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Making an impact that matters

Stories of purpose

Deloitte is led by a purpose: to make an impact that matters. This purpose defines who we are. It endures—transcending the everyday and binding us together. It gives us our reasons to exist. These stories of purpose are some of the ways Deloitte makes an impact that matters around the world. Click on any of the images below to learn more.

Clients

What was the context?

It is estimated there are over five trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean accumulating in five garbage patches. If left untouched, the environmental, health and economic impacts will be catastrophic. On 8 September 2018, The Ocean Cleanup organization, supported by Deloitte Netherlands and an ecosystem of partners, gathered to launch a system targeted to eliminate 90 percent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Ocean Cleanup, led by CEO and Founder, Boyan Slat, designed and built a history-making system that utilizes advanced technologies and the ocean’s natural forces to catch the plastic, allowing the ocean to clean itself safely and sustainably.

What was the impact?

Making an impact that matters is what Deloitte is all about, which is why a partnership with The Ocean Cleanup was a natural fit for Deloitte Netherlands. The partnership is supported by the Deloitte Impact Foundation in the Netherlands, dedicated to making a positive impact on society. One year into the partnership, Deloitte has committed 3,000 pro-bono hours, including implementation of new Salesforce functionality, IT and cyber security support, and strategy services to enhance their (sponsorship) business model. The firm has helped scale and transform The Ocean Cleanup into a professionalized business that remains focused on their mission, with the necessary processes, strategies, and technologies to continue growing. On 8 September, The Ocean Cleanup recognized a significant milestone with the launch of System 001 under the Golden Gate Bridge towards the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This is expected to be the first of many, and after deploying a fleet of 60 systems, they hope to collect and repurpose 50 percent of the garbage patch every five years and 90 percent in 20 years. And Deloitte will continue to play an important role over the next two years by providing a broad range of services from tax and audit advisory to consulting.

Why does it matter?

The Ocean Cleanup embodies how the vision and passion of one organization can make a lasting impact by collaborating with organizations from every corner of the world. With our support and collaboration, The Ocean Cleanup is refining and streaming its actions to grow a sustainable business focused on cleaning our oceans. This means cleaner oceans for us—and over 600 marine species.

Deloitte is dedicated to helping The Ocean Cleanup solve their toughest challenges, and it is just the beginning. There are many more opportunities to come as the team continues their transformational journey to rid the ocean of plastic.

Since the 1980s, Deloitte China has supported more than 500 IPOs globally, helping companies to raise over US$130 billion. For more than a decade, Deloitte has served the largest number of companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

By providing a broad spectrum of advisory services, Deloitte China was able to effectively help companies fund and implement global expansion plans, and make a valuable impact in helping to grow the global economy.

Our experience in guiding companies through the listing process enables them to more effectively adopt world-class best practices in transparency, management, and corporate governance.

The impact of Deloitte China’s contribution has been global, contributing to strengthening employment and economic growth in the world. For over 30 years, we have supported the growth and transformation of China’s capital markets and the integration of China into the global economy.

Cancer remains the leading cause of mortality in Australia, directly affecting almost one-third of Australians. The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) is an innovative and bold $1B initiative with the goal of saving lives through the integration of cancer research, education, and patient care.

Two years ago, Deloitte Australia was invited to bid for the implementation of the information management and technology required to support this endeavor. Collaborating with other leading global vendors in their respective specialty fields, “The Deloitte Consortium” was formed, comprising Deloitte Australia, Deloitte U.S., ConvergeHealth by Deloitte, InterSystems, TransMed, IBM and the Moffitt Cancer Centre in Tampa, Florida.

Building a committed global team of more than 100 people with a cross-set of skills and expertise, with a shared client vision, the Deloitte Consortium team won the work to be the IT services provider to the VCCC.

The physical co-location of clinicians, researchers and educators, together with a new technology platform, will deliver improved patient outcomes while assisting cancer research.

The enabling technology platforms will be delivered in stages. The first stage will establish a portal and collaboration environment for researchers and clinicians, to be delivered in July 2015. Subsequent phases include a health information exchange to share matched patient data across multiple care settings and a research platform to enable patient cohort identification for clinical trials together with more sophisticated analytics and reporting.

Improving the delivery of services and outcomes for patients and their families is a priority for State and Federal governments in Australia and globally. The VCCC project provides Deloitte with an opportunity to be part of helping to make Victoria home to what is intended to be one of the top ten cancer centers in the world.

The world is in the midst of an unprecedented global refugee crisis, with more displaced people than after the Second World War. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) assists populations who have been displaced from their homes due to natural disaster or conflict. Deloitte’s Switzerland Consulting practice has been collaborating with the IOM to find solutions to better communicate, coordinate, and deliver help on the ground during humanitarian crises. Specifically, Deloitte is assisting the IOM to refine the way it collects and shares data with other agencies in order to ensure that the right information reaches the right agency at the right time in the chaotic aftermath of a crisis.

This pro bono project, delivered as part of the global Deloitte Humanitarian Innovation Program, focused on enhancing the IOM’s ability to gather and share information on the locations and needs of displaced communities. Deloitte’s specialists employed their skills in business process mapping, working with the IOM to study, sequence, and map current camp management processes. Together, they highlighted areas where collaboration between agencies could be improved, especially around information sharing. Deloitte’s data analytics professionals adapted knowledge acquired in the private sector to help create data collection tools for field staff working on the ground in emergency and crisis situations. These tools will help facilitate more efficient and consistent data collection across different crisis situations.

In emergencies, the situation on the ground can be chaotic and decisions must be made quickly to ensure people receive the vital support they need, especially in areas that have limited resources and capacities. The new tools created will enhance the IOM’s preparedness for crises. Data collection can be efficiently consolidated across different contexts and used to aid global level reporting and analysis. And ultimately, this means more effective aid delivery, to more people in need.

It’s no longer a question of when computers will be able to learn, “think,” and provide reasoned responses.

They already can.

The question now—from Deloitte’s perspective—is, “How can cognitive computing be used to benefit member firm clients and our network?” A software application developed by the Deloitte US Innovation group, in close collaboration with the Audit and Consulting M&A practices of Deloitte US, is already helping organizations save time and money.

“We’re at the beginning of a true paradigm shift,” says Forrest Danson, Deloitte US Principal and Analytics Integrated Market Offering Leader. “Deloitte US is among the vanguard in this arena ● ● ● With our deep industry understanding and experience integrating across our businesses, we are well-suited to harness the power of cognitive computing.”

Deloitte US is currently working with a broad group of vendors and startups that are developing specific solutions based on cognitive technologies. Early applications being piloted among select US clients include an app that uses machine learning to identify patients at risk of developing diabetes and offers insights tailored to specific individuals. Another offering is using cognitive capabilities to help a large health plan provider retain customers and reduce turnover.

As cognitive computing technology matures and Deloitte’s experience grows, the way member firms explore and deliver cognitive-related services will likely continue to evolve. To those who dream the future, this may just be an early step in a long journey of possibilities.

Check out the full article on how Deloitte is making an impact that matters in the world of cognitive computing in our Global Report.

In 2016, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, will convene the first World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul to find new ways to tackle humanitarian crises. To effectively address the growing scope and scale of crises, humanitarian actors increasingly recognize the need for innovation in the sector. Deloitte US’s Social Impact Service Line delivered two pro bono research papers (supported by the global Deloitte Humanitarian Innovation Program) for the WHS’s Innovation Thematic Working Group, which is tasked with proposing recommendations on humanitarian innovation. The research explored key bottlenecks in the humanitarian sector that would prevent it from realizing the full potential of innovation.

Deloitte’s findings conclude that recognized impediments are not insurmountable; and that investment in research and development (R&D) in the humanitarian sector should yield results—as long as identified critical success factors are achieved. The report also focused on determining the most effective models for creating incentives and governance mechanisms to facilitate and nurture innovation. The research provides valuable insights that will help shape investment and strategic priorities for humanitarian innovation.

Humanitarian crises are occurring with increased frequency around the world, and the needs of affected populations are growing in scope and scale. R&D as a driver for innovation could potentially have a significant impact in helping to meet this demand. Deloitte US delivered information and insights that could impact how the WHS innovation working group addresses these humanitarian challenges, and build support for future research to catalyze innovation.

Three years after it was founded, Lundin Norway struck oil in its first exploration well on the Norwegian continental shelf. The 2007 discovery revealed a substantial reservoir, kick-starting Lundin’s Edvard Grieg development. Five subsequent finds followed on the shelf for Lundin and since its first strike eight years ago, Lundin can take credit for half of the resources found on the shelf.

Lundin’s leaders recognized an opportunity to blossom into a full-scale exploration and production company and put a plan into action. In 2012, the company was set to become the operator of a manned offshore installation.

With a small, yet highly experienced team, Lundin set out with a goal of commencing production by late 2015. This was extremely ambitious, explains Svenn Erik Edal, Nordic Oil & Gas Industry leader, Deloitte Norway. "But, they didn’t want to take any shortcuts. They had an opportunity to build an operating model that was process-oriented, cost-effective, and promoted safety from day one."

Lundin management turned to Deloitte Norway for guidance in building its offshore operations organization. "We had the industry knowledge they needed, along with professionals with years of operational experience on the shelf," Edal says. "We offered Lundin new ways of thinking to help ensure a culture with strict focus on continuous improvement."

The Deloitte Norway team was immersed in all phases of the process, from helping Lundin identify regulatory requirements and analyze occupational risks to developing workflows and key performance indicators. "We have gone to great lengths to help Lundin ensure that when production commences, risks will be mitigated and Lundin will achieve its goal of being a best-in-class operation."

With the help of Deloitte Norway, Lundin’s first manned offshore facility is projected to begin producing its first barrels of crude oil in late 2015. The company’s management team, however, already considers the project a tremendous success.

Check out the full article on how Deloitte made an impact that matters for Lundin Norway in our 2015 Global Report.

Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) is a government–led program aimed at improving the income and opportunities of households living in extreme poverty. The program provides the poorest one million households in Tanzania with conditional cash transfers that are contingent on families sending their children to school and undertaking health checkups. The World Bank contracted Deloitte Tanzania Consulting to conduct a human–centered design study to better understand the best ways to share relevant information with the poorest portion of Tanzania’s population, and improve service delivery.

By embedding themselves directly into the environment where the families live, Deloitte Tanzania professionals were able to effectively identify gaps in the service–delivery model. Deloitte Tanzania’s findings have identified opportunities for TASAF to distribute the cash transfers to beneficiaries more quickly and to gain a better understanding of the needs and aspirations of the poor, particularly focusing on health, education, access to WASH services (i.e., water, sanitation, and hygiene), and level of technology use. To provide more effective support, the study indicated the immediate need to strengthen connectivity and improve methods to get cash transfers to beneficiaries.

Based on the findings, TASAF and the Commission for Science and Technology, with World Bank support, conducted an expert roundtable workshop to generate ideas and services to help serve the unmet information needs for this segment. They recognized opportunities to enhance their services through better design solutions and services for poor households, including an increase in the number of opportunities for knowledge exchange with beneficiaries, and promoting private sector partnerships. Armed with this knowledge, TASAF is positioned to not only enhance the effectiveness and impact of their services, but also to have a transformative influence in supporting and improving the quality of life for those suffering from poverty in Tanzania.

The daily operations of organizations in asset–intensive industries such as energy & resources or manufacturing depend strongly on the performance of their physical assets. These organizations continuously strive to optimize asset performance, while regularly dealing with the myriad challenges associated with asset ownership and operation. This presents asset managers with the challenge of allocating scarce budgets in the most optimal way. Furthermore, the volume of asset data is rapidly increasing for the added pressure of turning massive amounts of data into insights, and insights into actions.

To address these challenges, the Deloitte Asset Analytics team—a collaboration between Belgium, UK, US, Canada and Australia—developed the “intelligent Asset Control Center.” This innovative solution enables asset intensive companies to use a data-driven approach to make better decisions, gather deeper insights, enhance strategic asset investments, and drive a more effective operations planning process.

This integrated end–to–end risk solution delivers in the new and emerging area of risk–based asset management by more effectively leveraging technology and risk and reliability analytics. The implications of this approach are making an impact in a number of industries, with the potential to recognize such benefits as reduced downtime costs due, greater accuracy in detecting potential equipment failures, and reduced maintenance costs. The numbers tell the story, with the opportunity for: a 49 percent decrease in average inventory; 45 percent reduction in unplanned maintenance interventions and up to 90 percent reduction of costs from unexpected downtime; and 87 percent accuracy about potential equipment failures within 48-hour warning. By turning infrastructure into data into insights, asset management will be the main driver for improved efficiency in asset intensive industries, increasing reliability and extending useful life at optimized life cycle cost. This maximizes value for the company and its stakeholders.

This is a truly global solution that directly results in improved performance and significant cost-savings, effectively transforming the whole business.

Aerolíneas Argentinas is Argentina‘s largest commercial airline, covering North and South America, Europe, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. Over the decades, the airline has moved through different stages in its lifecycle, from being a publicly owned company to privately–owned and then public once again. It is currently owned by the government of Argentina. Through this, the company has lost any form of consistent operations and documentation, along with institutional prestige. Change was needed.

Looking toward the future, including an ambitious renovation of 77 aircraft, Aerolíneas embarked on a complex SAP implementation. To do this, they needed someone with expertise and industry knowledge in aerospace and defense, but also in the public sector—Deloitte Argentina was able to bring to the table the necessary global skill sets and capabilities to get the job done right.

In a cross–border collaboration with the Portuguese and US member firms consulting practices, Deloitte Argentina guided Aerolíneas through its SAP implementation to deliver a technology transformation that integrates the company‘s architecture and processes. By implementing tools to help Aerolíneas effectively and efficiently track all flights and passengers in the system, Deloitte has equipped the airline with access to accurate and timely information—recording not only direct and indirect flight costs but also streamlining information management, supplier invoicing control, and fuel stock management. Information is centralized and digitalized, including purchases, supplier payments, and client invoicing. With all company financial statements integrated and reliable in real time, Aerolíneas can better control costs, expenses, and budgets.

The Deloitte team helped Aerolíneas Argentina deploy an end–to–end technology solution that significantly impacted its daily operations with transparency and clear process. Seventeen legacy systems have been replaced to date, improving the tools and processes available to its 12,000 employees. The airline company has better data to manage its overall fleet, guiding its flight cost structure and enabling it to make informed decisions—and ultimately, to focus on providing a better experience to fliers.

Aerolíneas makes 300 daily domestic and international flights, carrying more than 32,000 passengers each day. As Argentina‘s largest commercial airline, that‘s an impact that matters for millions of airline passengers.

Approximately 60 percent of Africa’s total population is below the age of 35. Recognizing that this surge of young people holds the continent’s next generation of leaders, President Barack Obama launched the Young African Leader’s Initiative (YALI) to help shape the future of African entrepreneurship, civic leadership, and public management. A key part of YALI are four regional leadership centers, established by Obama to serve as hubs that encourage transformational learning and enhanced leadership skills.

What was the impact?

Deloitte East Africa was selected as the implementing partner for the East Africa center–the only private–sector company to lead a center implementation. Working with USAID and other funders from a consortium of private sector companies, Deloitte East Africa was the first to launch its program, offering state–of–the–art technology and an immersive leadership environment. President Obama visited the center shortly after its opening to see firsthand the manifestation of his vision for Africa’s youth.

Why does it matter?

More than 560 young leaders have now completed the center’s leadership program and are actively giving back to their communities and countries.

Deloitte’s effective implementation and stewardship has made the center a showplace for leadership development that will play an important role as Africa takes its place on the global stage. As Joshua Oigara, Kenya Commercial Bank CEO, states: “Investment in this center is an investment in the youth who will drive Africa’s transformation.”

People

While more than 50 percent of graduates in Germany are female, the share of women in leadership is, by far, smaller. Deloitte Germany believes that by supporting female leadership, it can leverage the excellent education many women have received. Diversity in the boardroom goes hand-in-hand with innovative strength.

The firm started an initiative called Leader.In, which brings together experts on diversity at intimate events, and allows participants a unique opportunity to discuss and share thoughts on how to bring about change in to elevate more females into leadership roles in business, politics, and society.

The initiative also has a group on LinkedIn, which connects influential women and men, shares best practice examples, and aims to catalyze change in business, society and politics.

The Leader.In initiative creates an impact that matters by promoting female leadership and fostering innovation at the same time.

Nigeria currently faces an insurgency that has ravaged the northern parts of the country, killing an estimated 15,000 people and displacing over a million since 2009. A client facility was recently targeted and Deloitte Nigeria could not readily assess the status of two employees who were on the premises at the time of the incident.

Fortunately, both were safe. But recognizing the security challenges that many employees face every day, Deloitte Nigeria developed the Deloitte Beacon mobile application.

The Deloitte Beacon is an innovative, easy-to-use safety and emergency response solution that enables the firm to manage the safety and security of Deloitte professionals in real time, monitoring their locations and trigger safety status checks in volatile locations, prompting employees to report back their status. The application is now broadly available to other corporations to help manage the safety and security of their people operating in unsafe zones around the world.

Security risks exist in regions around the world. It is Deloitte’s responsibility to do all we can to ensure the safety of our people working, traveling, and serving clients amongst these conditions. The ability to make quick and informed decisions in a crisis is critical. This application gives our employees the knowledge that they have the most capable people available to help them make critical safety calls should the need arise.

Brazil has more than 46 million people living with disabilities, many of whom have difficulty finding work. In order to confront this, a government law now requires businesses to hire disabled workers. Companies have to consider not only how best to attract these professionals, but also ensure they develop successful careers.

Deloitte Brazil has created a robust program (DeloitteIncludes) to promote integration and development of more than 100 professionals. It provides work space customization, mentoring for managers, and assistance with personal needs. Daniel Costa, one of the professionals in the program, now has a guide dog to help him overcome his visual impairment.

Deloitte Brazil professionals with disabilities are cared for and important members of the firm, creating a more inclusive environment for all professionals. As such, Deloitte Brazil has been recognized as one of the 10 best companies for social inclusion in the county.

Kineret and her two brothers were embraced by the Deloitte Israel member firm after their mother, Rachel, an outstanding employee at Deloitte Israel, was killed in a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv. Aware of the family’s financial struggles, Deloitte leadership and professionals have provided long-term support through a trust fund dedicated for higher education scholarships for all three children.

Deloitte Israel’s response ensured the children of a departed colleague would have access to quality education. By providing the means for educational support, Deloitte supported the children by providing opportunities to develop valuable skills for the future.

Deloitte Israel’s commitment to society starts with Deloitte professionals and the firm’s actions demonstrate that people matter most. Coming to the aid of those suffering from an act of terrorism that threatens the entire community reflects Deloitte Israel’s commitment and values.

Further, educational support signals the value we place on providing access to education and skills development—a signature societal focus area for Deloitte globally since 2009.

And Kineret realized her dream to become an accountant. She is now serving as an audit professional at Deloitte.

Today's top talent increasingly seeks out employers committed to inclusion and gender equality.

Deloitte Australia knows it needs to attract, retain, and develop talented women, which is why the firm's leadership team established an Inspiring Women strategy, committed to retaining valuable employees and ensuring opportunities were available to the firm's female talent pool.

The numbers tell the story of the firm's ongoing journey:

  • In 1998, Deloitte Australia has four female partners; this number has grown to 145 as of July 2015
  • Of the 58 new partners promoted in 2015, 31% of those promoted internally were women
  • In 2015, women represent 23% of the firm's partnership, and 27% of the Deloitte Australia Board
  • Deloitte Australia ranked among the 2014 Employers of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency

In 2015, Deloitte Australia's newly appointed CEO Cindy Hook became the first woman in the nation's history to lead a big four accounting firm.

Cindy and her leadership team's approach to innovation leverages diversity and inclusion of people regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, faith or disability. Different people, different skills, and different perspectives combine to create value through diversity of thought. This becomes a serious competitive advantage.

Not only was this the right thing to do. It just makes good business sense.

Deloitte Cyprus wanted to engage its people to take more initiative in improving the quality of life in their communities, in a way they personally connected with while reflecting Deloitte’s commitment to contributing to society. In May 2011, the "Make an impact" program was launched as part of the firm’s prioritization of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The goal was not just to raise funds, but also to actively engage people to take more initiative in identifying ways to support the communities in which they live and to enhance their own adoption of socially conscious behavior.

The response has been tremendous, with 87 percent of Deloitte Cyprus professionals currently contributing to the CSR monetary fund on a monthly basis. Deloitte Cyprus partners double the contributions, and additional fundraising events further support the overall fund. Employees submit their ideas on how the funds be utilized to a CSR team consisting of more than 40 people, which ultimately decides where proceeds are allocated in alignment with the firm’s CSR strategic pillars: health; environment; education; and social consciousness.

Since mid-2011, €852,255 has been used to support individuals, nonprofit organizations, schools and hospitals, sports clubs, social clubs, and other institutions and events. The increasing number of people contributing to the fund each year is a clear demonstration of Deloitte Cyprus employees’ trust and engagement in this initiative; corporate social responsibility received the highest scores in the firm’s latest employee engagement survey, reflecting positive recognition of the firm’s efforts.

"Make an impact"provides employees the opportunity to take ownership of how they make a positive impact. Their efforts not only direct engage them in making socially responsible decisions, but enhance a personal sense of pride—for employees and for a firm that chooses to make an impact that matters.

Security is a paramount concern for global organizations whose people work in or travel to areas where they may be at risk. The DTTL Global Security Office (GSO) takes these risks and the protection of Deloitte professionals seriously, and has a comprehensive program in place to address ever-present threats around the globe.

With its primary focus to work with member firms to keep Deloitte people safe, the GSO team leverages the infrastructure and best practices of the largest member firms to enhance overall resiliency. Global working groups, composed of member firm security leaders, work to improve the consistency of member firm background screening and physical security measures.

The GSO team tracks world events on a daily basis for potential impacts on Deloitte’s people and member firms. When a crisis occurs, the GSO, in conjunction with DTTL’s Global Crisis Management Team, responds swiftly to help member firms account for the safety of their people, provide necessary relief, and resume normal business operations as soon as possible.

On an average day, Deloitte member firms may have more than 20,000 people traveling to serve clients—the GSO works with member firms to ensure Deloitte people are aware of risks before they travel. This includes access to a "Know Before You Go" series of e–learning courses and videos, as well as a comprehensive travel security website containing the latest security bulletins, assessments, country risk ratings and other resources for travelers.

Threats come in many sizes and forms, including geopolitical instability, crime, natural disasters, and health emergencies. GSO team members stand ready to help keep Deloitte people safe.

Read the full article on how Deloitte is keeping people safe in our Global Report.

Society

On 8 November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan made its landfall in the Philippines, resulting in widespread damage. Deloitte colleagues from across the globe immediately came forward to help, including China, Japan, Middle East, South Africa, Spain and Sweden. Together, Deloitte raised more than US$270,000 to support the relief and rebuilding efforts in the Philippines, as well as in Vietnam, which was hit by floods caused by the typhoon.

Through donations and volunteerism, Deloitte Southeast Asia was able to provide aid to the disaster and emergency response efforts, which included building temporary shelters and facilitating clearing operations. Looking out for our people, Deloitte Southeast Asia also extended help to the families of staff who were hard-hit by the typhoon.

These efforts were consistent with Deloitte’s global Humanitarian Innovation Program featuring innovative cross-border collaboration to provide expertise and funding support during extraordinary crises.

Deloitte Southeast Asia provided sustainable relief, such as clothing, food, and medicines, as well as materials to revive sources of income–mainly farm and fishing implements–to help people resume their lives while awaiting government aid. Among support activities, Deloitte Philippine helped to rebuild a school stage, just in time for high school graduations, and classrooms so that children can continue to receive education in a proper environment.

Le Freeport Luxembourg was inaugurated in September 2014 as a state-of-the art logistics hub for showing, storing, and trading art works and other valuable goods. Deloitte Luxembourg had been working for seven years to lay the foundation for the Freeport as part of its Art & Finance initiative. The initiative aims to connect the world of art and the financial sector, and to create an Art & Finance cluster in Luxembourg. To support the government, Deloitte professionals have volunteered time and expertise to provide extensive fiscal and strategic work.

Le Freeport Luxembourg and the Art & Finance initiative help to make Luxembourg an attractive destination for art dealers, art collectors, investors, and wealth managers. Through Deloitte’s contributions to the initiative, we are recognized as a go-to resource for more information, with Art & Finance reports among the most downloaded on the Deloitte Luxembourg website. Deloitte Luxembourg has organized seven international conferences on Art & Finance to-date. Other Deloitte member firms to join the Art & Finance initiative include Deloitte U.S., Deloitte Germany, and Deloitte Italy.

The Art & Finance initiative fosters growth not only in the local cultural landscape and financial industry, but also in the related ICT and logistics sectors. The initiative adds a new dimension to the existing financial sector and makes it more diverse. Deloitte Luxembourg is working with the Luxembourg government on such projects as Le Freeport Luxembourg to help position Luxembourg as an international hub for art & finance. Art needs finance, and we all need art.

The 2008 financial crisis resulted in increased uncertainty. Almost seven years later, this uncertainty is a way of life for many living in Austria.

In order to assess the competitiveness of Austria as a business location, Deloitte Austria developed Deloitte.Radar. This meta-study combines internationally recognized indices such as the Global Competitiveness Index, the Global Innovation Index, and the World Competitiveness Index with local and global Deloitte research to deliver a comprehensive tool that is being used by politicians, organizations, opinion leaders and the general public to drive discussion around Austria’s competiveness and how to improve Austria’s position as a place to do business. At the heart of the study lie the long-term trend analysis and the outlook for the business location.

Over 1,100 employees at Deloitte Austria—and thousands of experts and specialists in our global network—engage with companies and institutions from various industries throughout the year. Pooling experience and deep understanding of problems that arise in business has enabled us to recognize the issues and provide practical solutions. With this tool, Deloitte professionals determined Austria’s position in seven location factors relevant for business, and created a public voice to help drive Austria towards a competitive future.

Deloitte.Radar simultaneously reflects the view from outside and the drive within to present a clear picture of the competitiveness and attractiveness of the business location. By delivering a balanced and accurate image from the perspective of companies, employees, public institutions, and drivers of the economy, Deloitte Austria is helping to shine a spotlight on Austria as a place to do business and position for the future.

Vi-Ability has a passion for making a difference in society. Its focus is to tackle the community issues of financially unsustainable sports clubs, economic inactivity and youth disengagement.

The aim of Vi-Ability is that every community has a thriving and financially viable sports club at its heart—providing opportunities for people to develop skills and broaden their horizons.

Sharing insight and expertise, Deloitte’s Sports Business Group was able to help.

Vi-Ability develops individuals, communities and sports clubs. By bringing all three components together they magnify their social impact to higher levels, thereby scaling social innovation. With the support of Deloitte UK’s Social Innovation Pioneers Program, which helps socially innovative businesses grow to scale, Vi-Ability has been introduced to the Premier League and now works with football clubs at all levels across Wales, London and Europe. As well, Vi-Ability is expanding its work with other sports, has recently entered the Indian market, and is exploring opportunities in the United States & United Arab Emirates.

Among the inspiring case studies of the impact that Vi-Ability is having, are their efforts geared toward helping young people with learning difficulties to complete training courses and find work.

Accolades received by Vi-Ability as evidence of their good works include The Big Society Award from the Prime Minister, the UK Best Social Enterprise Start Up of the Year, and Wales Social Enterprise Leader of the Year.

At Deloitte, we recognize the critical role education plays in the quality of life and improved living standards of future generations and our communities. The need is particularly great for young women who are face limited opportunity to progress. Since the turn of the century, Deloitte Mexico has supported Meyalli, a school providing underserved girls and young women with an education that enables them to enjoy greater opportunities to develop skills and achieve their aspirations.

Deloitte Mexico has provided Meyalli with financial support, donated technological equipment, and organized fund raising and volunteer events to empower the students of Meyalli to become independent and successful women. By creating an enabling environment, Deloitte Mexico is contributing not only to the expanded potential of the individual, but also scaling the capacity of the school, and ultimately the growth of the economy.

The ongoing commitment of Deloitte Mexico to the Meyalli school is consistent with Deloitte’s global focus on educational access equality as a signature issue for more than five years. The relationship enables access to technology, people, and culture that would not normally be within reach. Deloitte Mexico’s involvement opens doors to new possibilities for students and teachers, while empowering girls and young women to acquire skills through education that raise life standards within their community, and increase opportunity for future generations.

Young entrepreneurs often struggle to grow start-ups into mature, productive businesses. The Deloitte Innovation Centre was established by Deloitte Belgium to offer promising start-ups intellectual capital and C-level mentoring. The Centre helps them to address the significant challenges of getting “up and running.”

The Deloitte Innovation Centre assists young entrepreneurs in growing their start-ups into mature companies that contribute to the economy. By sharpening their business skills and providing exposure to powerful investors, through access to global and local networks, the Centre boosts the capabilities of the entrepreneurs and increases the likelihood of their success.

Fostering innovation is crucial for the Belgium economy, and in addressing major social challenges. By scaling social innovation during early stages where impact is critical, more enterprises emerge from start-up status to viable businesses. The entrepreneurs benefit from mentoring provided by Deloitte Belgium professionals. These mentors help the entrepreneurs develop leadership skills and help start-ups that reach maturity be better managed and more productive.

Cyclones in the Pacific region are expected. When Oxfam New Zealand (Oxfam NZ) responds to disasters in the Pacific, the agency faces an exceptionally challenging environment, with both the geography and the fragile infrastructure making it difficult to reach the more than 25,000 vulnerable, remote, low-lying island communities.

Oxfam NZ’s main priority following a disaster is to get clean water, sanitation and hygiene packs to communities, through coordination and collaboration with other regional NGOs to ensure an optimal response to disasters in the archipelago.

Using expertise and insight developed in the private sector, Deloitte New Zealand collaborated with Oxfam NZ to co-create an innovative solution, leveraging the latest business practices in supply chain and logistics to create a scalable, transferrable set of tools for more effective disaster response. The resulting framework’s aim is faster and less costly relief, thereby improving the quantity and quality of aid.

The innovative, multifaceted framework will help Oxfam NZ reach affected communities with vital supplies. While developed specifically for Oxfam NZ’s requirements, the framework has also been explicitly designed to be easily adapted for use by the wider NGO community across the Pacific region. Oxfam NZ aims to scale the use of the tool within Oxfam and to share the learnings with the wider humanitarian community, to enable them to act more cohesively in the wake of a disaster, and ultimately reach more people with lifesaving support.

For the past decade, Deloitte China has championed multiple social projects to support disadvantaged youth in marginalized communities of Mainland China and Hong Kong through access to education.

Major projects include the Yunnan Village Adoption Project, the Hubei Hope School Project in rural China, and the Pass the Torch Student Mentoring Program in Hong Kong.

To date, more than 3,000 disadvantaged youth have benefited from Deloitte China’s provision of schools, tuition sponsorship, and mentoring. Some of the students helped by the Deloitte China initiatives were the first in their communities to attend university.

Consistent with Deloitte’s long-time global emphasis on providing support for education access to address the skills gap in the 21st century, Deloitte China's programs have expanded access and opportunities. In doing so, Deloitte China's contribution to society has been recognized by the governments of both Hubei Province and Hong Kong.

Deloitte China’s social programs are giving marginalized youth the necessary encouragement and educational access to engage and contribute to the local economy—a number of students are aiming to become doctors or teachers.

By helping to equip members of the next generation with knowledge, skills, and confidence, the Chinese firm is providing the necessary manpower to steer China through the challenges of an aging population and the transition from an agrarian to urban economy.

Friday, 5 June 2015, marked Deloitte US’s 15th Impact Day—an annual celebration of Deloitte’s year-round commitment to accelerating positive change in our communities. This year saw more than 27,000 Deloitte US volunteers across 80 communities participating in more than 970 projects.

Nearly one-third of this year’s projects were skills-based, leveraging the knowledge and experience of Deloitte US professionals to help non-profit organizations address some the most pressing community issues. From supporting veterans in career transitions to helping education-focused organizations facilitate the college application process for high school students, our skills-based Impact Day projects offer valuable, tailored solutions that enable nonprofits to more effectively address critical community issues.

Check out the Impact Day 2015 video to learn more about the ways Deloitte professionals are making an impact that matters.

Deloitte Netherlands has entered a new era of IT integration and corporate responsibility by opening their new Amsterdam office in The Edge, awarded the title of “world's most sustainable office building” through the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM).

Described as a “computer with a roof,” The Edge incorporates a multitude of innovative IT solutions and produces 102 percent of its own energy.

The nerve system of this operation is an internal network to which nearly every device is connected via 28,000 sensors and the Internet of Everything. Deloitte professionals and guests can control an array of services through a single, device–independent tool called MapIQ, a unified system with the look, feel, and usability of a smartphone app. From finding a parking spot to booking a conference room, MapIQ makes the lives of Deloitte's professionals easier.

This high degree of system connectivity results in a significant amount of data on the usage of services and products within the office, which is analyzed and interpreted through a business intelligence platform. The ability to allocate space and services based on real-time occupancy balances the best performance of the building and user preference—easing the burden on the environment through the resulting energy conservation.

The vision for The Edge reflects the commitment of Deloitte Netherlands to innovation and sustainability: intelligent devices communicating with each other to provide new insights in usage and maintenance and creating personalized, relevant services for Deloitte professionals while greening the world around it.

The Edge’s doors are open to visitors from every corner of the world. Take a virtual tour here.

Find out more about how The Edge is making a sustainable impact that matters in our 2015 Global Report.

Further reading:
Bloomberg Businessweek, Gizmag, Business Insider

The Great Barrier Reef—the world‘s largest living organism, comprising 2,900 smaller reefs extending along 2,300km of Queensland‘s coastline—is a beloved international symbol of Australia. The Reef is home to millions of species of marine plants and animals, including more than 600 types of coral and 1,600 species of fish. It contributes an estimated A$6 billion annually to the national economy and generates over 70,000 jobs.

Since 2005, Deloitte Australia‘s team in Brisbane has been providing pro bono audit services to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, an independent, not–for–profit organization dedicated to securing and funding research into the Reef‘s protection and preservation. Over the past decade, more than A$40 million has been generated and carefully allocated by the Foundation to support science that helps preserve while also informing, encouraging, and inspiring. Managing Director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Anna Marsden, values Deloitte‘s ongoing commitment. ”The Great Barrier Reef Foundation places great importance on having solid governance and finance mechanisms in place, which is vital to being a transparent and trustworthy charity. Having Deloitte as our auditor allows us to focus our energies on protecting the Great Barrier Reef while remaining confident our business is sustainable and can grow into the future,“ says Anna.

Deloitte Australia‘s contributions ensure the Foundation‘s accounts are expertly audited each year. As a world heritage area, preservation of the Reef is a national and global priority. As external auditor, Deloitte plays a critical role in the organization‘s governance, freeing up valuable financial resources better spent on research into preserving a resilient Reef for generations to come.

And for the Deloitte Australia team, the impact of this work is more than rewarding and something that we all love to do!