Sustainability at BDO

We view sustainability as an investment in the strength of our culture, the resilience of our business, and the future of our planet.

Shaping a sustainable future

For us, sustainability isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about taking steps to continuously evolve our business to be more responsible and more resilient. It’s about doing our part to make a positive impact, lead with purpose, hold ourselves accountable, and prioritize long-term resilience.

Investing in sustainable initiatives isn’t just about BDO’s future. It’s about the future of all our stakeholders. 

Our Commitment to Sustainability

Focusing on the topics that matter most to our stakeholders

Using our materiality assessment as a foundation, we ensure that our strategy and actions align with the issues identified by our stakeholders.

Protecting human rights

We are a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, and we support the Ten Principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the International Labour Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Achieving Net Zero by 2050

We commit to decarbonizing our business and have set near-term, long-term, and net-zero science-based emissions reduction targets which have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).  

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Evaluating climate risk 

We commit to the assessment and disclosure of material climate-related physical and transition risks to our business. We have conducted a climate scenario analysis to more fully understand how our business activities impact the environment — and how best to minimize that impact.

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Monitoring and reporting on our progress 

We continuously monitor, measure, and report on our progress, holding ourselves accountable to the commitments we’ve made.

Actionable Steps on Our Sustainability Journey

While we recognize that there’s a lot more work to do, there’s a lot we’re already doing — and have been doing for many years — as part of our belief that responsible business is good business. 

Download our Code of Ethics and Responsible Business

Download our human rights statement

Download our environmental statement

Download our 2025 Sustainability Report

A Shared Vision of Progress

Our sustainability journey began with — and continues to be guided by — engagement with our stakeholders.  Our most recent materiality assessment — conducted in 2022 — identifies the areas of highest importance to our stakeholders. As we advance our strategy, the findings of our materiality assessment and ongoing interaction with our stakeholders continue to serve as our foundation. 

Through frequent touchpoints across a variety of channels, we seek to open lines of communication and demonstrate alignment between our collective values and the actions taken to maintain and advance that alignment.

BDO Materiality Matrix

How We Engage With Our Stakeholder Groups

Employees and Principals

Internal surveys, communications, intranet, portals, webinars, voicemails and memos, social media, ethics hotline and code of conduct, education and training, workplace policies, sustainability reports 

Prospective Employees

Career fairs, social media, internships, bdo.com, strategic relationships with industry organizations and colleges and universities, sustainability reports, client supplier requirements

Clients

Relationship partners and engagement teams, responses to information requests, social media, newsletters, conferences and events, thought leadership, press releases, client listening and feedback programs, sustainability reports, client supplier requirements

Suppliers

Requests for proposals and information, due diligence requests, surveys, portals, ongoing supplier communication and management, sustainability reports

Communities

Charitable giving and community engagement activities, volunteerism and nonprofit board service, sustainability reports

Regulators

Professional associations, committee and board services, bdo.com, sustainability reports, audit quality reports, Audit Quality Advisory Committee

Our Sustainability Center of Excellence

Our Sustainability Center of Excellence (CoE)  is a centralized resource hub of sustainability professionals focused in two areas. The first is the execution of BDO’s own sustainability strategy, programs, and reporting. The second is providing technical support to our professional services teams assisting clients to improve performance, manage enterprise risk, and address ongoing sustainability reporting and compliance obligations in the jurisdictions where they operate. As the global, commercial, and regulatory landscape continues to evolve, this unique structure allows us to remain agile and impactful in addressing the complex challenges and opportunities we encounter — both for ourselves and our clients.

The CoE anticipates and responds to evolving stakeholder feedback, including client supplier code compliance requests. We make continuous improvements to our sustainability strategy and programs to maintain alignment with the expectations of our clients and other stakeholders. The CoE is charged with developing and driving cross-functional implementation of the firm’s key sustainability initiatives — including our decarbonization strategy and addressing climate-related risks and opportunities — while monitoring and reporting our progress. In addition, the CoE team oversees compliance with third-party rating agency reporting; sustainability frameworks and standards; regulatory compliance at the state, national, and global levels; as well as reporting in alignment with BDO Global Sustainability policy.

As we continue to integrate sustainability into our own organization, we believe we have an opportunity – a responsibility – to help our clients do the same. CoE professionals work hand-in-hand with our client service teams across the firm to identify new services and solutions and provide subject-matter expertise and engagement support across a wide array of sustainability topics. The CoE stays at the forefront of ever-expanding regulatory developments, offering technical guidance, conducting benchmarking and market research, and delivering tailored support to the firm and our clients. In addition, the CoE helps advance sustainability across the global marketplace by collaborating with the more than 160 BDO Member Firms in BDO’s international network — sharing insights, exchanging best practices, aligning on strategy, and collaboratively developing and delivering global sustainability services and solutions.

Learn More

Leading companies know sustainability provides an aperture through which innovation flows — creating new markets and boosting productivity — all while enhancing performance by doing more with less.
Karen Baum
BDO USA Sustainability Center of Excellence Managing Principal, BDO Global Sustainability Services & Solutions Leader

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