Earth Day 2023

Please tell us a little about yourself

Ruta: I really enjoy exploring the wonders of nature and feel rejuvenated after spending a day outdoors. I have completed numerous multi-day hiking and camping trips, the most memorable one in Serra dos Órgãos National Park in Brazil. Exposure to mountains, fresh air and sunlight leave me with a renewed sense of energy.

Kaja: I am a mountain enthusiast, and as a member of the sustainability group at SAC, the Swiss Apine Club, I find my Zen ski touring across the serenity of mountains. During my time as advisor in Norwegian public sector I co-created the 12-year sustainability plan for the city of Trondheim, an achievement I am proud of. In 2018, I was incredibly lucky to volunteer at a school in Kenya, together with Deloitte colleagues, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals - SDG 4 Quality Education, an experience I value deeply. And I have been a Norwegian teacher with the Red Cross.

David: I am a part-time master’s student in international business and cross-cultural management & leadership. Simultaneously, I am pursuing a sports career as a semi-professional performance athlete in the event of sprint and sprint hurdling. My typical week consists of 5-6 training days,2-3 hours each day. Furthermore, I am coaching an athlete in “Decathlon,” a competitive discipline covering ten events over the course of two days. Under my supervision my athlete remains one of the top five athletes in Austria and Switzerland in his events.

When did you join Deloitte and what do you do?

Kaja: I started my Deloitte journey in 2013, as an intern in Audit and worked for various Business Lines such as Audit, Risk and Consulting. After six years I took a 2-year break and returned in 2022. In August 2023 I will have my 7-year anniversary with the company. Deloitte has always encouraged and supported my developmental journey and has given me the opportunity to transfer internally, expand my know-how through exposure to different clients and projects.

David: In my studies, I specialised in sustainable management and life cycle assessment (LCA). I joined the Deloitte Audit & Assurance Sustainability Team in March 2022 as a Consultant for environmental-related topics focusing on life cycle analysis and carbon foot printing.

Ruta: I joined Deloitte in 2017 through the graduate program in London, before then moving to the Swiss firm in 2021. In my day to day, I help Life Sciences clients make their analytics journeys more insight driven.

Why did you get involved with the Climate Champions Network and what projects are you working on now?

Ruta: I have been passionate about sustainability for the past 15 years, specifically since the time when I was preparing for a debate contest. As part of my research, came across Al Gore’s book ‘The Inconvenient Truth’. The book’s powerful portrayal of the alarming reality of our planet’s deteriorating health left me with a sense of responsibility to become part of the solution. I have changed several daily habits since, have been involved in volunteering activities such as organising a “Let's Do It! World” clean-up day in my hometown, amongst others. Once I saw that applications were open to join the Climate Champions Network, I immediately signed up. My biggest project as a Climate Champion so far was my involvement in this year’s Swiss Sustainability Week at Deloitte.

David: I joined the Client Champions Network since I strongly believe that fundamental transformational change can only happen if sustainability is embedded at the core of our daily work – consequently internal sustainability topics must be further prioritised through the Climate Champions Network. My team and I recently conducted a product-related environmental life-cycle analysis for a Swiss luxury watchmaker.

Kaja: I got involved as I would like to work on sustainability not only as a consultant, but also to make Deloitte a more sustainable employer. I feel purpose and belonging through the Climate Champions Network and I am incredibly grateful for all the motivated and knowledgeable people I have gotten to know. I am working on two projects: rolling out Climate Fresk, an innovative, efficient and accessible tool to understand the scientific bases underlying climate change and defining a future sustainable mobility strategy. Thirdly, I will also help train our people on the Sustainable Delivery Framework (SDG) to ensure that all employees know how to optimise their projects in terms of sustainable delivery.

What impact have you made at Deloitte as a result?

Kaja: By bringing Climate Fresk to Deloitte, I have initiated something that might become standard climate training for our employees, improving knowledge of climate change. Particularly, the collaborative Climate Fresk workshop teaches the fundamental science behind climate change and empowers participants to take action.

Ruta: This year, I co-organised the Swiss Sustainability Week - the preparation took a few months and it turned out to be a success with more than 200 participants to our various events. I was supported by several enthusiastic volunteers and I am immensely proud of what we achieved! During the week we had various activities: a client panel discussion with representatives from the luxury, healthcare and Life Sciences industry, a Sustainability Ecosystem Fair flagship event, sustainable vegetarian food in our cafeteria, plogging and more. I believe that spreading awareness about the importance of sustainability by engaging people in meaningful activities is enormously powerful.

David: Together with my colleague Deborah de Wolff, we realised the rollout of Giki, an interactive platform which enables employees to track the individual carbon footprint and at the same time suggests an action plan to reduce their individual impact.

What do you enjoy the most about your role as a climate champion and your work at Deloitte?

David: I genuinely enjoy connecting with like-minded people, exchanging ideas, and discussing ongoing sustainability challenges both in my private and professional life.

Ruta: What I value most at Deloitte is our global network, striving for excellence in the work we deliver as well as continuously aiming for growth and innovation. I also like being part of the sustainability community which is driven by a deep sense of commitment and purpose. We foster an environment of collaboration and organise meaningful initiatives together.

Kaja: I enjoy the enthusiasm and working together with purpose driven colleagues. We are so privileged in our lives and our positions, and we need to seize the opportunities to support a sustainable development.

What do you envision for the future – what are the next steps you would like to take as a climate champion?

Ruta: Deloitte has committed to contributing to a sustainable and prosperous future for all by promoting environmental sustainability. I have been and will remain an advocate of this pledge going forward.

Kaja: As a service provider, we need to focus on reducing our emissions from business travel and commuting and review our value chain considering sustainability. I would like Deloitte to increase their support for public transportation to employees, and I would like to assess our current list of suppliers and enhance the sustainability criteria for supplier selection.

David: Since for me environmental protection is strongly related to the preservation and promotion of biodiversity, I would love to see future projects going into the direction of urban gardening and corporate volunteering at Swiss regional nature parks.

Stay tuned for more stories of how our people are growing and making their mark at Deloitte, with clients and society!