Tackling some of society’s biggest challenges
Investing in sustainability, digital inclusion and skills
Embedding social impact into our everyday
Our social impact strategy is about using our expertise and resources to drive meaningful change on some of the issues that matter most to our people, clients and society.
For us, this means building a better future where digital inclusion breaks down barriers, developing sustainable ways of doing business to help protect our planet and empowering disadvantaged individuals to realise their full potential, through skills development.
But we know we can’t do it alone. By working together with our people, clients and a network of voluntary, community and social enterprise partners, we are using our skills and capabilities to help create a healthier, fairer planet and society.
This is the story of what we have achieved, together.
How do we turn words into action?
Paul Van Zyl, co-founder and CEO of The Conduit, and Piumi Mitchell, head of Social Impact Partnerships at Deloitte UK, explore the big question, ‘How do we turn words into action?’ on The Green Room podcast.
Unlocking potential
“This invaluable contribution from Deloitte will provide lasting benefits to our students’ digital literacy and learning opportunities for years to come.”
Rushden Academy principal, Northamptonshire; laptop donation scheme recipient
This year, we focused on empowering communities through education, technology and opportunity. Through Teach First, we supported almost 600 teachers, shaping the futures of 360,000 pupils. Recognising that leadership is crucial at every level, we connected early years school leaders with Impact Labs, using the same tools we give our C-suite clients to help school leaders develop their strategy.
At our career insights day for disadvantaged students, run with our client Jaguar Land Rover, innovation was sparked as pupils envisioned the future of transport.
Beyond the classroom, to help address digital exclusion, we donated over 2,700 of the firm’s retired laptops and launched free AI workshops for charities (benefitting over 1,000 charity practitioners) with CAST, empowering them to embrace technology’s potential for good.
And finally, our work on Social Value, where government and its suppliers must evidence how government contracts deliver social, environmental and economic value, gave us an opportunity to catalyse how we embed purpose into all of our government and public sector work. These included initiatives to diversify tech talent and build student confidence.
Social impact is about making a meaningful and lasting impact on our people, clients and society. By using our skills, capabilities and networks, we are dedicated to driving positive progress.
Claire Burton, head of Social Impact
Futures impacted
Volunteers
Volunteer hours
Pro bono hours
Community investment
Society partnerships
Our commitment to our WorldClimate strategy is solidified by our ambitious net-zero target of 2040 – a decade ahead of our prior timeline. This reflects our dedication to responsible leadership and a sustainable future.
Gavin Harrison, head of Sustainability
A greenprint for change
“Our immersive tech collaboration project helps us to be part of a future-ready way to deliver for clients whilst prioritising good connection and trust.”
Ed Greig, Deloitte Digital chief disruptor
Our sustainability journey gained significant momentum this year, fuelled by the acceleration of our net-zero commitment. Targeting 2040 – a full decade ahead of our previous timeline – this ambitious goal isn’t just a statement of intent; it’s a driving force behind transformative action.
How we deliver services in the future is a critical area of focus, as business travel accounts for 33% of our UK emissions. To better serve our clients with sustainable delivery in mind, we are investing in data systems and upskilling our people. We are also looking to the future and ran a pilot to explore the role of immersive virtual reality meetings in a tech-enabled world.
Beyond our own journey to net-zero, we support innovation in other climate critical sectors. Our collaboration with Soil Association is transforming how we farm and eat regeneratively with nature, and our vital work with WWT is helping provide valuable insights into coastal wetland restoration. We have also made a significant pro bono investment in green skills, exploring how we can drive skills development in Manchester and Scotland to help displaced workers upskill and find green jobs.
From action to accolades
“It was a great reminder that together small individual acts can have a huge impact.”
Deloitte Futures Month volunteer
The power of collective social action resonates within our firm. We celebrated the culmination of our local office charity partnerships. Over the last three years, our people raised over £2 million and dedicated more than 150,000 volunteer hours to support those in need in the communities where we operate. From laptop donations and career workshops to marathon runs and bake sales, they worked hard to create positive change.
Futures Month, our annual employee volunteering drive, saw more than 1,600 volunteers – a remarkable 29% increase on the previous year – dedicate their time and talents to six diverse and impactful initiatives across the country. Of the volunteers, 94% recommended taking part, speaking volumes about the transformative experience.
Beyond Futures Month, our year-round targeted pro bono support helped to build the resilience and capability of the charity sector and drive innovation in the social impact space. Last year, we spent over £1 million across 29 projects, with our people giving over 8,500 hours of their time on projects encompassing mental health support for children and young people, enabling systems change in food and farming, driving green skills across the UK and making AI accessible to charities.
Our collaboration with Young Women’s Trust, focused on empowering young women, was recognised at the Business Charity Awards, winning the Professional Services Charity Partnerships category and was highly commended in the Project of the Year category.
Through our social impact work, we are investing in skills, digital inclusion and driving sustainability, working in partnership to cultivate a movement for positive change, together.
