Steve , please explain your role at EY ? I help EY clients create business value from sustainability and ESG , from reframing strategy and accelerating transformation to how they govern , operate and build trust . I also lead EY ’ s overall environmental sustainability strategy and decarbonisation efforts , including our carbon ambition , which saw us become carbon negative in 2021 and will get us to net zero in 2025 .
You joined EY in 2005 – how has the consultancy changed during that time ? EY has changed a lot in the past 15 years , in many ways driven by the introduction of disruptive technologies like AI and blockchain to help clients tackle big challenges . However , one of the biggest changes I ’ ve seen is the move across all EY service lines – assurance , tax , consulting and strategy and transactions – towards a model that is focused on helping clients build long-term value for all their stakeholders , especially their shareholders .
This focus on stakeholder capitalism is the bedrock of the EY strategy , called “ NextWave ”, through which all 312,000 EY people contribute to helping create and protect long-term value for clients and wider society .
Do you think sustainability is top of the corporate agenda right now ? Yes – sustainability is increasingly being viewed as extremely important by business leaders . For some leaders , the starting point is ESG but a major theme for most is carbon reduction and the climate . Even before COP26 , business was beginning to realise its crucial role in tackling the climate crisis . Many companies have set net-zero targets , and more are being announced every day . In Glasgow , business was highly visible , and we heard multiple world leaders reference the growing role of the private sector in their speeches . And it ’ s not just about decarbonisation – businesses are also looking at the impact of issues like biodiversity
46 February 2022