainability case studies

Unmaking Take-Make-Waste Systems with Circularity, Materials Innovation

Leveraging circularity, innovation, and investment in plastics recycling can reduce waste and carbon emissions for materials companies and their customers, says Eastman Chairman and CEO Mark Costa. 

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Top 10 Sustainability Case Studies & Success Stories in 2024

deloitte sustainability case studies

Environmental and social practices have a significant impact on the long-term success of businesses. Some businesses outperform others in this area, giving them a competitive advantage. We will present ten sustainability success stories to executives searching for methods to close the sustainability gap between themselves and outperformers. 

We take a holistic approach to sustainability when presenting these case studies, seeing environmental and social challenges as a part of maintaining a sustainable business (see Figure 1). We also recognize that, while technology can aid in the improvement of corporate sustainability, changing business processes can be just as successful. As a result, we will provide a variety of scenarios that fully demonstrate the ESG framework .

1. UPS ORION: Improve transportation efficiency

Transportation activities accounted for almost 30% of US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (See Figure 2). For a company like UPS, which distributes goods across regions, transportation activities make up the bulk of GHG emissions. As a result, enhancing transportation efficiency is crucial for organizations like UPS to remain sustainable.

As a solution, UPS adopted an AI system called ORION which is a route optimizer that aims to minimize the number of turns during the delivery. Initiation began in 2012 and up today UPS has been working on developing it.

ORION saves UPS 10 million gallons of fuel per year, which means that in addition to the financial benefits, it decreases UPS’s carbon footprint by 100,000 metric tonnes per year, or the equivalent to removing more than 20,000 cars from the roads.

There are public cloud route optimizer systems which businesses can deploy without building hardware. These tools help firms to use their software as a service by paying a subscription cost.

To learn more about ensuring supply chain sustainability with technology you can read our Top 5 Technologies Improving Supply Chain Sustainability article.

Figure 2: US GHG emissions.

29% of US GHG emission belongs to transportation. It is followed by 25% electricity generation, 23% industrial emissions, 13% commercial and residential emissions and finally, 10% emissions are related to agriculture activities.

2. IKEA IWAY: Make business with ESG oriented corporations

Supplier code of conducts are established guidelines that require other businesses to demonstrate their operations’ social and environmental impacts. The objective is to reward companies that meet strong ESG standards. It is also one of the positive governance indications for organizations, as we highlighted in our ESG metrics article .

IWAY is the supplier code of conduct of IKEA forcing suppliers to meet certain environmental and humanitarian qualities to work with. The initiative has been in place for over 20 years, and over that time, IKEA has refined it based on their prior experiences. IWAY six is the most recent version of IKEA’s supplier code of conduct, which evaluates:

  • Core worker rights.
  • Safety of the working place.
  • Life-work balance of employees.
  • Water and waste management of potential suppliers.
  • Prevention of child labour. 

3. General Electric digital wind farm: Produce green energy efficiently

Wind turbine productivity varies greatly depending on the design, weather conditions, and geography of the location it is deployed. Using IoT and digital twins to collect data on each wind turbine and simulate possible modifications such as adjusting the direction of the wind turbine can assist corporations in locating their wind turbines in a wind farm more effectively (see Figure 3).

Furthermore, the performance of wind turbines declines with time and may require maintenance; employing sensors and digital twins can assist in determining the appropriate time for repair.

Figure 3: How digital twins can optimize wind turbine productivity.

Image shows how digital twins can monitor and improve performance of wind turbines.

The General Electric’s (GE) digital wind farms are based on these two elements. GE optimized over 15,000 turbines using sensors and digital twins technologies. Each wind farm can create up to 10% more green energy as a result of the digital wind farm initiative, which helps to enhance our worldwide green energy mix.

4. Swire Properties green building: Minimize GHG emissions

Swire Properties is a construction company that operates in China and especially in the Hong Kong area. In 2018, the company built One Taikoo Place which is a green building that aims to reduce GHG emissions of Swire Properties in order to align with sustainability goals of the company’s stakeholders.

Swire properties use 3D modeling techniques to optimize the building’s energy efficiency. Reduce electricity consumption by using smart lighting systems with sunshine and motion sensors. A biodiesel generation system has been installed in the building, which converts waste food oil into biodiesel. Swire Properties additionally uses low carbon embedded materials and a lot of recycled materials in their construction.

Swire Properties was able to cut GHG emissions intensity throughout their portfolio by nearly 20% because of the usage of digital technologies and low carbon integrated materials.

5. H&M Let’s Close the Gap: Deposit scheme for gathering raw material

In 2021, we consumed 1.7 times more resources than Earth generates annually because our economic outlook is based on production, use and disposal. Such an economy is not sustainable and that is the reason why the concept of circular economy (CE) is trending nowadays.

The most basic principles of CE is to use trash as a raw material for production through innovation, recycling, or repairing and reusing existing products.

H&M’s “Let’s Close the Gap” project began in 2013 as a CE best practice that collects and categorizes discarded clothing from customers. If the garment is in decent condition, they will restore it and find a new owner for it. If a garment reaches the end of its useful life, H&M will recycle it and reuse the material in new goods.

Customers who bring in their old clothes are rewarded with tokens that can be used to get a discount at H&M shops. Incentivizing customers creates a complete CE loop.

In 2019, 57% of H&M’s raw materials were sustainable, according to Forbes. By 2030, the company hopes to improve it 100 percent.

6. Gusto: Hiring female engineers to close gender inequality gap

Gender inequality remains a major social issue despite all the improvements. There are two common types of gender disparity in the workplace. The first is gender pay disparity, which occurs when companies pay male employees more and provide better working conditions than female employees in the same position. 

The second is occupational segregation, in which women are hired for non-technical jobs while men hold the majority of leadership roles. This was the situation at software firm Gusto, where female engineers made up slightly more than 5% of the engineering team at the beginning of 2015. 

Julia Lee , one of Gusto’s first female engineers, claimed that other engineers did not accept her ideas because she was a “female engineer.” Gusto initiated an HR drive to reduce gender inequality by prioritizing the recruitment of female engineers, prohibiting female workers from scrolling, and deleting masculine job ads like “ninja rockstar coder.”

Gusto was able to improve its female engineer ratio to roughly 20% by the end of 2015 thanks to the campaign. The average ratio among software businesses’ engineering teams was 12% in 2013, therefore this was a significant improvement in a short period of time.  

7. HSBC: ESG concerned green finance

Finance companies can help speed up the transition to sustainable business practices by supporting initiatives run by responsible businesses. By the end of 2025, HSBC has committed to investing $100 billion in sustainability projects. HSBC already has funded sustainability projects that require more than $50 billion in investment as of 2019, indicating that the corporation is on track to meet its objective.

HSBC created an ESG risk evaluation framework to assure funding for green projects in 2019. Since then, the framework has been improved. In 2021, HSBC’s ESG practices were rewarded with an AA rating by MSCI.

HSBC is also working toward a goal of using 100% renewable energy as their source of electricity by 2030. Company reduces its consumption of paper, and single used plastics for coffee and beverages.

For more information about best ESG practices you can read our Top 6 ESG Reporting Best Practices article.

8. Signify light-as-a-Service: Enhance production stewardship

The product-service system ( PSS ) is a business model in which producers acquire a product over its lifetime and rent or lease it to the users. PSS ensures product stewardship since the product always becomes the asset of the company. It encourages producers to provide high-quality, repairable items in order to extend the product’s useful life. As a result, it helps to close the circularity gap by ensuring better use of natural resources.

Signify, a luminaire producer, adopts such a business strategy where it demands a subscription fee according to usage period of their lightning systems. PSS allows Signify claims that PSS allows them to produce 0 luminaire waste and drops maintenance costs around 60%.

9. Airbus additive manufacturing: Manufacture lighter planes with 3D printing

AIMultiple expects that additive manufacturing will disruptive for the airplane manufacturing since:

  • It speeds up the manufacturing of parts compared to traditional molding techniques.
  • It is cheaper due to effective use of raw materials and time reduction of production.
  • It enables the manufacturing of lighter parts by up to 45% , resulting in lighter planes that burn less fuel. According to Airbus, additive manufacturing technology can reduce an A320 plane’s annual GHG emissions by around 465,000 metric tons, which is roughly the same as eliminating 100,000 automobiles from the road for a year. (An average car emits 4.6 tonnes of GHG per year). 

To effectively use 3D printers Airbus partnered with Materialise , a Belgium-based technology company  that specialize in additive manufacturing.

For more information regarding improving corporate sustainability by digital transformation you can read our Top 4 Digital Technologies that Improve Corporate Sustainability article.

10. Tata Power: Solar plants on the roofs

Rooftops offer a lot of empty space that can be used to install solar panels. Such initiatives have been taken in various parts of the world. Tata Power does it in India and generates green electricity by using idle places of buildings.

In 2021, Tata Power was able to spread their program throughout 90 Indian cities, producing 421 million watts of electricity, which is equivalent to nearly 40 thousand homes’ yearly electricity use in the US. (The average annual power usage for a residential utility customer in the US was 10,715 kWh in 2020, according to the EIA .).

We expect that in the near future the cooperation between energy and construction companies will enhance the use of idle places in buildings in a more effective way. Such an industrial symbiosis reduces both sectors’ ESG risk.

For more information on the top carbon footprint calculators, check our article, Top 7 Carbon Footprint Calculator Software/Tools for Businesses .

To learn more about corporate sustainability you can contact with us:

This article was drafted by former AIMultiple industry analyst Görkem Gençer.

deloitte sustainability case studies

Cem has been the principal analyst at AIMultiple since 2017. AIMultiple informs hundreds of thousands of businesses (as per similarWeb) including 60% of Fortune 500 every month. Cem's work has been cited by leading global publications including Business Insider , Forbes, Washington Post , global firms like Deloitte , HPE, NGOs like World Economic Forum and supranational organizations like European Commission . You can see more reputable companies and media that referenced AIMultiple. Throughout his career, Cem served as a tech consultant, tech buyer and tech entrepreneur. He advised businesses on their enterprise software, automation, cloud, AI / ML and other technology related decisions at McKinsey & Company and Altman Solon for more than a decade. He also published a McKinsey report on digitalization. He led technology strategy and procurement of a telco while reporting to the CEO. He has also led commercial growth of deep tech company Hypatos that reached a 7 digit annual recurring revenue and a 9 digit valuation from 0 within 2 years. Cem's work in Hypatos was covered by leading technology publications like TechCrunch and Business Insider . Cem regularly speaks at international technology conferences. He graduated from Bogazici University as a computer engineer and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.

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deloitte sustainability case studies

A wonderful collection of case studies on corporate sustainability. I enjoyed the read. I am convicted to delve into promoting sustainability in Africa.

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Hello, James! Thank you for your feedback. Awesome! That’s a great cause to pursue.

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A sustainable waste solution for Deloitte

The challenge.

Deloitte is one of the largest professional services providers in the world, employing over 16,500 staff in the UK alone.

During a waste audit of their 1 New Street Square office we discovered c20,000 disposable cups being used.

Once this was highlighted, it was quickly acknowledged that something should be done to prevent this waste – a trial removal of disposal cups from the site was agreed.

To support the trial a cross-sector working group, involving personnel from various service lines and operational perspectives, was established. Before the trial started, the group was tasked with workshopping any possible problems and finding appropriate solutions.

Part of the overall solution was to, at relatively low cost, provide staff and contractors with a keep cup, as well as water bottles.

During a waste audit in June 2019, only 18 disposable cups were found in the general waste and mixed recycling bins.

The trial was deemed as success and keep cups and water bottles have been rolled out across Deloitte’s regional offices.

In addition to reducing the amount of overall waste generated at the site, an additional positive side effect has been reduced levels of dry mixed recycling contamination.

Other information

  • Between July 2018 and January 2019, over 16,000 vessels were issued to Deloitte offices nationally.
  • As part of the Deloitte’s clear desk policy, uncleared keep cups were tidied away and if unclaimed, they were put back into circulation as once used replacements.
  • If an employee lost their keep cup or water bottles, they were able to purchase replacements via on-site vending machines.

Bidfood appoints Mitie to support their waste reduction strategy

Mitie will boost sustainability for food wholesaler Bidfood as part of a new five-year contract covering all aspects of waste management.

Deloitte – service excellence & sustainability

As part of a total facilities management solution, Deloitte required a cleaning partner who could deliver service excellence in a sustainable way.

Case study: Rail company reduces food waste by 80%

Working in partnership with Mitie, Network Rail have installed a food waste digester that can convert food waste into biomass in just 12 hours.

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Case study: How Deloitte invests in talented professionals, mentoring and developing future leaders

deloitte sustainability case studies

This case study is based on the 2015 Global Report by Deloitte published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link . Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate that CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly is achieved by identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment and stakeholders and by measuring, managing and changing.

Companies that understand the importance of best practices in employment will enjoy a key competitive advantage. Many studies have demonstrated the significance of having well-tuned teams of professionals focused on delivering, time and time again, outstanding results.

Companies who invest in their workforce and enjoy low levels of employee turnover also invest in an important competitive advantage: the ability to continually deliver outstanding results to their clients through well-tuned teams of professionals.

Individuals who work for a company that makes every effort to increase engagement, reduce the training gap and increase job satisfaction, know that they are, in a competitive job market, professionals who possess a continually developing skill set.

Deloitte’s vision is to develop, by providing an outstanding career experience and an inclusive, collaborative culture, purpose-led leaders committed to making an impact that matters. After measuring and setting targets, Deloitte took action to value, fund and cultivate new ideas, grow leadership skills at every level of the organization at Deloitte University – during FY2015  nearly 65,000 Deloitte professionals experienced Deloitte University –, promote on-the-job development, expose Deloitte professionals to new ideas and cultures by means of mobility and international experience programs and, also, help talented tech-minded students pursue a business career through “hackathon” events.

deloitte sustainability case studies

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Please subscribe to the SustainCase Newsletter to keep up to date with the latest sustainability news and gain access to over 100 case studies. These case studies demonstrate how companies are dealing responsibly with their most important impacts, building trust with their stakeholders  (Identify > Measure > Manage > Change).

With this case study you will see:

  • Which are the most important impacts (material issues) Deloitte has identified;
  • How Deloitte proceeded with stakeholder engagement , and
  • What actions were taken by Deloitte to attract and invest in talented professionals, mentoring and developing future leaders

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What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2015 Global Report Deloitte identified a range of material issues: client satisfaction, financial performance, public policy engagement, employee diversity, ethics and integrity, privacy and data security. Among these, making its network of more than 220,000 professionals at member firms the premier career destination for the finest and brightest minds stands out as a key material issue for Deloitte, as a global leader in professional services.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Deloitte engages with:

  • Member firm clients
  • Deloitte people, their families, and future talent
  • Governments and regulators
  • Professional associations and networks
  • Nonprofit organizations and local communities
  • International multi-stakeholder organizations
  • Industry and market analysts
  • Educational Institutions/ academia

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

  • Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) commissioned a formal stakeholder engagement process and materiality assessment in order to identify key areas of impact.
  • The materiality assessment process was based on the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 Principles of Materiality and Stakeholder Inclusiveness.
  • The first step: analyzing supplier questionnaires, benchmarking reports of peers and sustainability award-winners, examining sustainability guidelines and researching publications of internationally recognized nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
  • To gather further stakeholder feedback on material topics, Deloitte identified a specific list of stakeholders together with engagement methods intended to maximize feedback from each group.
  • Interviews were conducted with external stakeholders, including strategic member firm clients, academic institutions and internationally recognized NGOs, that helped identify emerging issues and prioritize each group’s concerns.
  • Internally, Deloitte leaders from across the network and DTTL regulatory affairs and governmental liaisons were consulted and feedback regarding the interests of current and future talent was provided by the annual Deloitte Millennial Surveys.
  • Industry perspectives were provided through involvement by DTTL personnel in external bodies working on standards development, such as the Professional Services Sustainability Roundtable (convened by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship).
  • Lastly, a systematic weighting methodology was applied to the feedback and research to prioritize potential relevant topics.

In its 2015 Global Report Deloitte reports that it took the following actions to become the premier career destination for the finest and brightest minds, developing inspirational, world-class leaders, based on the company’s approach to materiality – on taking action on what matters, where it matters:

  • Actions taken to promote new ideas
  • Deloitte UK: It has a program, backed by a budget of up to US$39.3 million, for creating and growing new businesses based on the ideas of its people.
  • Deloitte Canada: Its search for innovative ideas offers a winning team a cash prize and up to US$160,000 in seed money to implement its concept.
  • Deloitte Brazil: Local professionals submitted 18 innovative projects and received investments to be developed.
  • Deloitte US Technology Consulting practice: 20 cross-industry, marketable ideas were created for development through the StartUp Deloitte program.
  • Growing leadership skills at Deloitte University (DU)

“The real strength of the Deloitte University experience is how it supports passing practical knowledge, professional and personal experience and our values from generation to generation of Deloitte leaders.” Jorrit Volkers, Dean, Deloitte University EMEA.

“After a while, we realized that DU could be a place to develop leaders and innovate.” “What if we could use the collective power of all these talented individuals to help solve the world’s most vexing problems?” “That’s how ‘Wicked Problems’ was born.” Jennifer Steinmann, Chief Transformation Officer, Deloitte US.

DU at a glance:

  • Through a core curriculum and multiple regional facilities, DU is focused on growing leadership skills at every level of the organization.
  • [tweetthis] Nearly 65,000 Deloitte professionals experienced Deloitte University. [/tweetthis]
  • More than 2,000 member firm partners, principals and directors led Deloitte University programs.
  • Actions taken to promote on-the-job development
  • Deloitte UK: It introduced the Engagement Team Based Learning program for its auditors, to help them recognize the daily education they’re receiving and understand how they contribute to the success of the practice and engagement teams.
  • Deloitte Australia: It has a similar program, “10 Ways,” that according to Chris Powell, Deloitte Global Audit Talent Leader, aims to “fundamentally change the DNA of a Deloitte auditor”.
  • Actions taken to expose Deloitte professionals to new ideas and cultures
  • Member firms implement formalized mobility and international experience programs, exposing their professionals to new ideas and cultures.
  • FY2015: More than 6,000 Deloitte professionals gained diverse, on-the-job experience by means of short- and long-term mobility assignments and global client projects.

deloitte sustainability case studies

  • A number of Deloitte member firms host “hackathon” events to enable tech-minded students to demonstrate their talents, while offering valuable insights into the challenges and rewards that await those who pursue a cybersecurity career.
  • April 2015: The Deloitte US Cyber Risk Services practice with the US’s Deloitte Foundation hosted one such event. Students representing 10 of the top universities in the US competed against their peers and other schools.
  • Deloitte Digital in the UK member firm: It ran a similar “hackathon” competition, “Gone Hacking,” to spot ideas to disrupt and transform the financial services industry. Participants on 14 teams had 48 hours for developing and presenting their solutions to a panel of industry leaders. Some participants were encouraged to apply to Deloitte UK’s BrightStart training program, which helps talented students develop successful business careers.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicators/Standards addressed in this case are:

1) G4-LA1: Total number and rates of new employee hires and employee turnover by age group, gender and region – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 401-1 New employee hires and employee turnover

2) G4-LA9: Average hours of training per year per employee by gender, and by employee category – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 404-1 Average hours of training per year per employee

3) G4-LA10: Programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing career endings – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 404-2 Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs

4) G4-LA11: Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews, by gender and by employee category – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 404-3 Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews

5) G4-LA12: Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per employee category according to gender, age group, minority group membership, and other indicators of diversity – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Deloitte, located at the links below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the following links:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/gx-gr15-main-final.pdf (May 2015)

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Deloitte: With each case study we send out an email to your listed address in request for a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us .

Bosses are having a big problem measuring performance because traditional productivity metrics aren’t cutting it

Business leaders have a productivity problem.

When it comes to measuring worker performance, organizations have usually relied on traditional productivity metrics to judge the success of an employee. Is a worker completing a certain number of tasks per day, hitting a phone call quota, or putting in long hours at the office? 

But that’s no longer good enough when it comes to trying to optimize performance, according to business leaders surveyed in Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report, published earlier this week.

Nearly 75% of business leaders said seeking out new metrics to measure performance for workers was important to the success of their organization. But only 40% said they were doing something about it, and just 8% were confident enough to say they were doing “great things” in that arena. 

It’s not that traditional ways of measuring productivity are dead. But Deloitte argues that as tech developments and AI come into play more, workers are in demand for more sophisticated skills that are harder to measure, including problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. The report recommends focusing instead on “human sustainability”—which includes worker well-being, happiness, and purpose—to help drive better human performance.

That means the need to incorporate new metrics to gauge human sustainability within organizations has become increasingly crucial, according to Michael Griffiths, workforce transformation offering leader at Deloitte.  

“If we ask most business leaders ‘Okay, you’re measuring productivity, but what are you measuring on the human side?’ most organizations would probably say engagement,” Griffiths says. But “engagement isn’t the right metric.”

Engagement is a one-way street, and essentially means how much a worker is willing to give to an organization, he says, but not the other way around. Instead, companies need to look at how to measure trust between workers and their organization, as well as things like workers’ sense of belonging, connectivity, and equity. 

That can be tricky to calculate, but Griffiths says most companies already have the data capabilities. For example, rather than antiquated yearly surveys, leaders should be using pulse surveys to more regularly capture and analyze trust, both in the company and in employees, as well as their feelings on how the organization is serving them. Tapping into data around work-related emails sent during off hours, whether people are using health and wellness benefits, or volunteering, can provide insight into whether a company is working toward human sustainability and better performance.

But there’s good news for companies getting it right. Business leaders who know that they need new productivity measures, and are also finding ways to do so, are about 1.7 times more likely to get both the business outcomes they want, as well as positive human outcomes among their employees. 

“It’s about understanding where your workforce is and whether you are making them better off in every interaction you have with them,” Griffiths says. “If you start to measure those trust elements, organizations can start to see if they are actually driving human sustainability.”

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The U.K. and Japan have slumped into recession while the U.S. keeps defying gloomy expectations

deloitte sustainability case studies

Amazon joins Trader Joe’s and Elon Musk’s SpaceX in calling the National Labor Relations Board unconstitutional

deloitte sustainability case studies

‘Man I just want a dishwasher job’: Why are Olive Garden and FedEx forcing job applicants to endure a strange personality test that turns them into blue avatars?

deloitte sustainability case studies

Auto workers threaten strike at Ford’s most profitable plant a day after CEO said unions had him rethinking factory placement

deloitte sustainability case studies

MrBeast, the world’s biggest YouTube star, brings in $700 million a year, but he relies on a trusted compliance officer to control the purse strings: His mom

deloitte sustainability case studies

Walmart has been eating Target’s lunch and now the Minnesota giant is ditching its ‘Tar-jay’ rep for a ‘Hail Mary’ budget brand mostly priced under $10

deloitte sustainability case studies

Mark Zuckerberg says his daughter ‘thought that I was a cattle rancher’ for a while thanks to his unusual hobby in Hawaii

deloitte sustainability case studies

‘Bob Marley: One Love’ tops box office as Spider-Man spinoff ‘Madame Web’ fails to stick

deloitte sustainability case studies

Former YouTube CEO’s son found dead in UC Berkeley dorm, leaving prominent Silicon Valley family ‘devastated beyond comprehension’

deloitte sustainability case studies

Failure to back Ukraine aid could hurt US economy and defense contractors, says Germany: ‘We shouldn’t take freedom for granted’

deloitte sustainability case studies

EU to slap Apple with €500 million fine in culmination of antitrust probe after Spotify complaint: Report

deloitte sustainability case studies

Did Wall Street kill the American Dream of homeownership? It depends on where you live

IMAGES

  1. Deloitte Sustainability Action Report

    deloitte sustainability case studies

  2. Deloitte: Sustainability Services Capabilities, 2022

    deloitte sustainability case studies

  3. sustaincase-case-study-deloitte-talent-training-development-future

    deloitte sustainability case studies

  4. Driving Accountable Sustainability

    deloitte sustainability case studies

  5. Sustainable transformation

    deloitte sustainability case studies

  6. Sustainability Report 2022 from Deloitte

    deloitte sustainability case studies

COMMENTS

  1. Stories of Impact

    Case Study From compromised to immune An Initial Public Offering can take years. We only had weeks. Find out how Deloitte can help companies survive and thrive in challenging markets. Case Study To help transform the world of work, Dell started at home | Deloitte Global

  2. Sustainability and Climate

    Sustainable solutions. Positive impact. Deloitte's integrated services help organizations move from ambition to impact. From defining roadmaps to embedding sustainability, meeting regulatory requirements, and accelerating transformation, we're with you at each strategic step.

  3. The case for human sustainability

    Human sustainability: the degree to which the organization creates value for people as human beings, leaving them with greater health and well-being, stronger skills and greater employability, good jobs, opportunities for advancement, progress toward equity, increased belonging, and heightened connection to purpose.

  4. Environmental sustainability

    Case studies Discover more about initiatives and commitments made by Deloitte Global and Deloitte member firms to advance the sustainability agenda. Deloitte UK: The Green Journey Deloitte Belgium Foundation: Tanzania Sustainability Project Deloitte Global: Commitment to fiduciary duty & climate change disclosure Research and insights

  5. Case Studies

    Real Connections. Real Impact. A journey towards net zero Deloitte bridged the gap between climate science and financing to help an energy company tackle its carbon emissions. Read more From lagging to leading Read how Deloitte futureproofed a Canadian client's workforce using innovative pathways to invest in their upskilling.

  6. Sustainability in business

    A recent Deloitte study showed that 67% of participants were willing to pay up to 41% more for products if they were sustainable, and that inclination was higher among younger age groups. 4 In 2022 almost all respondents (97%) to Deloitte's C-Suite Sustainability Report indicated that their companies have already been negatively affected by clim...

  7. Making supply chains more sustainable

    Making supply chains more sustainable From Volatile to Stable Intelligent supply chain management makes supply chains more sustainable and easier to plan Deloitte was proud to work with thyssenkrupp's to take the company's AI-based supply chain solution, pacemaker®, to the next level.

  8. Environmental, social & governance

    Collection Environmental, social & governance Your company's environmental, social, and governance programs demonstrate your commitment to effective risk management and long-term resiliency. Read on for fresh ideas on managing climate change, meeting stakeholder expectations, and evolving your organization to meet the challenges ahead.

  9. Reporting

    Case studies Take a closer look at our most recent Deloitte network reports. 2016 Global Impact Report 2016 Member corporate responsibility and sustainability reports 2016 GRI Index 2016 Reporting process 2016 UNGC Communication on Progress 2016 Stakeholder table 2016 CDP carbon questionnaire Research and insights

  10. New Deloitte research reveals majority of organizations increased

    16 Jan 2023 New Deloitte research reveals majority of organizations increased sustainability investments over past year amid global uncertainty Key highlights: 75% of CxOs said their organizations have increased their sustainability investments over the past year, nearly 20% of whom said they have increased investments "significantly."

  11. Transitioning to sustainable finance

    More than US$450 billion in sustainable debt has been issued in 2019 - the highest volume in any one year and almost 80 per cent more than in 2018, taking the cumulative volume of issuance well over the US$1 trillion barrier. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise of sustainable finance, both in equity and debt.

  12. Deloitte Greenhouse Case Study: Singapore

    The Deloitte Greenhouse team and sustainability teams partnered to design and deliver a full-day Sustainability Lab. 28 participants comprising the company's sustainability leadership and sustainability teams across business units convened at the company's HQ in Bangkok.

  13. Deloitte named a leader in ESG and sustainability services by

    NEW YORK, NY, 12 February 2024: Deloitte has been recognized as a leader for environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability services, according to the Verdantix report Green Quadrant: ESG & Sustainability Consulting Services 2024. Verdantix, an independent analyst firm, evaluated 17 ESG & Sustainability services providers and named Deloitte as one of the leading providers with ...

  14. Sustainable Business

    Through research, interviews, technology perspectives and analyses, case studies, and more, Executive Perspectives helps executives adapt and create value in the transition to a low-carbon future and build sustainability strategies that drive business performance and purpose. Learn More.

  15. Deloitte and Workday Alliance: Case studies

    Read case studies about our work in action from Deloitte's Workday Alliance. ... As it looks to the future, the company has mapped out a sustainability journey that encompasses people, society, the environment and company performance. Globally harmonised HR processes through Workday will help them remain well positioned to achieve its promise ...

  16. Strategy Lab Case Studies

    Case 1: Planning for a future state The Challenge: The leadership team of a public sector client needed to visualise and align on their future state, and brainstorm new initiatives for the next 5 years to accelerate their transformation plan.

  17. Client Stories and Successes

    A curated collection of narratives that bring to life the many ways that Deloitte has helped clients unstick complex problems, create meaningful progress and advantage, and deliver value in the midst of adversity. Explore the power and impact of Deloitte's tech capabilities and the people behind it in our AI Spotlight stories below.

  18. PDF Sustainability Case Studies: Lessons Learned on Leading Through Crisis

    95 responses of 19 competencies associated with leadership during crisis—including concern for employees' well-being, ability to inspire and motivate, integrity, agility, decisiveness, collaboration, and innovation. Despite their relatively small numbers,1 women business leaders have long demonstrated a track record of helping companies thrive.

  19. Precision Growth by Deloitte

    Precision Growth by Deloitte is a data-driven and targeted way to identify growth opportunities quickly and respond to what customers really value, putting organizations on the path to progress with purpose. ... Sustainability & Climate Reward, Employment Tax, Share Plans Workforce Solutions ...

  20. Top 10 Sustainability Case Studies & Success Stories in 2024

    1. UPS ORION: Improve transportation efficiency Transportation activities accounted for almost 30% of US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (See Figure 2). For a company like UPS, which distributes goods across regions, transportation activities make up the bulk of GHG emissions.

  21. A sustainable waste solution for Deloitte

    Solution To support the trial a cross-sector working group, involving personnel from various service lines and operational perspectives, was established. Before the trial started, the group was tasked with workshopping any possible problems and finding appropriate solutions.

  22. Case study: How Deloitte invests in talented ...

    Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate that CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly is achieved by identifying a company's most important impacts on the environment and stakeholders and by measuring, managing and changing. Companies that understand the importance of best practices in employment will enjoy a key competitive advantage.

  23. Business leaders struggling to measure performance

    The report recommends focusing instead on "human sustainability"—which includes worker well-being, happiness, and purpose—to help drive better human performance.

  24. Deloitte Sustainability Case Study

    Deloitte Sustainability & Climate GmbH was founded to meet the challenge of the global climate crisis and ESG transformation.