As one of the leading consulting firms, Kearney is also taking a leading role in climate protection. After establishing a Net-Zero strategy in accordance with SBTi, Kearney is opting for regional carbon credits from Pina Earth for employee gifts. The partnership continues a successful collaboration between the founder and CEO of Pina Earth and Kearney.
Kearney is a leading consulting firm with offices in more than 40 countries around the world. Its clients include Fortune 500 companies and influential government and non-profit organizations. Dr. Gesa Biermann is a Kearney alumna and founded the impact company Pina Earth. Pina Earth develops certified climate protection projects in Germany that turn endangered monocultures into biodiverse mixed forests.
Dr. Gesa Biermann completed one of the renowned summer traineeships at Kearney in 2016. With responsibilities in market analysis, conducting strategy workshops and designing a corporate vision and strategy, she learned important skills at Kearney for the founding of Pina Earth.
"During my time at Kearney, I was able to gain insight into many different areas. A cornerstone from which I still benefit today at Pina Earth - especially with regard to shaping the corporate strategy."
Dr. Gesa Biermann, Co-Founder and CEO of Pina Earth
Gesa has founded her own company with Pina Earth. For her, this is a step towards taking action for climate protection. A goal that Kearney is also pursuing. Kearney is the first management consultancy in the world to have its Net-Zero climate protection targets approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
“To be the first management consultancy firm with approved net-zero science-based targets is an incredible achievement. As consultants, the biggest sustainability impact we can create is through helping our clients with the opportunities and challenges in the transition to a low-carbon future.”
Alex Liu, managing partner & chairman at Kearney
To set a good example as a company, Kearney supports numerous ESG initiatives. In 2022, for example, over 280 pro bono projects and social initiatives were carried out with local and global impact organizations.
Fostering sustainability requires collective effort. At Kearney, this shared commitment to taking responsibility is primarily fueled by employees: social impact and climate protection are important to more than 90% of Kearney employees - over 80% are already actively involved. To effectively address these priorities, Kearney is integrating climate protection into internal initiatives.
This commitment to sustainability extends to the way Kearney expresses gratitude to their employees. Kearney conscientiously considers environmental compatibility when selecting gifts for employees and alumni. Rather than traditional gifts, funds that would have been allocated to such items are now directed towards sustainable initiatives, creating a tangible and meaningful impact. For employees in the DACH region, climate protection initiatives are designed to unfold locally, right at the doorstep. This approach aims to make the impact as immediate and relevant as possible, aligning with Kearney's broader commitment to a sustainable future.
"When selecting a partner, it has always been important to Kearney in the past to support young alumni founders with their business ideas. It was a great stroke of luck that Gesa Biermann and her start-up Pina Earth offer the opportunity to purchase regional carbon credits. The collaboration and the gifts show how close the network of active and former employees is and promotes solidarity with each other and with Kearney."
Ricarda D'ham, alumni manager at Kearney
Thanks to Pina Earth's climate protection projects, Kearney can now combine both: fostering employee happiness and making an important contribution to climate protection.
Recipients can actively engage with the impact of their contribution through the Pina Earth project dashboard, where they can monitor the ongoing progress of the forest adaptation project. Regular updates, images of the evolving forest area, and comprehensive project reports make the positive impact tangible for Kearney employees and alumni. In this way, Kearney combines employee engagement and climate protection.
