KPMG staff turn from audit to arbor

KPMG employees and other volunteers have planted 265 trees at the Salina National Park near Kennedy Grove as part of the audit firm's mission "to turn knowledge into value for the benefit of our clients".

The activity was the latest in a series of events organised by KPMG aimed at making Malta greener. The tree planting, in support of the 34U Campaign of the Ministry of Rural Affairs and the Environment, was preceded by a morning of heavy gardening at the Foresta 2000 site near Mellieha, which is run by Din l-Art Helwa, Birdlife Malta and the PARK Dept. This large area has been earmarked for upgrading and forestation.

Joseph Schembri, KPMG's senior partner, expressed his strong support for the initiative and emphasised that KPMG's "corporate responsibility is to inspire, challenge and empower our people, to positively contribute to our community and environment to create a sustainable business future. We believe that our commitment to social responsibility and the environment is increasingly essential to the success of our business and is a demonstration of our values in action".

KPMG has institutionalised its social responsibility obligation through the "KPMG in the community" programme, which is run by a dedicated team who organise, manage, and/or support a variety of events and is kept alive through the active participation of partners, staff and their dependants.

Recent events as part of the KPMG in the community programme, included support to the Istrina TV programme, the organisation of outings for children's homes over the Christmas period; support to the BMW Kids 4 Kids initiative in aid of Razzett tal-Hbiberija; and assistance with the Evenings on Campus initiatives.

Internationally, KPMG works with a number of partners and assists an array of organisations (such as the international environment organisation Earthwatch and the Lambano Sanctuary for orphans with HIV/Aids in Johannesburg) by encouraging/appealing to the staff to volunteer, providing mentoring programmes as well as supporting orphaned children and young refugees.