Andrew Winston Joins PwC as Independent Sustainability Advisor

On September 1, PwC announced that they retained sustainability expert Andrew Winston as an independent Sustainability Advisor. Winston is the founder of Winston Eco-Strategies, the author of Green Recovery, practical advice for companies implementing environmental initiatives in order to weather difficult economic times, and the co-author of Green to Gold, the international best-selling book of lessons learned for companies who want to go green. Winston is recognized around the world as an expert on green business, and appears regularly in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Time, and BusinessWeek. He writes a weekly column for the Harvard Business Online, periodic articles on Huffington Post, a monthly e-letter, and is in high-demand as a speaker. Winston helps companies develop an environmental strategy to strengthen both their business and their employee and stakeholder relationships. As PwC US is working to grow their sustainability practice, advice and guidance from Winston will be invaluable.  In a press release, US Sustainable Business Solutions Leader Kathy Nieland, said,

"…we see this relationship as an important and timely opportunity through which to bolster PwC’s presence in the US marketplace. In a field filled with often discordant voices and points of view, Andrew is a highly respected, well-known individual who will help PwC advise its clients in cutting through the noise, distilling key messages and driving business results."

As more and more companies realize that sustainability is not just an environmental issue, they will need a sustainability strategy to incorporate those principles across all operational levels. PwC’s alliance with Winston combines their financial strength with Winston’s sustainability savvy. Of the new partnership, Winston said,

“Corporations are facing a dizzying array of new pressures – from rising commodity prices and resource constraints, to business risk from mega-challenges such as climate change and water shortages, to intense questions from new and forceful stakeholders who care deeply about environmental issues. PwC is in a unique position to help its clients navigate the increasingly complex integration of sustainability strategies into core business practices and build effective, profitable organizations.”

In an interview with Harvard Business Publishing on innovation and Green Recovery, Winston talked about how going green doesn’t have to cost businesses money. Implemented right, it will save money in the long run.  If organizations start now forming green strategies and putting small initiatives in place--perhaps leading to larger ones--when the economy does turn around it is these companies who will be best prepared to take advantage of the upswing. Winston said, “Look for innovation in the way you do things every day.” image: justmeans