Our FY2025 Sustainability Report

Businesses today are operating in a period of significant change. Advances in artificial intelligence, shifting economic and geo-political conditions and rising expectations around sustainability and governance are reshaping how businesses operate and create value. The challenge for many leaders is no longer understanding the opportunity — it is turning it into practical outcomes.

Across the PwC network we have entered what we describe as the next era of PwC — a new chapter for our firm as we reinvent how we work, how we harness technology and how we continue to build leading-edge capabilities to help our clients thrive. It is about thinking and acting differently. This evolution reflects the changing expectations of business, the accelerating impact of technology and the need for organisations to move with greater speed and agility.

To mark the start of this next era, we launched our refreshed PwC brand. It reflects who we are today and the bold, technology-focused and client-centric mindset that will help us to transform today and build for tomorrow.

As we evolve as a firm, we also recognise the responsibility we have to lead by example in how we operate. Our sustainability strategy provides the framework for how we contribute to a more sustainable future for Aotearoa New Zealand and is guided by four pathways.

Our progress over the past year reflects these pathways.

While progress will take time and there is more work to do, these pathways guide how we continue to evolve as a firm and the contribution we aim to make. I hope you enjoy reading our latest report and learning about our sustainability journey. 

The challenges ahead are significant, but so are the opportunities. At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We remain committed to supporting our clients, investing in our people and helping build a more sustainable and resilient future for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our environmental stewardship pathway is underpinned by the commitment to decarbonise our own business.

During FY25 we continued to purchase 100% renewable energy through a certified climate-positive electricity provider. We did however see an increase in our business travel, resulting in a rise in our FY25 Scope 3 GHG emissions to 8,413 tCO2e. 

Improving the quality of our Scope 3 emissions data for purchased goods and services is a key priority. 

PwC New Zealand’s commitment to social equity is grounded in helping to rebalance outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand, both within our organisation and through the mahi of our Manukura Māori, Equity and Hauora practices.

As part of this commitment, we annually publish our gender pay gap statistics (see below) to ensure openness and transparency and our diversity and inclusion approach. Externally we are proud of our association with Global Women and continue to be an active participant in its Champions for Change programme.

We are proud of our PwC Foundation, which champions a literacy programme that focuses on enhancing children’s wellbeing through quality education. The Foundation’s latest impact report showcases our contribution in this space.   

We have long-standing relationships with community and not-for-profit organisations to support the wellbeing and aspirations of our whānau pounamu (our most precious people) and of the wider community.  We do this through our  partnerships with the NGO sector, fundraising intiativies and our On Board programme, which matches staff to trustee positions in not-for-profit organisations.

Our commitment to trust and transparency remains at the heart of how we operate. It spans key focus areas such as demonstrating strong, authentic leadership and governance within PwC New Zealand, continuing to build confidence through quality and openness, and nurturing a purpose-driven culture founded on ethics, independence, and effective risk management.

Our progress:

Over the past year, we have continued to strengthen our governance approach by staying informed about global developments and aligning with guidance from regulators, as well as international ethics and governance standards. We have continued with our approach to transparency,  with our long-standing Audit Transparency Report, which has been published annually since 2020. 

We see transparency as a catalyst for continuous improvement. By sharing our achievements and the challenges we face, we invite feedback and create opportunities for innovation and shared accountability with our stakeholders.

Recognising that the future is digital, we remain committed to being a responsible business by continuing to invest in our people’s learning, capabilities, and tools. Over the past two years, this has included expanding access to our AI tools, such as ChatPwC, which supports our people in adapting to a digital and AI-enabled future. These initiatives help us grow collectively as an organisation, ensuring our teams have the digital skills and technologies they need to deliver their best work. 

Our approach is 'human-led, tech-powered', which means secure AI tools can assist, but not replace, our own decisions, ideas and work. Full responsibility remains with our teams and engagement leaders to verify and ensure the quality and accuracy of any AI-assisted work.

The review of any AI assisted work will always involve appropriately qualified and senior people who bring their technical expertise, insight and judgement to our work.