UN Global Compact | Accenture

Communication on Progress 74 pages

United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 Reporting on Our Growth as a Responsible Company Next

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S S Overview People Social Impact A letter to our stakeholders Caring for our people Societal response to COVID-19 TS TS Goals & Progress at a glance Investing in our people Skills to Succeed Our commitment to the Accelerating equality for all Accenture Development Partnerships Sustainable Development Goals Volunteering Accenture’s Environmental, Social N and Governance materiality matrix EN EN Path to Net-Zero Supply Chain Ethics & Governance Helping our clients achieve their goals Responsible procurement Conducting business with integrity Reducing our footprint Driving supplier sustainability Digital responsibility Engaging our people Supplier inclusion and sustainability Adhering to best practices TE T and policies Reporting & Data Reporting Approach Goals & Progress Awards & Recognition O Performance Data Table CON CONTENT CON C United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 2

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A letter to our stakeholders We believe sustainability is the new digital—it will We are proud of Accenture’s progress in a very create the most powerful force of change in our challenging year, but there is still much more work generation, transforming how we live and work to do. As this report demonstrates, we continue to A year unlike any other has brought us to an and driving new value and growth. We are making raise the bar for what we can accomplish—and the inflection point. The single biggest change in sustainability one of our greatest responsibilities, speed at which we act. With our people remaining human behavior in history, triggered by the embedding it by design into our core business— our top priority, we are now expanding our focus pandemic, has now triggered the single biggest into everything we do and for everyone we work on helping our clients and partners more fully reinvention of industry in living memory. We with: our clients, people, shareholders, partners embrace sustainability. To help guide these efforts, are seeing a world awakened to an incredible and communities. This is Accenture’s Sustainability we are partnering with the UNGC on studies of opportunity to reimagine and rebuild responsibly Value Promise. CEOs’ views on two key issues—progressing and sustainably, and, in turn, transform our global sustainability in a post-pandemic world and taking economy into one that works for the benefit of Since 2008, we have been committed to the 10 action on climate change—which we will publish Julie Sweet all. Shared success will depend on the ability to Principles of the United Nations Global Compact later this year. Chief Executive Officer understand all stakeholders; connect the power of (UNGC), supporting its efforts to advance technology, human ingenuity and business value; sustainability, equality and human rights. As a We are grateful to our people around the world for and accelerate technology-led transformation. Global Compact LEAD member, we champion the their boundless humanity and heart, and for their UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with unstinting dedication, resilience and commitment To realize this future, business, government and a special focus on those that are most relevant for to our clients and all our stakeholders. Together, society must embrace this moment of change. our company, and we are working with the UNGC, we are driving positive change every day—and We must think differently, act boldly and reach SAP and 3M on SDG Ambition, which challenges delivering true shared success. new levels of collaboration—and we must do it and supports participating companies of the now. Accenture’s position as partner to many of UNGC in setting ambitious corporate sustainability the world’s leading businesses, organizations targets and accelerating the integration of the and governments—and as the workplace of more SDGs into core business management. We also than 500,000 people around the globe—affords continue to align with Environmental, Social us both an extraordinary opportunity and a and Governance (ESG) best practices, such as Peter Lacy tremendous responsibility to make a difference. the World Economic Forum’s new Stakeholder Chief Responsibility Officer and Capitalism Metrics. Global Sustainability Services Lead United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 3

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Highlights of our 2020 identifying and speaking up about racism; and zero waste and plan for water risk. This includes progress across the focus increased community investments to support committing to power our offices with 100% areas of the UNGC economic inclusion. renewable energy; engaging key suppliers to reduce their emissions; and equipping our people Making progress on gender equality to make climate-smart travel decisions. We are now 45% women, on track to meet our Committed to climate action: Caring for our people in challenging times gender-balanced workforce goal by 2025. We Committing to responsible procurement Our talented people are our most important source also achieved our goal of 25% women managing Our ambition is to create supply chains that are UNGC Business Ambition for 1.5° Pledge of competitive differentiation. After the global directors by 2020 and set a new goal of 30% more sustainable and more inclusive. We met our pandemic was declared, we quickly enabled about by 2025. 2020 goal—ahead of plan—to engage 75% of our • We’ve joined 400+ companies in 95% of our people to work remotely, as we ensured pledging to do our part to keep global suppliers in disclosing their environmental targets warming below 1.5° Celsius. their safety and well-being. Our commitment to Skilling our people in the digital economy and actions, and we set a new goal of 90% by Science-based target helping them be their best both professionally and 2025. We also achieved our goal of graduating personally has never been stronger than in this We invest nearly US$900 million annually in 170 suppliers from our Global Diverse Supplier • We are the largest professional time of compounding crises and disruption. continuous learning and professional development services company to date to have opportunities that are customized to ensure our Development Program and set a new goal of 250 a target approved by the Science Based people remain highly relevant. In fiscal 2020, this graduates by the end of fiscal 2023. Targets initiative. Reaffirming our stand against racism included upskilling more than 70,000 people Achieve net-zero emissions by 2025 In the face of more tragic losses of African in hot skill areas, such as cloud. We seamlessly Living our core values • We’ll focus on actual reductions in our American and Black lives in the United States, redesigned our digital learning platform and Our governance structure and Code of Business emissions and will invest in nature-based we reaffirmed our unwavering commitment delivered 6% more training hours, while reducing solutions that will remove carbon from Ethics are designed to help ensure that our the atmosphere. to equality for all, with zero tolerance for training costs by 11%. people live our core values, and we are proud that discrimination, bigotry or hate of any kind. We Ethisphere recently recognized Accenture as one announced new goals for increased race and Setting the pace on net-zero and environment of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the ethnicity representation in the United States, th We set three new industry-leading goals: to 14 consecutive year. the United Kingdom and South Africa; new, mandatory training to support our people in achieve net-zero emissions by 2025, move to United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 4

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Goals & Progress at a glance Path to net-zero by 2025 Science-based target: By 2025 reduce our absolute greenhouse Encourage Procure Gender- Grow our percentage Maintain gas emissions by 11% of women managing and our scope 1 and 2 75% 100% balanced directors to at least 90%+ greenhouse gas workforce by 2025 S emissions by of key suppliers to renewable energy employee completion disclose their targets in our locations 25% rates for Ethics & AL 65% and actions toward by 2023 worldwide by the Compliance training GO from our 2016 emissions reduction by end of 2020 baseline the end of fiscal 2020 S We have reduced Having achieved this We reached 30% Our workforce was Having achieved our More than 99% of our total emissions goal in fiscal 2019, renewable energy 45% women in goal of 25% women people completed by 32% we set a new goal in our locations in 2020 and women managing directors their Ethics & , scope 1 by the end of 2020, Compliance training OGRESand 2 emissions by for 2025—we will fiscal 2020 accounted for 49% of we have now set a in fiscal 2020 more than 39% and require 90% of our key new hires new goal of 30% PR emissions per unit suppliers—representing by 2025 of revenue by more three-quarters of our than 45% scope 3 emissions—to disclose their targets and actions. Already, 57% have disclosed both targets and actions. NOTE: In geographies where measured, we have set race and ethnicity goals that represent the communities we serve. (SDG 10.2) See page 16 for more detail. See page 66 for a more complete look at our Goals & Progress. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 5

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Our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals: A universal Enabling circular innovation language and a call to action at speed and scale Building on the success of the Circular Awards program, we worked with Anglo American, The health, economic and social crises of Shared action and collaboration remain crucial ESG material issues, particularly around climate, Ecolab and Schneider Electric to launch The 2020 have set back progress against the to our strategy. Increasingly, we use SDGs as a waste, water, and inclusion and diversity. Circulars Accelerator in collaboration with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with universal language to galvanize action with our the World Economic Forum. The program one comprehensive analysis suggesting the clients, ecosystem partners, suppliers and other We recognize that we can increase our impact by connects leading global organizations pandemic will drive a highly or moderately stakeholders. For example, we use Accenture’s thinking about the ripple effect of outcomes we prioritizing circular innovation with disruptors negative impact on 13 of the 17 SDGs.* SDG prioritization to inform our clients and can generate. For example, we know that action seeking to scale circular solutions, with the suppliers about our most important SDGs. on gender (SDG 5) helps reduce inequalities goal of helping expedite the circular transition. Now, more than ever, we are committed to Against this backdrop, we have continued to (SDG 10), and that strong, ethical institutions The Circulars Accelerator attracted more than playing our part in accelerating change. This focus our efforts against our top-priority SDGs. (SDG 16) foster the conditions for innovation 200 entrants in its first call for applications year, Accenture has continued to partner with to thrive (SDG 9), thereby enhancing work and through a multi-stage selection process, the United Nations—alongside SAP and 3M— We have also refreshed our SDG analysis against opportunities and economic growth (SDG 8). announced 17 startups as the first cohort. to launch SDG Ambition to challenge and our ESG materiality matrix as part of our standard Startups are categorized into one of three support companies everywhere to raise the bar annual review, further strengthening the link circular transformation types, which span in driving progress on the SDGs. As part of the between our ESG materiality matrix and the the full value chain and respond to circular SDG Ambition Accelerator, we are helping to SDGs we are prioritizing. In addition, we have set challenges: innovating products and drive adoption among more than 600 companies several important new goals relating to SDGs and production, transforming consumption and across 65 countries. recovering value. *Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., Woelm, F. 2020. The Sustainable Development Goals and COVID-19. Sustainable Development Report 2020. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 6

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We are committed to the 10 Principles of the UNGC, and they Most relevant SDG targets for Accenture’s operations continue to guide the way we do business 15 5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation 10.2 Empower and promote the social, economic Highest priority SDGs for Accenture’s operations and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels... and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or 5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, economic or other status. in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment 12.2 Achieve the sustainable management and of women. efficient use of natural resources. 8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity 12.5 Substantially reduce waste generation through through diversification, technological upgrading prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. and innovation… 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to 8.5 Achieve full and productive employment and climate related hazards and natural disasters in decent work for all women and men, including for all countries. young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. 13.2 Incorporate measures to fight climate change Second priority SDGs for Accenture’s operations into policies, strategies and planning. 8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers… 16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms. 9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent raise industry’s share of employment and gross institutions at all levels. domestic product… 17.16 Enhance the global partnership for sustainable SDGs we may impact more indirectly 9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the development, complemented by multi-stakeholder technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, countries…encouraging innovation and…public and expertise, technology and financial resources, private research and development spending. to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals… United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 7

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• Data Privacy & Cyber Security Accenture’s Environmental, Social • Ethics & Integrity • Climate Change & Carbon Emissions • Responsible Technology and Governance materiality matrix HIGH & Innovation Y • Inclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunity Following a full refresh in fiscal 2019, we completed relevant nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), VER • Enabling Clients’ our standard annual review of Accenture’s industry bodies and academics; new frameworks Sustainability • Employee Well-being & Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and good practices, such as the universal ESG eholders Engagement materiality matrix in fiscal 2020. Our goal was to metrics from the World Economic Forum; and the ak understand emerging issues—including the effects SDG Ambition benchmarks. We worked with our • Community Giving • Human Rights • Working Conditions of the global pandemic—and potential changes to Investor Relations team to understand emerging • Responsible Buying • ESG Management how we prioritize our ESG topics. investor requirements captured through our annual ance to St • Societal Impact • Talent Attraction, shareholder outreach process, and analyzed our t • Public Policy & Retention & Development We continue to capture the importance of our clients’ ESG requests and emerging priorities using HIGH Advocacy Impor • Water highest-priority ESG topics to our stakeholders and our client request tool, where we log and respond • Waste, including e-waste our business in our ESG materiality matrix. This to clients’ requests for ESG information (e.g., as serves as a consistent framework for articulating part of proposals or supplier compliance reviews). our priorities and engaging with our stakeholders • Nature, Biodiversity & about the journey we are taking. At the summary Wildlife level, the process we undertook was: Inputs to the business axis MEDIUM Inputs to the stakeholder axis We reviewed our business prioritization in light MEDIUM HIGH VERY HIGH of Accenture’s new purpose and governance changes, our new ESG targets, our Enterprise Importance to Business We used specialist third-party software to conduct Risk Management program, and other related Notes: detailed benchmarking and analysis of recent and impacts on our people and global operations. • Topics not included on this matrix are not considered relevant for our non-financial disclosures. • For GRI purposes, the outlined sections of the above matrix contain the most material non-financial topics in scope for reporting with emerging ESG issues across peers, competitors We also worked directly with a number of our the GRI Standards that are included in our GRI Content Index. For each topic, our list of definitions of material topics references the and others. We also reviewed the latest insights senior leaders to identify possible changes to specific Standards used as well as Management Approach information. This report has been prepared referencing the GRI Standards. For more information about these Standards, please visit the GRI website. on ESG materiality in the context of 2020 from our issues or how we prioritize them. • To view the high priority SDGs mapped to Accenture’s ESG material issues, please see page 65. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 8

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People Leading with compassion and humanity We are helping our people be their best professionally and personally. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 9

Most relevant Accenture High priority SDG targets relevant for this area: ESG material issues: People • Responsible Technology & Innovation • Inclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunity IN THIS CHAPTER: • Employee Well-being & Engagement • Working Conditions Caring for and sustaining • Talent Attraction, Retention & Development 5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation 8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure our people • Human Rights and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels... working environments for all workers… 5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, in 10.2 Empower and promote the social, economic Investing in our people Most relevant Principles of particular information and communications technology, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, the UN Global Compact: to promote the empowerment of women. disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or 8.5 Achieve full and productive employment and other status. Accelerating equality for all Human Rights decent work for all women and men, including for • Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect young people and persons with disabilities, and equal the protection of internationally proclaimed pay for work of equal value. human rights. Labour • Principle 6: Businesses should uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. ant second priority SDGs: v ele R United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 10

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PEOPLE of the compounding crises and to strengthen their mental resilience. We took decisive action to reaffirm our stand against racism and our Throughout Accenture’s history, our people have unwavering commitment to equality for all. We embraced constant change. Fiscal 2020 was no continued to make progress toward becoming different. Last year—despite an unprecedented a more inclusive and diverse organization, and health, economic and social crisis—our more set important new goals to further accelerate than 500,000 people around the world these changes. demonstrated their dedication, resilience and commitment to our clients and creating shared At the same time, we remain focused on success for all our stakeholders. supporting our people professionally, equipping them with leading-edge technologies, continuous Facing multiple crises, our top priorities were learning and a supportive global community to the overall safety, health and well-being—both enable them to seize opportunities and resources physical and psychological—of our people and to successfully manage their careers—and to help their families, along with contributing to the themselves, our clients, our communities and recovery and vibrancy of our local communities. one another as we look ahead to a new reality One of our primary goals is to lead with beyond COVID-19. compassion and humanity—to help our people be their best professionally and personally—and this took on a deeper meaning and sense of urgency this past year. We supported our people personally with new virtual tools and initiatives to ensure they were seen, heard, connected and productive, as well as to help cope with the demands and stresses Aideé, Specialist – Human Resources, Program & Operations, and her dog, Sansa, Mexico City, Mexico United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 11

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helping our people to become even more personal or work-related issues that may affect The Accenture #moretogethernow site offers Caring for resilient and to maintain and enhance their job performance or mental, emotional or tools and support for everything from working physical energy, mental focus, value and sense physical well-being. remotely to mental health to specific topics like of purpose. parenting and juggling the demands of new “co- our people Public health systems often play a critical role in workers” (i.e., children). Since launch, the site We have demonstrated compassion and shown our people’s healthcare worldwide. In addition, has been continually refined and updated with our people just how deeply we care for them with where relevant, we provide employees and their relevant content based on the feedback and As a talent-led organization, the ingenuity and new or expanded services tailored to the needs dependents access to company-sponsored needs of our people—reinforced with the mantra, unique strengths of our people are our most of their local markets. In addition to existing health programs such as medical checks, “Together, we are better than ever.” important source of competitive differentiation. programs such as Thriving Mind and our Mental preventative care, outpatient and inpatient To grow our business, we must support our Health Ally network, we provided live access to medical, dental and prescription drug coverage. people with deep compassion and care. professionals around the clock to help answer In some countries, we supplement with programs questions and provide guidance based on an such as healthy pregnancy, stress management, After the pandemic was declared, we worked individual’s situation; introduced an innovative critical illness, chronic condition management, to ensure their safety and well-being. Our virtual program that helps our people manage biometrics, health risk assessments, nutritional commitment to helping our people be their best stress and anxieties and build their resilience; counseling and fitness. both professionally and personally has shared best practices for working from home; never been stronger than in this time of crisis and extended our benefits where possible, With most of our people working remotely, and disruption. from back-up dependent and family care, to human and social connections became even childcare discounts, education benefits, adoption more essential. In response, we created a “home” assistance and more. for our people online, called #moretogethernow. Supporting our people’s Even though Accenture was uniquely positioned resiliency and well-being We provide employee assistance programs in to adapt in virtual environments, it was important 100% of the countries where we operate, free that our people had somewhere to turn that of charge to all employees and people in their addressed their new concerns and fears, Our commitment to fostering a “Truly Human” households. All providers are available 24/7 for supported their entire selves, and helped them environment took on greater meaning in fiscal phone counseling and can assist with to stay safe, seen, connected and enabled. 2020, providing a road map and principles for United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 12

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Pivoting to remote work and We believe the work environment of the future and fosters adoption of health and safety advocate for our people about health and safety wil management standards across Accenture. preparing for the future l continue to evolve, but will include more concerns. We have champions working on-site remote working and be very fluid as we innovate, We continue to maintain our OHSAS 18001:2007 in every office, delivery center and client site collaborate and develop personal connections certification, and have received ISO® 45001 where our people are working. Additionally, with people working from home, offices and at certification—a globally recognized standard we strive to ensure that all our locations are Building on our decades of experience client sites. Over the longer term, we believe physically accessible, and we continue to invest with remote working, we quickly enabled that personal collaboration and engagement will for occupational health and safety—in several in Accessibility Centers focused on enablement approximately 95% of our global workforce to remain essential to maintaining our culture of countries, including Brazil, India, Ireland, Italy, and advisory services, collaborative technology work from home and suspended substantially all shared success. Spain and the United Kingdom. We continue to research, recruiting and showcasing clients. business travel. We also shared our expertise in support other geographies currently working These centers provide space where persons remote working with many clients and community toward ISO® 45001 certification. with disabilities can interact with technology, organizations that were doing it for the first time. Maintaining a healthy Our Global Asset Protection (GAP) team is demonstrating our accessible design leadership While about 90% of our people continued to and safe workplace responsible for providing crisis management and and best practices. We currently operate work remotely in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, security advice and assistance to our people. Accessibility Centers in China, India, Japan, approximately two-thirds of our offices were GAP maintains a 24/7 Global Watch program to Malaysia and three in the Philippines with plans partially open, and we were approving requests assist our people with security risks and health for more locations around the globe. to return to client sites and client-related travel. Supporting our people also includes helping to advice, and promotes awareness when our We are implementing a comprehensive plan ensure rigorous health and safety programs for people travel to high-risk locations. GAP provides to re them—at our offices and client sites. security awareness training on issues such as turn to Accenture offices and our clients’ offices where permissible. The safety of our In 2020, we implemented a new, globally workplace violence, travel safety and natural people and the needs of our clients will guide consistent Occupational Health and Safety policy disaster preparation. GAP also maintains a mass how we manage our phased transition. By to reinforce our commitment and define the notification capability to alert employees to taking a phased approach, we have been able responsibilities of all our people and contractors security events in their area based on residential, to prepare our workspaces and monitor and to keep our work environment healthy and safe— office and travel data. adjust protocols as needed. We have also built in whether at an Accenture office, project site or In 2020, our GAP and Workplace teams led the flexibility to respond quickly if government at an alternate location. The new policy drives the development of a global Health Champion directives and local conditions change. compliance with applicable laws and regulations program, which helps to educate, inform and United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 13

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development opportunities that are customized December 2020 cycle, including 605 new We invest nearly Investing in to ensure that our people remain highly relevant. managing directors and 63 new senior managing In fiscal 2020, we upskilled over 70,000 people directors—record percentages of whom were US$900 our people after the pandemic was declared in hot skill women (39% and 29%, respectively). Following million annually areas, such as cloud. We were able to seamlessly our strong financial results for the first quarter in learning and redesign our learning during the pandemic on our of fiscal 2021, we committed to continuing to development for digital learning platform, Accenture Connected invest in vibrant career paths for our people and We are committed to continually enhancing the Learning, and delivered 6% more training hours expanded our usual promotion cycle for the our people capabilities of our people through training and this year while reducing training costs by 11%. first time ever—naming an additional 42 new on-the-job learning opportunities. We continue managing directors effective February 1. to make significant progress in helping our people pivot to new, advanced technologies Performance Achievement Skilling and specialization by providing them with the tools, skills and at scale flexibility to discover new talents and keep pace with the digital revolution and our new reality. Our Performance Achievement experience, When they are equipped for success, not only supported by patented technology, is another are they fulfilled in their career journeys, but our way we invest in our people. Our people identify We know how important it is for our people to clients, our business and our communities reap and apply their strengths, focus on a few vital have a solid grasp of the major technologies that the benefits. priorities, ask for and share regular feedback, and we create, customize, consult on and deploy, take personalized actions to grow and develop. such as cloud, AI and cybersecurity. And, Continuous learning During fiscal 2020, our people provided crucially, our people must be able to share 2.5 million instances of feedback to each other— that knowledge easily with their teams and critical to enabling a culture of performance. clients alike. We have a relentless focus on helping our In fiscal 2020, Accenture introduced Technology people develop skills to remain at the forefront In a particularly challenging year, we created Quotient (TQ)—a new training program to make of both technology and trends in specific the capacity to pay meaningful bonuses for tech fluency table stakes for everyone. The more industries. We invest nearly US$900 million fiscal 2020 performance. We also announced our people can discuss technology in plain annually in continuous learning and professional a significant number of promotions in our language, the more our clients can, too—and the United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 14

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easier it will be for them to adapt to changes and all levels to help create and sustain a culture increased race and ethnicity representation in our explain them to their customers, shareholders Accelerating of equality. Our areas of focus include gender; workforce overall and among managing directors and employees. At the end of the first quarter ethnic and racial diversity; disability inclusion; in the United States, the United Kingdom and of fiscal 2021, approximately 75% of Accenture equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex South Africa; new mandatory training in the people had started their TQ journeys. (LGBTI); mental health; cross-cultural diversity; United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland— religion and faith; and additional areas as which will be rolled out in other markets—to We believe skills are the common currency that determined by our local markets. support our people in identifying and speaking will unlock boundaryless opportunities for our Our unwavering commitment to inclusion and up about racism and reinforcing what we expect people and power our networks. In fiscal 2020, diversity enables us to attract, develop, inspire We also commit to diversity and equal of them; and increased community investments we renewed our focus on skills and specialization and reward the best people. It creates an opportunity by eliminating discrimination in to support economic inclusion. Additionally, we as we implemented our new growth model. We environment that unleashes innovation, allows employment and applying our principle of continue to stay closely connected to our people continued our focus on Specialization at Scale— our people to perform at their very best, and meritocracy when we make decisions about through a host of channels, including townhalls a program that provides a robust and agile way underpins a culture in which everyone feels they our people. with leadership and Board members. to ensure that the right team, with the right skills, have an equal opportunity to belong, advance is ready to serve our clients. Using the power and thrive. We approach inclusion and diversity Ethnic and racial diversity Examples of how we are putting our commitment of AI, we help our people identify their skills with the same discipline and rigor as any other into action for our people include Drive, a and specializations, and then match them with business priority. We set goals, share them learning and development program designed project leaders and career opportunities. Since publicly, collect data to continuously improve In the face of more tragic losses of African to enhance performance of U.S.-based African the program went live in fiscal 2019, more than and hold our leaders accountable. American and Black lives in the United States, American and Hispanic American non-executive 80% of our people have updated their skills and we took immediate action to confirm our stand consultants; the African & Caribbean Network continue to maintain their skill profiles. These In fiscal 2021, we are implementing a new against racism. Our CEO, Julie Sweet, and our Accelerate Program, which helps African and skills credentials are a source of pride for our shared success scorecard for our leadership entire Global Management Committee reaffirmed Caribbean employees in the United Kingdom to people and help them be visible to leadership teams, including new metrics for advancing our sincere commitment to equality for all, with achieve their full potential; and the Planning for as new opportunities arise. inclusion and diversity. zero tolerance for discrimination, bigotry or hate Success Forum, a sponsorship program for all of any kind. U.S.-based African American and Hispanic Our commitment starts at the top with our American managing directors that is focused Board, our executive chairman and our chief To reinforce our commitment, we announced on increasing the representation of diverse executive officer, and we expect leaders at three next steps: new goals for 2025 for managing directors at the most senior levels. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 15

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In our communities, we are making In addition, our CEO, Julie Sweet, is co-chairing investments that leverage our unique strengths. the newly launched New York Jobs CEO Council, In the United States, we launched the a joint initiative composed of two dozen leading Black Founders Development Program to help companies and educational institutions. The Our commitments Black entrepreneurs advance and grow their Council, which has committed to create 100,000 technology businesses through more direct new jobs by 2030, is designed to provide access to venture capital, corporate mentorship increased opportunities for people in low-income We have set goals that will make our company more representative and strategic connections with Accenture and minority communities by transforming job of the communities in which we work.* For example, by 2025 we will business partners and clients. As part of this training, recruiting and hiring in New York City. increase our race and ethnicity representation as follows: program, we established the Black Founders Development Fund, with an initial commitment In the U.S.: In South Africa: In the U.K.: to invest US$15 million. African American and African Black colleagues Black colleagues from In the United Kingdom, we are working with Black colleagues 45% to 68% 4% to 7% MOBO to create “Mobolise”—a digital job 9% to 12% and Coloured** colleagues from and more than double platform to connect Black professionals with the and managing directors from 6% to 10% the number of our Black best career opportunities at the most innovative 2.8% to 4.4% managing directors African Black, Coloured** and (currently eight people) organizations. Also, we are a corporate member Hispanic American and Indian managing directors of DIAL Global, a peer-to-peer network of diverse Latinx colleagues 39% to 70% professionals helping to inspire individuals and corporations to advocate for diversity inside and 9.5% to 13% with a focus on African Black and outside their organizations. and managing directors from Coloured** representation 3.5% to 4.7% *Data in goal statements is reflective of announcement date—for the U.S., September 1, 2020, and for the U.K. and South Africa, October 1, 2020. ** Coloured is a multiracial ethnic group native to Southern Africa who have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including Khoisan, Bantu, Afrikaner, Whites, Austronesian, East Asian or South Asian. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 16

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Gender equality closing this gap will yield substantial benefits for We have a robust suite of opportunities to help Women’s Executive Leadership Program companies and their employees. our women grow in their careers, including: Provides senior leadership sponsorship plus In addition to publishing our workforce High-Tech Women Edge leadership-led collaboration and learning We are making progress toward the global gender demographics annually across key geographies, A specialized, custom, demand-driven program opportunities for senior women leaders goals we set for ourselves in 2017. We achieved we disclose our gender pay gap data in the United in focused technology areas that enables our goal of 25% women managing directors by Kingdom in line with government regulations. candidates to be deployed onto projects to apply the end of 2020 and set a new goal of 30% by We are firmly committed to pay equity and have their training Women 2025. Also, we have a goal to achieve a gender- robust processes in place to ensure that all our balanced workforce (for those whose gender is people—across gender, race and ethnicity—are Developing Our Women Program accounted for binary) by 2025, and we are well on our way. In compensated fairly based on their markets and Connects junior, mid-level and senior-level % 2020, women accounted for 45% of our global skills, from the moment they are hired through women for networking and co-creating 45 workforce, 49% of our new hires, 30% of our the milestones of their careers at our company. development plans for career advancement of our global executives (manager and above), 27% of our If we find an issue, we fix it. We continue to Insight Program workforce and Global Management Committee and 36% of our participate in the Employers for Pay Equity Brings together mid-career women with senior % Board of Directors (in fiscal 2020, increasing to consortium with other companies that understand leadership potential for a hands-on, nine-month 49 42% at the time of publication). the importance of ensuring all individuals are career development program focused on defining of our new hires compensated equitably for equal work and their personal career path and purpose th annual celebration of Fiscal 2020 marked our 16 experience and have the same opportunity International Women’s Day, with more than 130 to contribute and advance in the workplace. Pivot Program virtual and face-to-face events for our people, Additionally, we have a regular review process to Enables our women with practical resources for clients and partners. For more than a decade, validate living wages in the local country context career development through a locally driven, we have published groundbreaking research in and ensure we pay 100% of our employees a instructor-led learning series conjunction with these celebrations. Our global living wage or more. research explored the hidden value of culture Accenture Women’s Network makers, the perception gap that exists between Across more than 150 chapters globally, serves as leaders and employees on this topic, and how a resource for our women to network, learn and grow in-person and online United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 17

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Mental health and wellness Additionally, we offer our people a variety of and purpose, but also stay physically energized digital tools to support their mental health and and mentally focused in our hyper-connected, wellness: digital world. We have made mental wellness a cornerstone Talkspace: Confidential virtual counseling and In February 2020, we began offering Thriving CLIENT SPOTLIGHT of our commitment to helping our people be therapy support from a licensed provider Mind, a voluntary, whole human well-being their best every day. We continue to break the program developed in partnership with Thrive stigma surrounding mental health by fostering Calm: A robust mental wellness platform for Global to help our people learn about the a workplace environment where people feel individuals and organizations science behind their brain’s response to stress, Comfort in crisis: comfortable engaging in open, honest dialogue Wysa: An AI-powered chatbot offering and provide tools and techniques to help Equipping Australia with a about mental illness and mental well-being, coping techniques them recharge wherever they are. Available dedicated COVID-19 mental including in response to external stresses such in eight languages, Thriving Mind had more well-being support service as the pandemic, natural disasters and other Virgin Pulse: A fitness and healthy habit than 125,000 participants as 2020 ended. We world events. tracking app are expanding the program in 2021, including Through our Mental Health Ally network, Allies In certain markets, daily live “mindful launching an app that will provide easier access Beyond Blue, a mental health nonprofit serve as ambassadors and advocates who can moment” sessions are also offered to help and new tools for our people. It will include an organization, partnered with Accenture and help colleagues facing mental health challenges our people unplug, connect and build their e-learning course, Thriving Together: Building Medibank to co-design the strategy of a new, find the support they may need. In 2020, our mental resilience. Resilience and Belonging. 24/7 digital mental health service created to Mental Health Ally network expanded to nearly help Australians cope with depression and 7,000 members across every country where Nearly five years ago, we became one of the first anxiety in the wake of the pandemic. The we operate. Our new Mental Health Essentials corporate partners of Thrive Global, a behavior dedicated national digital service has been training helps our people understand the signs change technology company on science-based accessed nearly 600,000 times. that a colleague needs help, how to have a solutions to lower stress and enhance well- conversation about mental health and the being and productivity. Thrive has enabled us steps to take to support someone in need. to deliver customized workshops that help our people not only achieve a sense of belonging Learn more United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 18

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Disability inclusion visibility among clients, candidates and third- together regularly for networking, collaborating Nearly party partner organizations. and mentoring. Our commitment starts at the top and is led by Abilities Unleashed, our new, award-winning 36,000 According to our global research, companies our Disability Council, which defines priorities, disability inclusion leadership development of our people are in our that fully include employees with disabilities measures progress, offers support across the program, enables our people with disabilities grow faster than their peers. Yet, employees different areas of our company and provides to feel empowered, plan their career journeys, Disability Inclusion with disabilities around the world say they often budget oversight for disability inclusion. We have build their network and collaborate across the Champion Network feel excluded and unsupported. Our findings invested in our applications to ensure that at company. The program began in Europe and is uncovered eight important factors that leaders least 75% are accessible and have supplemental expanding to Asia and North America, bringing can consider to build more inclusive cultures resources to navigate additional accessibility additional aspiring leaders into its fold. for all employees to unlock their—and their requirements. Through our Adjustment Request companies’—full potential. Tool, our people with disabilities can easily ask for Our focus on enablement means we welcome an accommodation such as assistive technology, people with different abilities. We provide access flexible work arrangements, sign language to technology and people-centric programs interpreters, screen readers and more. The tool that allow persons with disabilities to achieve is now available in 16 countries, and we plan to success in a barrier-free workplace. These include expand availability going forward. using AI to create applications that improve We continue to create a safe environment for accessibility for people with hearing- or sight- our people with disabilities to self-identify, and related disabilities. These efforts, which include more than 7,800 of our people have done so. Our public advocacy and the expansion of our internal Disability Inclusion Champion network of nearly accommodation programs, have raised our 36,000 brings our people, supporters and friends United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 19

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Pride Our Pride at Accenture community has more than 120,000 LGBTI Allies across more than 50 countries. We provide specialized training, Ensuring an inclusive environment for all our networking support and mentoring for our people—including LGBTI and all other sexual LGBTI people and help ensure a workplace of orientation, gender identities and expressions— equality every day. More than 1,000 people is a key part of our belief that equality have participated in LGBTI Leaders Learning, an drives innovation. interactive training workshop we have hosted since 2012. We strive to provide identical employee benefits We are proud to be recognized as a corporate to same-sex and opposite-sex partners in all leader that supports LGBTI people and the countries as law permits. To date, same-sex broader community. Accenture is a member or equivalent benefits are available in 98% of of the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality, countries where legally allowed and transgender a consortium of 19 leading multinational transition benefits are available in 11 countries companies and six civil society partners. The where the national health service does not cover initiative provides a platform to accelerate transitioning. Our self-ID programs provide LGBTI workplace inclusion globally. In 2020, our people with the option to voluntarily share the initiative partnered with OutRight and the information about themselves—such as their World Economic Forum to respond to COVID-19 gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or by launching the COVID-19 Global LGBTIQ veteran status. Emergency Fund and made significant progress on the UN Standards Gap Analysis Tool. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 20

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Social Impact We find solutions to societal challenges From response to COVID-19 to equipping workers with new skills, our ingenious people and partners have been developing innovative solutions to tackle the most challenging societal issues. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 21

Most relevant Accenture High priority SDG targets relevant for this area: ESG material issues: Social Impact • Responsible Technology & Innovation • Inclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunity • Enabling Clients’ Sustainability IN THIS CHAPTER: • Talent Attraction, Retention & Development • Societal Impact Societal response to COVID-19 • Community Giving 5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and 9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the equal opportunities for leadership at all levels... technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all Skills to Succeed Most relevant Principles of countries…encouraging innovation… the UN Global Compact: 5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, 10.2 Empower and promote the social, economic Accenture Development Human Rights to promote the empowerment of women. and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, • Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or Partnerships protection of internationally proclaimed human rights. 8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity other status. through diversification, technological upgrading and Labour innovation… 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent Volunteering • Principle 6: Businesses should uphold the institutions at all levels. elimination of discrimination in respect of employment 8.5 Achieve full and productive employment and and occupation. decent work for all women and men, including for young 17.16 Enhance the global partnership for sustainable Environment people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for development, complemented by multi-stakeholder • Principle 9: Businesses should encourage the work of equal value. partnerships that mobilize… development and diffusion of environmentally 9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable friendly technologies. industrialization… ant second priority SDGs: v ele R United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 22

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SOCIAL IMPACT Through the ingenuity of our people, clients, In fiscal 2020, our ecosystem partners and nonprofit partners, we corporate giving develop and scale innovative solutions to help totaled more than create a more inclusive society where everyone can thrive. Over the past year, these initiatives US$94M were tested like never before as the world faced new challenges and the exacerbation of existing challenges due to the global health, economic and social crises. Innovating to help our clients and communities tackle societal issues has always been an important part of what we do as a responsible business. In 2020, this mindset informed our response to COVID-19, while we also continued to evolve and expand our long-standing commitment to Skills to Succeed, our work through Accenture Development Partnerships and supporting our people in volunteering their time to make a difference in our communities. Karan, Senior Manager – Intelligent Operations, Financial Services, Sydney, Australia United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 23

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Rebuild: Supporting people who have lost In less than a month, the first deliveries were Societal their jobs or businesses by helping them to made, and more than 1 million boxes of upskill, find employment opportunities and food—each with enough food to feed a family of response to adapt to fast-changing economic conditions four for a week—have been delivered to date. CLIENT SPOTLIGHT COVID-19 Respond Recover SeamosUno: “Stopp Corona” app: Exponential changes in technology were already Delivering critical food supplies Virtual Ways of Digitizing contact tracing to transforming the way we worked and lived Working Playbook: flatten the COVID-19 curve before COVID-19. The pandemic accelerated At the start of the pandemic, volunteers from Supporting nonprofits in these changes, as companies were forced to governmental, religious, business and social creating a thriving digital culture The Austrian Red Cross teamed with reimagine their role in society, and economies develop one of the first and industries needed to rebuild. organizations in Buenos Aires came together Accenture to to figure out how to feed 4 million people with Organizations that adapted to remote work digitized corona contact tracing solutions . We helped clients, partners and communities limited resources in quarantine. early were able to maintain stability during in Europe around the world meet challenges related to Transparency was crucial to attract and assure the pandemic and in some cases, gain further Launched in less than three weeks, the pandemic in three priority areas: donors that their contributions were properly success. To support nonprofits in making the hundreds of thousands of Austrians have Respond: Supporting first responders and invested and that supplies were reaching those transition, we created a learning guide that downloaded the “Stopp Corona” app and pharmaceutical companies on the frontlines who needed them most. advises how to pivot to working virtually— are now able to help contain the spread of of the crisis including how to establish a virtual culture, COVID-19. With our partners, we focused on three areas: manage people remotely, and leverage Recover: Helping our clients, partners and establishing procurement and payment technology to be collaborative and productive. communities navigate uncertainty and pivot processes; developing a dashboard to monitor Since its launch, our people have delivered to digital funding; and creating an application to track more than 50 sessions and trained nearly 2,000 Learn more deliveries and confirm the contributions were nonprofit professionals. reaching those most in need. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 24

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Rebuild Founded by chief human resource officers from The Accelerator supports Social Innovators People + Work Connect: Accenture, Lincoln Financial Group, Procore, across Accenture with booster funding, Helping people get back to and Verizon, People + Work Connect is powered connections and coaching to design social by an analytics-driven B2B platform built by innovation at speed. The program encourages work faster Accenture. Global and cross-industry, it pools teams to work with partners across sectors with non-confidential and aggregated workforce a mindset that together we have the potential information by categories such as location and to make a dent in some of the most complex With unemployment surpassing record highs due experience, enabling companies to tailor their societal and environmental challenges we face. to COVID-19, we created People + Work Connect search to suit their talent needs. Platform features in just 14 business days to enable companies, include a Knowledge Exchange, Ambassador Within six months of its launch, more than 90 at no cost, to connect directly and review their Program and a CHRO Mentorship Program. teams with over 360 people and more than 90 workforce needs together. We launched in Currently, more than 270 companies from 94 innovation partners—including more than 35 April 2020 with leading companies including countries have uploaded more than 390,000 clients—participated in the Accelerator. The ADM, Baxter, Marriott, Mondelēz, Nordstrom, roles onto the platform. projects our people advanced in the Accelerator ServiceNow and Walmart. Endorsed by ranged from expanding access to essential health Business Roundtable, Society for Human care services in Canada; to closing the digital Resource Management, World50 and others, Accelerating social divide for school children in Colombia, India, People + Work Connect helps HR leaders innovate innovation for clients Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates and the United at speed and scale while creating critical human and ecosystem partners States; to virtualizing services for nonprofits and connections and a community built on trust small businesses in Japan, Mexico, Portugal and and knowledge sharing. The initiative shortens Spain. In 2021, we have expanded the scope the complex and lengthy unemployment cycle of the Accelerator to tackle additional highly by addressing both sides of the job equation. As schools, offices and cities shut down around relevant global challenges including inclusion Companies can rapidly share the locations and the globe, a groundswell of Accenture people and diversity, and environmental issues. skills of their laid-off or furloughed workforces stepped up with ideas to mitigate the effect of and connect with other companies that are the pandemic. In response, we rapidly created immediately hiring to meet demand. the Social Innovators Accelerator to maximize the impact our teams could have in our communities. Cherisse, Senior Manager – Technology, Test Engineering, Tampa, United States United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 25

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We are continually evolving Skills to Succeed Youth Business International: Additionally, we collaborate with YBI’s U.S. Skills to to meet changing market needs and support Helping young entrepreneurs partner Sky’s the Limit to build its platform people throughout their career journey: that connects upcoming entrepreneurs with Succeed Workforce of today: Experienced workers resources, skills training and mentoring. In 2020, We partner with Youth Business International (YBI) we supported the expansion of the platform learning new skills to offer services aimed at helping young to support underrepresented, disadvantaged entrepreneurs navigate the pandemic. Since First jobs and apprenticeships: Individuals young entrepreneurs as they start, grow and Our global Skills to Succeed initiative is about preparing for a first job or business venture sustain their businesses—unlocking income its launch, the platform has helped more than supporting and empowering people to take on generation, job creation and inclusive economic 30,000 young entrepreneurs in the United States the shifting workforce landscape and build a Next generation: Young students gaining skills (70% women, 61% Black, 80% identify as people more economically inclusive world. Together to prepare for a digital future growth. In fiscal 2020, our partnership reached of color and 85% report low income) to launch with our partners, in the past decade Skills more than 77,000 young entrepreneurs—58% businesses and build jobs. to Succeed has equipped nearly 4.6 million of them women—with skills development people with the skills to make substantive Workforce of today opportunities, mentoring and financing. improvements to their lives. Together, Accenture and YBI have developed the Digital Accelerator program to create initiatives In 2020, this support was in demand even more that support small businesses in embracing due to the impact of the pandemic, with more We provide workers with new skilling solutions in digital transformation. The program—launched in than 246,000 lives transformed—meaning a a way that is flexible for their existing career and 2018—expanded for a second round in 2020 with job, entrepreneurship or other transformational personal responsibilities while leveling up their co-funding from the IKEA Foundation. support was provided. And, we officially capabilities to map out further career paths. launched our next-generation program, connecting more than 390,000 youth to development opportunities. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 26

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New Profit: • Empower social entrepreneurs to pilot their labor analysis, SkyHive helps facilitate labor WeAcT Program: Elevating the voice of solutions through workforce boards. market transformation, reskilling and learning. Shining the light on workers through future of • Reskill 25,000 displaced workers in the United Accenture’s technologists at The Dock, our women entrepreneurs States into living-wage jobs. flagship R&D and global innovation center in work innovation Dublin, and our FinTech Innovation Lab in • Achieve broader systemic change to New York, are collaborating with SkyHive to help prepare 12 million Americans from solve challenges. To empower women entrepreneurs in rural The global pandemic and rising inequities have underinvested communities for workforce India, we developed the WeAcT program heightened the challenges our world faces success by 2025. This collaborative industry effort to reskill and in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship World Economic related to the future of work. To create accessible, redeploy workers is part of the Development Institute of India. Through the XPERTs participating in the Board not only Forum’s Consumer Industries Taskforce on Future program’s online platform, female entrepreneurs inclusive and relevant solutions for the most and is also supported by Walmart and contribute to the innovation cycle but also benefit of Work can access market information and financial underinvested workers in the United States— Unilever. The AI technology from SkyHive, paired African American, Black, Hispanic American, from skills building and professional development guidance, connect with peers and attend opportunities, underscoring the principle of with Accenture’s expertise, is helping dozens appropriate training to transform their business. Latinx and indigenous communities (particularly of clients with their pandemic response and women)—New Profit launched the Future of Work placing equity at the core of the Grand Challenge. navigating rapid workforce changes, with the Launched in March 2020, the program has Grand Challenge, powered by XPRIZE, MIT Solve goal of helping people remain productive and worked with five partner organizations to support and Jobs for the Future. We provided cash grants, employable, even as the labor market transforms. 2,800 enrollments across 11 states and one union volunteering and pro bono consulting services to SkyHive: Advancing economic territory. The program continues to expand to support the implementation of an XPERT Worker prosperity and inclusion include mentorship programs, grants to address Advisory Board to ensure that the “voice of the through technology capital needs, wider market access through worker” is an integral part of the innovation several e-commerce platforms and a mobile process. The Board, which includes diverse application to further expand their reach. workers, or XPERTs, helps to identify the most As part of our Project Spotlight investment promising ideas and solutions from the innovators program, we are working with tech startup participating in the Challenge, which will: SkyHive to bring its workforce solution to the enterprise level. Using AI with quantum United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 27

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First jobs and We work with our nonprofit partners to identify In North America, even amid COVID-19, we Plan International: apprenticeships high-potential talent and, often via targeted honored all our Skills to Succeed internship A long-standing partnership pre-employment training and work experience commitments and maintained apprenticeship reaches a milestone programs, we create opportunities to join our targets. In our North America apprenticeship company, helping individuals to grow their program, we hire, train and provide career We are continually innovating to find new ways careers, develop new skills, access advanced opportunities at Accenture for people from of creating and building more inclusive career technology and work with our client teams. backgrounds historically underrepresented in Over our 10-year collaboration with Plan pathways so everyone has access to sustainable We have seen that this, in turn, increases technology and professional careers. Since International we have supported more than careers. To do so, we partner with governments, confidence, earning potential and social mobility 2016, we’ve created opportunities for 800 45,000 vulnerable and disadvantaged young nonprofits, universities and others to educate, for these individuals. apprentices across more than 25 of our North people—with a focus on young women—in train and support the incoming workforce America offices and were able to keep up the finding their first job or starting a business. through internship, apprenticeship and first job Impact hires are employed across all areas momentum through the pandemic. The majority This year we supported the Wired for Work opportunities—including at Accenture. of Accenture’s business and in 23 countries of apprentices stay on with Accenture as collaboration in Indonesia and the Philippines where we operate, with the highest number of permanent employees after graduating from and launched the Yes!Hub—a knowledge-sharing Impact hiring: individuals joining us in Latin America and the program. platform and set of digital tools for nonprofit the United States. workers. The Hub is part of the Yes!Digital Creating new pathways for For example, in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia We also nearly doubled the U.S. Skills to ecosystem that provides marginalized young future success and Mexico, our START initiative offers low- Succeed internship program’s capacity in 2020 people with job readiness through virtual training, income students a three- to four-month pre- by hosting interns from other companies and online job matching, and a chatbot that provides employment e-learning program with 200 hours programs whose internships had been canceled resume development guidance and interview We are committed to driving growth and of technical, digital skills and soft skills training due to the crisis, offering valuable work prep. The overall partnership contributed to innovation through an inclusive workforce that to prepare them for jobs in technology and experience to more than 270 young people 7,500 youths receiving skilling and 1,330 gaining reflects the full diversity of our clients and administration. Since 2013, more than 2,400 this year. And, since 2015, more than 590 employment in fiscal 2020. communities. Impact hiring offers opportunities students have graduated from the program, impact hires have joined our workforce in to work with us for those who may lack access to and, of these, nearly 800 have been hired the United States. traditional recruiting channels and, in doing so, by Accenture. we create alternative pipelines of talent, positively contributing to our business. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 28

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Next generation including Argentina, Ireland, Japan, Philippines partnership to date. This year, we reached more fosters conversations between children and and the United States. Through this support, JA than 40,000 beneficiaries—some through the their parents about online social behavior will embed enhanced content and functionality SoMeYouMe app that was created by Save the through more than 400 challenges, questions We believe when the next generation of workers into existing programs and platforms to support Children, Fjord and Accenture to tackle online and dilemmas. is equipped with critical skills, they will be ready youth, teachers, parents and allies across the harassment and bullying. The SoMeYouMe app for the digital future. We aim to empower the globe. This grant has served as motivation innovators of tomorrow with ample opportunities and an entry point into discussions around to learn and create new technologies that will measurement and evaluation, technology and change the world for the better. digital enhancements and how regions can more effectively collaborate. Social Innovators: core is an action learning experience designed Sparking innovation for around the Social Innovators Guidebook Junior Achievement: Save the Children: society with our people inspired by experts from across Accenture Helping millions of young Supporting students worldwide and our ecosystem. Our people have already people succeed with major grant and ecosystem taken more than 2,000 hours of coursework building critical skills like life-centered design, conscientious innovation, storytelling, cross- The Social Innovators initiative is inspired by sector collaboration and measuring social To date, our partnership with Junior Achievement Building on our shared understanding of the skills two fundamental beliefs: that anyone can be impact. The Eco Innovation Challenge and (JA) has helped more than 735,000 young people and mindsets younger learners will need to thrive, a social innovator if they are equipped with Accelerator empower our people to put these gain knowledge and skills to own their economic we committed to a new three-year, US$5.5 million key skills and mindsets —and that tackling the skills into practice taking their ideas to reality success, plan for their future, and make smart grant to support Save the Children, reaching over complex challenges facing society can only with clients, startups and nongovernmental academic and economic choices. To support JA’s 332,000 students across China, Indonesia, Italy, be done in collaboration across businesses, organizations (NGOs). continued impact, in fiscal 2020 we made a new Mexico and Bangladesh. This support will build sectors and industries. US$4.5 million grant to enhance digital learning upon the more than 159,000 people skilled and To hear firsthand from a Social Innovators team experiences for 2.3 million youth in 15 countries, more than 85,000 placed into a job through our The program has three elements to spark and member, learn more on the Accenture sustain social innovation with our people, Careers Blog. clients and other ecosystem partners. At the United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 29

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World Wildlife Fund Partnership with MSD for Mothers is supporting the Pharmacist Accenture Promoting the case for MSD for Mothers: Council of Nigeria with implementing a tiered conversion-free food production Providing safe and quality accreditation model for community pharmacies Development and patent medicine vendors aimed at expanding maternal health outcomes access to family planning in rural and peri- urban communities. This effort was especially Partnerships Our global food systems provide fundamental significant during COVID-19 lockdown, enabling nutrition for human survival and are critical to Nigeria has the largest number of maternal continuous access to quality services when economic, environmental and social well-being. deaths of any country, accounting for nearly movement in the country was restricted. Accenture Development Partnerships delivers However, current global food supply chains are a 20% of all maternal deaths globally. Since 2015, the power of Accenture’s global capabilities and major contributor to environmental degradation, MSD for Mothers*, MSD’s global initiative to help experience to address complex social, economic social and health inequities and climate change. create a world where no woman has to die while and environmental issues in the developing To help mitigate these impacts and protect both giving life, has taken a comprehensive approach world. In 18 years, Accenture Development people and planet, we worked with World Wildlife to ensure women have access to two of the most 18 years In fiscal 2020 Partnerships has completed more than 1,800 Fund (WWF) to examine the conceivable future of powerful ways to prevent these tragedies: quality engagements in more than 95 countries across conversion-free food production—in other maternity care and modern contraception. We 1,800 191 areas such as health, gender, livelihoods and words, food production that does not degrade are helping to lead the MSD for Mothers country engagements engagements analysis is key to education, financial inclusion, humanitarian natural ecosystems. This portfolio, including a program which led to response, agriculture, water and environment. WWF’s global effort to bring together companies reduction of maternal death by up to 66% in one 95+ 37 Accenture Development Partnerships directly in food supply chains, facilitating dialogue state. The program incorporated a total market contributes to SDG 17 (partnerships for the and action toward a more environmentally approach in Nigeria’s Cross River State to better countries countries goals), one of Accenture’s high priority SDGs, sustainable future. link public and private facilities. Now, more as well as generating impact across other goals than 90% of women in the state have access such as SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 10 to quality emergency obstetric care within two (reduced inequalities). hours. Through another program, IntegratE, * MSD for Mothers is an initiative of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, U.S.A. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 30

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In fiscal 2020, nearly 400 of our people Missing Maps: In fiscal 2020, our people Volunteering volunteered more than 3,300 hours to provide Supporting COVID-19 contributed approximately training to nearly 2,000 students in a safe, response efforts virtual environment. 1.3 million Volunteering is one of the many ways our hours of their time people can bring their time and skills to make a difference while growing in their careers. In Hour of Code: Through our partnership with Humanitarian to making a positive March 2020, our volunteering program shifted Empowering students across the OpenStreetMap Team, our people helped digitally social impact through to purely virtual volunteering. This allowed our map communities vulnerable to disasters. volunteering, pro bono people to continue to make a difference from globe to build coding capabilities This year’s efforts specifically provided local home and help our partners address real needs governments and NGOs the critical information work and Accenture during a challenging time. In some cases it needed to provide COVID-19 relief and support. Development Partnerships has increased the accessibility of volunteering Over six years, tens of thousands of our people This year, we saw a record turnout from our opportunities for our people. globally have volunteered with Hour of Code. people across 32 countries, mapping more than We believe that by learning to code, children 4,000 square kilometers and 230,000 buildings. and teenagers will have a powerful tool that We mapped an area home to approximately CoderDojo: will help them achieve success in the future. In 990,000 people for future relief efforts. Sparking an early interest 2020, our people drove record participation, in technology organizing events in 36 countries and spending nearly 15,000 hours delivering classes to 34,000 students across the globe. Around the world, our people mentor primary and secondary students by introducing them to coding through interactive computer science projects at our CoderDojo locations. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 31

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Path to Net-Zero Co-creating a greener future We accelerated our commitment to industry transitions to low-carbon energy; migrating to greener IT, cloud and software; and responsible value chains. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 32

Most relevant Accenture ESG High priority SDG targets relevant for this area: material issues: Path to Net-Zero • Climate Change & Carbon Emissions • Enabling Clients’ Sustainability IN THIS CHAPTER: • ESG Management • Responsible Buying Helping our clients achieve • Water 9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization… 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity their goals • Waste, including e-waste to climate related hazards and natural disasters in • Nature, Biodiversity & Wildlife 12.2 Achieve the sustainable management and efficient all countries. use of natural resources. Reducing our footprint 13.2 Incorporate measures to fight climate change 12.5 Substantially reduce waste generation through into policies, strategies and planning. Most relevant Principles of prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. Engaging our people the UN Global Compact: 17.16 Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi- Environment stakeholder partnerships… • Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to Relevant second priority SDGs: environmental challenges; • Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and • Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 33

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PATH TO NET-ZERO we announced three new industry-leading environmental goals in October 2020: achieve net-zero emissions by 2025, move to zero waste The UN Global Compact has designated this and plan for water risk. the “decade to deliver” on the UN SDGs and the Our environmental strategy focuses on promise of a greener, more equitable future. three areas: Meaningful climate action requires collaboration between businesses, individuals, governments • Helping our clients achieve their goals, and nongovernmental organizations. We are including transitioning to low-carbon energy, committed to enabling global cooperation migrating to greener IT and responsible among business leaders to achieve a low-carbon value chains future. The calls for business action grew louder • Reducing our own footprint, including carbon in 2020 as the world navigated unprecedented emissions, waste generation and water impact challenges, including the ongoing, intensifying climate crisis as well as the global pandemic. • Engaging our people to innovate to address key environmental issues At this unique moment when the world is reimagining how to work and live, we have an Reducing our environmental impact is built into opportunity to change the business of business our Code of Business Ethics (COBE) and our core by incorporating sustainable practices into the values, specifically Stewardship. These inform our design of operations. Environmental Responsibility Policy, which was established in 2007 and is reviewed annually by Through our own actions and our work with our Environment governance group. clients and ecosystem partners, we are helping to transform the global economy into a more sustainable marketplace. In this context, Prashant, Specialist – Marketing & Communications, Art Direction, Gurugram, India United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 34

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technologies will play in accelerating the pace of smart meter. Together with IoT company O2, we treatments to fuel the company’s transition to the Helping our environmental sustainability to meet the needs developed a communications hub to connect U.K. cloud. Over three years, the integrated Accenture/ of the environment and communities. We will energy consumers, smart meters and suppliers. AWS/Takeda team will move 80% of Takeda clients achieve bring together key clients to deliver compelling From concept through execution, we shared applications to the cloud and close nine data centers, and actionable thought leadership with strategic expertise from supply chain to security processes, with the goal of increasing efficiencies to accelerate partners such as the World Economic Forum and testing and employee upskilling. The rollout has drug development and innovation while reducing their goals UNGC, and co-develop a CEO Biodiversity study. resulted in the installation of more than 5.5 million costs and environmental impacts. We will use our deep expertise to focus on how smart meters, with Accenture services contributing At Accenture, we make a difference for the we collectively drive innovation and solutions to to the improved streamlining, measurement and environment through our work with clients, reshape the future of industry. Beyond COP we will accountability of energy use and emissions. who are some of the world’s leading companies work with each of our clients to identify the ways and governments. By engaging our ecosystem they can become more sustainable organizations Migrating to a greener cloud CLIENT SPOTLIGHT partners, we help develop innovative solutions to and find new sources of value. Sustainable thinking help our clients reach their goals. Our priority areas will be infused into everything we do because Digital plant for global include industry transitions to low-carbon energy; we believe that sustainability is the new digital Our recent The Green Behind the Cloud research CO filtration: Driving scale migrating to greener IT, cloud and software; and and that it presents the biggest opportunity for found that companies can unlock greater financial, 2 driving responsible value chains. transformative change for a generation. societal and environmental benefits through cloud- to meet an ambitious vision Industry transitions to based circular operations and sustainable products Addressing global warming is a top priority for 2021 United Nations Climate and services. Migrations to the public cloud can many. That’s why Swiss eco-tech Climeworks reduce CO emissions by 59 million tons per year, Change Conference low-carbon energy 2 teamed with Accenture to create a digital plant which equates to taking 22 million cars off the road. to help optimize performance and increase O2 and Accenture deliver smart metering Takeda accelerates data and digital competitiveness. This will help Climeworks reach We know that the next frontiers of environmental across 20 million U.K. homes transformation with Accenture and AWS its ambitious goal of filtering 1% of global CO sustainability are challenging and will require new 2 Aligned with the EU’s mandate for member emissions from the air by 2025. innovations and ways of collaborating across industries We partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) th countries to reduce carbon emissions 20% by and borders. In November 2021, during the 26 Takeda, a global, values-based, R&D-driven and Learn more United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) 2020, the United Kingdom determined that biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, we will highlight the role emerging and established every domestic energy customer should have a committed to discover and deliver life-transforming United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 35

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Helping to build sustainability Accenture and Salesforce help companies Achieve net-zero emissions by 2025 In alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement, across our clients’ businesses embed sustainability • We’ll focus first on actual reductions in our we’ve also pledged to do our part to keep global emissions by powering our offices with 100% warming below 1.5° Celsius by joining the more Integrating sustainability into the core of business renewable energy, engaging key suppliers than 400 companies that have signed the UN Client Carbon Savings program: Creating is now easier thanks to our expanded partnership to reduce their emissions and equipping our Global Compact’s Business Ambition for 1.5° solutions to reduce environmental impact with Salesforce. Announced in January 2021, the people to make climate-smart travel decisions. Pledge to date. power of our Sustainability Services, Salesforce • To address remaining emissions, we’ll invest We are seeing increased demand from clients for Sustainability Cloud, and Salesforce Customer Multiple industry-wide external certifications, such in proprietary, nature-based carbon removal ISO® 14001, demonstrate our commitment to renewable energy solutions and have responded 360 will bring sustainability to the front office as with visibility into real-time Environmental, solutions, such as large-scale tree planting, running our business responsibly and sustainably by expanding our Client Carbon Savings program that will directly remove carbon emissions and to integrating robust environmental practices to identify emissions-reduction activities that Social and Governance (ESG) data. This helps from the atmosphere. help our clients meet their goals. This program business leaders track, measure and act on their into our operations. Accenture’s Environment also helps us advance our material issue of responsible business initiatives, such as carbon Move to zero waste Management System is ISO® 14001-certified enabling client sustainability. As the COVID-19 use, to meet regulatory requirements and develop • We’ll reuse or recycle 100% of our e-waste, globally—to see our ISO®-certified locations, crisis impacted our clients in unique ways, we new business models. such as computers and servers, as well as all locations that use smart metering and where we’re adapted our energy monitoring solutions and of our office furniture. powering our offices with renewable energy, visit Environmental Impact Map. idled them when appropriate to minimize energy our use—particularly in the case of a global athletic Reducing • We’re committed to eliminating single-use retailer that was impacted by COVID-19 on a plastics in our locations at the conclusion of store-by-store basis and was able to reduce our footprint the COVID-19 pandemic. energy use as store operations fluctuated. In Plan for water risk fiscal 2020, through our Energy Management-as- Over the last decade, we have continually set bigger a-Service offering, we identified potential client and bolder environmental goals for ourselves, • We’ll develop plans to reduce the impact of savings of approximately 15,750 metric tons of innovating our approach to environmental flooding, drought and water scarcity on our CO. In addition, we implemented strategies to sustainability and making strategic investments. business and our people in high-risk areas. 2 • We’ll also immediately begin to measure and help clients avoid 808,890 metric tons of CO . 2 Our new, industry-leading climate action goals take an reduce water use in these locations. ambitious approach to addressing energy, waste and water management. By 2025, we have committed to: United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 36

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Emissions and energy Our absolute reductions efficiency. In some offices, during the early to create a new on-demand support facility We are proud to be the largest professional stages of shelter-in-place due to the global for our leaders. The tool offers chat response services company with a goal aligned to the pandemic, we saw energy reduction of more than services, across every time zone, on questions To reach our net-zero goal by 2025, we will 80%. We are able to track this because Accenture around Teams and virtual meetings. It means our reduce emissions by powering offices with 100% Science Based Targets initiative. By 2025, we uses precision monitoring tools that automate business leaders can help our people around renewable electricity, engaging key suppliers aim to reduce our absolute greenhouse gas energy measurement and feed into cloud- the world to be better prepared, informed and to reduce their emissions and equipping emissions by 11%, our scope 1 and 2 greenhouse based energy management systems, enabling equipped as we adjust to remote working. Accenture’s people to make climate-smart gas emissions by 65% and scope 1, 2 and 3 us to rapidly consolidate and understand our Our Microsoft Teams audio usage is now around travel decisions. emissions per unit of revenue intensity by 40%. energy use. As we return to our offices, we are 1.1 billion minutes a month, while our video minutes Our progress against those goals in 2020: committed to implementing more AI technology saw the most dramatic increase—to around Because we do not own our office buildings, to capture data and continuously improve our 120 million minutes a month. Our increased our plans to increase renewable electricity • Total emissions—reflecting short-term are not heavily focused on on-site renewable impacts of the pandemic—decreased by energy efficiency. reliance on collaboration technology and ability generation. Rather, we are engaging market- 32% from our baseline, exceeding one aspect to meet client needs without travel led to a better of our 2025 target Since beginning our environmental journey in work-life balance for our people, more cost- based renewable electricity purchase 2007, we have saved more than 2.43 million efficient client delivery and reduced opportunities. In locations where Accenture • Scope 1 and 2 were reduced by 39% megawatt hours of electricity, more than carbon emissions. owns electricity procurement decisions, we 1.22 million metric tons of CO and generated can move fast to make changes. In locations • Emissions per unit of revenue were reduced 2 more than US$326 million in energy savings. As a professional services company, the most where energy is purchased on our behalf, we by 45% significant aspects of our environmental footprint are collaborating with building management and Adapting to reduce impact are the greenhouse gas emissions related to others to improve our renewable electricity mix. While we celebrate the temporary reductions travel and electricity used in our locations. As the We increased our mix of renewable electricity in emissions seen in fiscal 2020 and the Additionally, the pandemic proved we can deliver important possibilities this represents, we for our clients using collaboration technology. impacts of the pandemic led to travel restrictions to 30% in fiscal 2020, an improvement over our remain committed to keeping our sights set We are one of the largest users of Microsoft for our people, Accenture saw a drop of more 26% renewable electricity rate in fiscal 2019. on exceeding all the elements of our science- Teams in the world, with more than 500,000 than 86% in business travel during our third and We are committed to reaching 100% renewable based target on a long-term basis following the users. As an early adopter of the technology, we fourth fiscal quarters, compared to the previous electricity by 2023 as part of our participation end of the pandemic and its related impacts. had aggressive targets in place that helped us year. We will continue to evaluate our travel in the RE100, a global corporate leadership This includes how we power our offices, taking quickly transition to working from home. We also and technology capabilities even as our initiative bringing together influential businesses a cloud-first approach to improve energy used the extensive functionality of the platform offices reopen. committed to 100% renewable electricity. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 37

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Helping to build Waste Water plans for our facilities to reduce the impact of environmental sustainability flooding, drought and water scarcity in high- risk areas by 2025. In alignment with the World Supporting our 2025 target to move to zero Although Accenture is not a water-intensive Economic Forum’s recommendation, Accenture waste, Accenture will reuse or recycle 100% of company, we minimize our use of water World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct We agree with the industry-led Task Force on uses the Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) that e-waste, such as computers and servers, as well wherever feasible, including responsible use, tool to identify areas of water risk and understand enhanced disclosure of climate-related financial as office furniture. Accenture’s Global IT Asset reuse, management and discharge across our impacts to local communities. In addition to risks improve financial impact assessments and Disposition (ITAD) partners are supporting us in office portfolio. developing water resiliency plans in all high-risk support the transition to a low-carbon economy. meeting this target, by implementing an asset We are particularly conscious of water-stressed locations by 2025, we plan to measure and report Beginning in 2017, in accordance with TCFD reuse program and collaborating on a new box locations and have committed to develop our water use in these high-risk locations as well. guidelines, we updated our financial filings to program to facilitate remote disposal of personal strengthen our language on climate-related risks, computers (PCs) globally. and we include the financial impact in our annual Due to the pandemic, team members were Ilze, Associate Manager – Corporate CDP response. These include the increasing unable to bring their PCs to our offices for Mobility, Riga, Latvia frequency and severity of adverse weather disposal. When a PC refresh is needed, our Local conditions, which may have a negative impact on Technology Support team sends a box to the our people, facilities and operations. team member, who ships their old PC to the ITAD Since 2007, Accenture has reported our partner. The ITAD partner processes the devices environmental performance to CDP annually, at their facility to ensure they have been wiped, including our environmental risks, opportunities any scratches removed and missing components and methodologies on climate change mitigation replaced. They then return the devices back to and adaptation. We are proud to be included in Accenture so that we can redeploy them in CDP’s Climate Change A List of top-performing our business. This program was piloted in the global companies for the sixth time since 2014. United Kingdom and Ireland. More than 270 companies—less than 3% of the We will also eliminate single-use plastics in all 9,600 companies that disclosed—received locations at the end of the global pandemic. an A grade. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 38

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Innovating for teams and may provide mentorship when colleagues anywhere in the world at any time can Engaging our the environment the teams are in the Accelerator. There is make an impact as citizen scientists doing tasks no expectation of financial support from such as tagging photos to identify endangered people innovation partners. species with our partner Zooniverse. Tackling the complex global challenges of climate In 2020, our ninth annual “Greener Than” At Accenture, we celebrate the power of change, waste and biodiversity will require challenge gamified the learning and shared success and creativity to solve real- Accenture people are passionate about learning innovation and sustainable behavior shifts on development of Accenture’s environmental world environmental issues that impact not and applying their skills to help the environment. a massive scale. To help address these issues, initiatives, and nearly 43,000 of our people only our business directly, but also industries, Our internal, global network of eco champions we launched Accenture’s first Eco Innovation competed to show their eco-smarts. We also communities and people worldwide. promotes emissions reduction, climate mitigation, Challenge to give our people a platform to offered virtual eco-volunteer opportunities circular economy and biodiversity through a mix collaborate with innovation partners—including in critical areas such as biodiversity where of virtual and in-person events, challenges and clients, startups and nonprofits—on the frontlines volunteer opportunities. With more than 500,000 of tackling these critical issues. people worldwide, our collective actions can have As part of the Challenge, more than 2,300 As part of our Eco a large-scale impact on climate solutions. Accenture people came together as teams to Innovation Challenge TEDx event for think through how to take action on topics like: Accenture people, Chief rewilding land, circular packaging, clean energy Responsibility Officer Peter at home, future of food, green(er) supply chains Lacy interviewed Enric and sustainable cloud. The winning teams Sala, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and will receive support from Accenture’s Social author of Innovators Accelerator and the Sustainability The Nature of Nature Innovation Network to take their ideas forward. (pictured, on a research We are grateful to the more than 40 innovation dive in Costa Rica), about innovating for biodiversity. partners from around the world and across Photo by Manu San Felix for sectors including Amazon, Marriott, Endesa X, National Geographic Aditya Birla, Land O’Lakes, the Climate Group, Pristine Seas and AeroFarms who will help select the winning United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 39

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Supply Chain A new wave of supplier inclusion and sustainability We’re encouraging a mindset of responsible buying to build supply chains that are more sustainable and inclusive. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 40

Most relevant Accenture High priority SDG targets relevant for this area: ESG material issues: Supply Chain • Inclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunity • Responsible Buying • Human Rights IN THIS CHAPTER: • Working Conditions • ESG Management Responsible procurement • Nature, Biodiversity & Wildlife 5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, in 12.2 Achieve the sustainable management and efficient particular information and communications technology, use of natural resources. Driving supplier sustainability to promote the empowerment of women. Most relevant Principles of 13.2 Incorporate measures to fight climate change into the UN Global Compact: 8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure policies, strategies and planning. working environments for all workers… Supplier inclusion Human Rights 16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all and sustainability • Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the 9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization their forms. protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of and employment and gross domestic product… 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. • Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in 10.2 Empower and promote the social, economic human rights abuses. and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, 17.16 Enhance the global partnership for Labour disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or sustainable development, complemented by other status. multi-stakeholder partnerships… • Principle 4: Businesses should uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour; • Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and • Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Environment • Principle 8: Businesses should undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility. Anticorruption • Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 41

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SUPPLY CHAIN Pillars of Responsible Buying One of our key objectives as a responsible business is to help build supply chains that are more sustainable and more inclusive. By Environment Human Rights Supplier Inclusion Future of Work encouraging a mindset of responsible buying and Sustainability both inside and outside Accenture, we are • CO emission • Labor conditions • Diverse supplier • Consequences of helping to generate long-term value for our 2 development digitalization & clients, supplier partners and communities. • e-waste • Modern slavery automation • Water • Child labor • Advance equality of Supplier inclusion, diversity and sustainability opportunity/spend • Business resilience are at the core of this mindset and our • RE100 • Health & safety • Accessibility procurement strategy. Procurement Plus, our • Carbon strategy overarching philosophy, promotes these values by shaping how we work with suppliers. As we advance equality of opportunity and address Ethics & Integrity Anticorruption, conflict of interest, ethical business, etc. climate change, these commitments manifest in a global responsible buying culture—one that we cultivate and leverage at scale with our multi-billion dollar supply chain. Operating a Global Sustainable For supplier Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) responsible business, where everyone benefits Procurement Hub due diligence, reporting, collaboration and co-innovation through buying for long-term value, is one of for responsible buying and social impact the many ways we are delivering change on a global scale. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 42

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At Accenture, innovation and running a Our ethical and set out the labor standards, human rights Responsible responsible business go hand in hand procurement strategy principles, and other legal and ethical standards especially in times of economic and social we require our suppliers to meet. In the spirit of procurement uncertainty. We make it a priority to pay our continuous improvement, we continue to evolve suppliers in a timely manner, because—whether Our ethical procurement strategy directs our our global Supplier Standards of Conduct in line a Fortune 500 company or small- and medium- key employee training, how we select our with our commitment to responsible business. sized enterprises (SMEs) supplier—running a suppliers and the development of our high Additionally, we annually review our supply chain Beyond transactional procurement with our responsible, innovative and digital-first business standards for conducting business with our strategy through the lens of our COBE and the partners and suppliers, Procurement Plus requires adequate cash flow. We want to suppliers. To continue encouraging broader UNGC Principles as part of our efforts to set addresses four thematic pillars to advance help ensure our suppliers have the necessary transparency within our supply chains, we industry standards for maintaining an ethical responsible buying: the environment, human resources to continue innovating and operating require all suppliers—regardless of category supply chain. This is particularly important as rights, supplier inclusion and sustainability, and as efficiently as possible. Supplier Standards of part of our continuing efforts to encourage our or size—to adhere to our the future of work. This approach informs every Conduct or to make an equivalent commitment. suppliers to pay a living wage. aspect of our supply chain, building stronger In the United Kingdom, we are a signatory to the We bring this to life by frequently hosting open partnerships and making us more transparent, Prompt Payment Code and consistently make discussions with suppliers across the business agile and ethical. Our buying program influences more than 95% of our U.K. payments within and have a strong Global Diverse Supplier key initiatives such as our award-winning 60 days. We also have a continual focus on Development Program (DSDP). Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability Program. ensuring that we pay our suppliers globally on Part of that initiative involves working within our time, within the payment terms agreed. In early As with our Code of Business Ethics (COBE), our ecosystem to identify, develop and work with 2020, we founded a Payment on Time Centre of Supplier Standards of Conduct reflect our core small/diverse and adaptive suppliers. We also Excellence to drive continuous improvements values and our commitment to the 10 Principles require suppliers to provide information and and efficiencies globally in this area. of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). data on how they are improving their business As an active Global Compact LEAD participant performance to reduce their environmental and signatory to the 10 Principles, we strive to impact, which, in turn, helps us improve lead by example in upholding its principles. our performance. These Standards are published in 20 languages Caroline, Managing Director – Technology, Financial Services, Toronto, Canada United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 43

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Human rights We do not compromise when it comes to doing review process in place to validate living wages building on our ethical procurement philosophy commitment business ethically and legally, and we leverage in the local country context and ensure we pay by adopting new AI tools to help simplify the our global buying power to advance human and 100% of our employees a living wage or more. contracting process, implement digital solutions, labor rights. We seek to encourage a culture We continue to take targeted actions and support and identify and eliminate human rights risks of transparency within our supply chains and advocacy in our supplier ecosystems to work within our supply chains. At Accenture, we have a long-standing provide a mechanism to enable employees toward the elimination of modern slavery as part commitment to supporting and respecting of our suppliers to speak up about legal or of our commitment to maintaining an ethical As part of our efforts, Accenture has invested human rights, including the elimination of modern ethical concerns, including slavery and human supply chain that respects human rights. in a new blockchain-enabled global Sustainable slavery, child labor and human trafficking in our trafficking. Employees of Accenture suppliers Procurement Hub. This Hub will help to better Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement supply chains and business operations. Given the may report concerns or violations (anonymously Our assess and drive transparency around our nature of our business, and the risk assessments where permitted by local law) through the provides more information about our efforts in suppliers’ ESG performance, including in we have undertaken to date, we believe the risk of Accenture Business Ethics Helpline. this area. This statement is required by law, but it relation to slavery and trafficking. modern slavery, child labor and human trafficking describes our efforts beyond the United Kingdom, in our business is low. But we are not complacent To promote a high quality of life for the particularly in key geographies that we identified and frequently review how we can improve and communities we touch, Accenture continues as higher risk for slavery and human trafficking. evolve in response to changing circumstances to drive the adoption of a living wage. Through Our approach is consistent throughout the globe such as COVID-19. Our intention always is to be our Supplier Standards of Conduct, we strongly and this year, Accenture Australia is publishing its thoughtful and targeted in how we select and encourage all our suppliers to pay a living wage own modern slavery transparency statement. engage our suppliers, particularly in relation to or higher to those who provide services directly higher-risk sectors and countries. For example, to our company and/or our clients. This was Given the significant growth in AI, respecting this year our Modern Slavery Risk Assessment particularly important in 2020 as the pandemic human rights across our supply chain also included a review of personal protective exposed societal and financial inequities all over includes responsible use of this technology equipment supply chains into our U.K. business. the world. Likewise, we have a robust regular to grow our business the right way. We are United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 44

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Collaborating Our summit helps clients build their diverse suppliers in recognition of how supply chains with clients supply chains and facilitates the growth of our have evolved and the role they play in responsible suppliers such as AP42. Since meeting AP42 business operations and in our communities. at the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council Conference in 2018, we have worked In continuing to drive responsible buying CLIENT SPOTLIGHT Shared success leverages our Global Supplier excellence, we are constantly updating our Inclusion & Sustainability Program to advance and with them to bring forward-thinking technology and creative marketing concepts to their clients. supplier and contractor management processes. engage a diverse supply chain to accelerate long- This year, we are improving our Risk Management term value with technology and human ingenuity. AP42 worked as a co-collaborator and innovator Prescription for supply alongside Accenture Liquid Studios on the Model to maintain tight controls throughout the chain efficiency: We do this by hosting global procurement supplier life cycle where needed. Improvements summits while developing and strengthening Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability Virtual Helping a global Summit. Their technology brought the summit to to our Risk Model help ensure that our suppliers relationships with clients. With the current support our commitments including environmental pharmaceutical company pandemic disrupting this in-person process, life with a customized virtual reality experience. sustainability, human rights, inclusion, diversity get medicine to patients we hosted our first global three-day Supplier and social innovation. Risk Model updates will when they need it most Inclusion & Sustainability Virtual Summit in 2020. also enable us to focus on suppliers presenting At the summit, Accenture leadership emphasized higher-risk levels and prompt the relevant teams the importance of inviting procurement to the Driving supplier to take further investigative action due to stronger A global pharmaceutical company table and called upon businesses to identify coordination between the Accenture business collaborated with Accenture on a three-year supply chain gaps as well as opportunities to groups managing risks and controls for suppliers. transformation to create a new global supply address equity and environmental sustainability. sustainability chain organization across 110 countries The event showcased our capabilities while when complete. The program is on track providing diverse suppliers opportunities to Our commitment is reflected in our award- to significantly reduce costs and improve network and exchange innovative ideas. More winning programs around supplier inclusion and margins, manufacturing flexibility and service than 800 people from six continents attended, sustainability. We are constantly working with levels. It is already benefiting from efficient including more than 150 clients, seven of whom our industry and clients to adopt sustainable COVID-19 crisis planning. exhibited at the summit. practices and establish better processes. This year, we redesigned the way we interact with United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 45

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Promoting supplier In the past year, we significantly increased the in previous years, they reflect our increased In 2020 transparency number of suppliers we asked to participate in ambition to engage more suppliers than ever % CDP’s reporting program, representing 75% of our before as we work toward our new goal. 57 scope 3 emissions. This caused a drop to 70% in Out of the more than 8,000 companies that We expect our suppliers to provide updates the 2020 disclosure percentage of those invited of suppliers disclosed to participate relative to 2019, but is still in line participated in CDP’s 2020 program, we their targets, and around their environmental initiatives, goals with the CDP average of 71%. earned an “A” rating. Of the 154 CDP supply and impact. Since 2010, we have invited select chain member companies inviting suppliers % suppliers to respond to CDP’s Supply Chain self- As part of our new goal to reach net-zero to participate, we were recognized on the 57 assessment questionnaire. Overall, our suppliers emissions by 2025, we have set an ambitious Supplier Engagement Leaderboard for the fourth disclosed the actions are collectively seeing more opportunities to target requiring 90% of our key suppliers, which consecutive year—an honor given to only the top they are taking use emission-reducing energy sources, minimize account for 75% of our scope 3 emissions, to 7% of the companies assessed. the footprint of their goods and services, and disclose their impact and actions being taken align with shifting customer preferences in to reduce emissions through channels like CDP. More information is available in CDP’s Global “Transparency to their reporting. As a company, this comprises three-quarters of Supply Chain Report 2020, our scope 3 emissions—an important and often Transformation: A Chain Reaction.” As a corporate member of CDP’s Supply overlooked metric in addressing climate change. Chain Program, we use CDP tools to promote At Accenture, we know that being a responsible engagement, transparency and sustainable business requires taking responsibility for all business practices with our suppliers. In 2015, our supply chain touchpoints, which is why we we set a goal to encourage 75% of our suppliers developed this new goal. During our first year to disclose their environmental targets and of tracking progress against the new goal, 57% actions taken to reduce their impact. As already of suppliers disclosed their targets, and 57% reported, we met this goal in early 2019. disclosed the actions they are taking. Although these percentages are lower than reported United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 46

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Global Supplier Inclusion & 19%, and our U.S. diverse spend decreased from Supplier Sustainability Program 34% in fiscal 2019 to 31%. In South Africa, we are committed to leading the inclusion and way with supplier inclusion, aiming to go above Our Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability and beyond requirements of the Broad-Based sustainability Program, which currently reaches 20 countries Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act. In and is expanding to 24 countries in fiscal 2021, 2020, our procurement spend with black-women- allows us to drive a more inclusive marketplace. owned enterprises in South Africa increased to The Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability 39%, again exceeding the B-BBEE target of 12%. We believe inclusive procurement creates long- Program also works closely with our Accessibility Additionally, our spend with black-owned-SMEs term value for our clients and our communities Center of Excellence, stakeholders and vendors, was more than 52% against a target of 30%. Our and helps us run a responsible business. At the establishing road maps to ensure sufficient procurement spend in South Africa with black- same time, these practices help our suppliers accessibility of our web-based technology for owned suppliers increased to 47% from 39% in the grow their representation and influence in their people with disabilities. We categorize diverse previous year, nearly reaching the target of 50%. own markets, contributing to our collective suppliers as minority, women, small- and shared success. medium-sized, service-disabled veteran, veteran, historically underutilized and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) enterprises. We monitor our diverse spend most consistently within the United States and also track this figure in Canada. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in fiscal 2020, our Canadian spend with diverse suppliers decreased from 25% in fiscal 2019 to United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 47

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Global Diverse Supplier the virtual environment also allowed us to test We continued innovating despite the pandemic. Development Program our digital tool—our Small Medium Enterprises- This past fiscal year we unveiled a new offering, Digital Ecosystem platform—that will now be DSDP Sustainability, in which we help diverse leveraged by all our classes. In fiscal 2021, DSDP suppliers working to establish plans to improve DSDP participant: We continue to prioritize our work with diverse will graduate suppliers in South Africa and India. their sustainability performance. We also WeFresh suppliers. One way we do this is through our We continued making progress with the Global launched a digital small- and medium-sized 18-month Global Diverse Supplier Development DSDP program last year and launched our first enterprises tool for easier access to information Program (DSDP) initiative that matches senior class in India—virtually, due to the COVID-19 and opportunities for diverse partners. U.S. DSDP alum, ASAP Solutions LLC, Nancy Accenture executive mentors with diverse pandemic—in early November 2020. Comprising Williams, and U.K. DSDP alum, Microfresh supplier companies. We pay particular attention seven diverse suppliers—businesses primarily CEO, Byron Dixon, met at the 2014 National to vendors that use AI and other innovative skills run by women and LGBTI owners—the program Minority Supplier Development Council that we consider part of the digital future. is bringing these diverse business owners into National Conference in Orlando, Florida, as the mainstream procurement ecosystem. While guests at the Accenture table. Throughout Our DSDP goal by the end of fiscal 2020 was the COVID-19 pandemic delayed our launches in the event, each reflected on their to graduate 170 diverse suppliers. Due to class Austria, Germany, Mexico and Switzerland, we experiences in the mentoring program that schedules, we achieved this goal by the middle plan to begin our programs there and in Australia had helped them to expand their business. of fiscal 2021, graduating five U.S. suppliers in fiscal 2021. Our new goal is to have graduated Years later, that brief introduction and DSDP who participated in virtual classes. Although the a total of 250 diverse suppliers by the end of synergy would propel a partnership that program did not extend the full 18 months and fiscal 2023. would span the globe. Nancy would later was not in a formal class setting due to COVID-19, create WeFresh LLC as a partner with Byron to bring antimicrobial solutions to North America. Through their collaboration and innovation, they are driving antimicrobial solutions to many clients in North America and crediting Accenture’s DSDP with their success. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 48

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Supporting an inclusive in-kind support to develop and launch the new We continue to support the organization’s labor market WECommunity platform that includes an improved endeavors to build a pan-European collaboration database for business women to engage with that unlocks opportunities to develop the LGBTI one another and large member buyers. business community and provide connections We are proud to be a corporate leader in inclusive Additionally, WEConnect International-certified with potential clients. Our support includes advice Business women grow procurement practices, and we continue to women-owned businesses are set to participate in on expanding the business network, certification, economies, Singapore explore new ways and opportunities to promote the next DSDP class representing Austria, Germany building a strong corporate member base as the inclusion of persons who may be excluded and Switzerland. well as including EGLCC-registered businesses is next: from the labor market for physical, social or In addition to our partnership to launch the in our Global DSDP program in Austria, Germany The S$95 billion opportunity cultural reasons through our Global Supplier WECommunity platform, Accenture has local and Switzerland. We supported and delivered Inclusion & Sustainability Program. These groups collaborations with the organization in 16 a keynote at the first formal virtual EGLCC include minority-, ethnic- and women-owned conference in June 2020, demonstrating growing Accenture Research, together with countries, while supporting conversations to corporate support to build an organization like WEConnect International and the American businesses; the LGBTI community; persons with launch the network in new markets in the Middle EGLCC on the European continent. Chamber of Commerce, published disabilities; veterans; refugees; and people East and Asia. For our new DSDP countries a study around the status of female living away from economic centers. We support including Austria, Germany, India, Mexico, entrepreneurship in Singapore. The broader inclusion not only through direct South Africa and Switzerland, we will include research outlines challenges local women- recruitment but also through agreements WEConnect International-certified businesses owned businesses face and opportunities with our vendors and in collaboration with providing more opportunities to strengthen their to break down existing barriers and help other organizations. operations and increase business. them grow. The report found that raising We co-founded and have representation on the Accenture also brings our commitment to life the number of women-owned businesses to Board and executive committee of WEConnect through involvement in organizations such as equal the number of businesses owned by International. Our involvement with this Disability:IN and the National LGBT Chamber men could add S$95 billion to Singapore’s organization is one way we continue to provide of Commerce, where we hold Board seats. In economy—roughly 20% of the country’s opportunities for women-owned businesses addition, we are also a member of the European gross domestic product. around the world. This year, we provided LGBTIQ Chamber of Commerce (EGLCC). United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 49

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Ethics & Governance Integrity is always top of mind We demonstrate the highest standards of business ethics and governance with every interaction and decision. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 50

Most relevant Accenture High priority SDG targets relevant for this area: ESG material issues: Ethics & • Data Privacy & Cyber Security Governance • Ethics & Integrity • Responsible Technology & Innovation • Inclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunity IN THIS CHAPTER: • ESG Management • Human Rights Conducting business • Public Policy & Advocacy 5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and 10.2 Empower and promote the social, economic equal opportunities for leadership at all levels... and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, with integrity Most relevant Principles of disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or the UN Global Compact: 5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, in other status. particular information and communications technology, Digital responsibility Human Rights to promote the empowerment of women. 16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all • Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the their forms. protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; 8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure Adhering to best and working environments for all workers… 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. practices & policies • Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in 9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable human rights abuses. industrialization… Labour • Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; • Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour; • Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and • Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Environment • Principle 9: Businesses should encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. Anticorruption • Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 51

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Governance Committee of the Board regularly th ETHICS & GOVERNANCE Most Ethical Companies list for the 14 reviews our policies and practices on significant consecutive year, recognizing our dedication corporate social responsibility issues. to ethical leadership, compliance practices Doing business responsibly, in compliance and sustainability. We have a clear governance structure to Leadership transition with laws and with integrity is the foundation of help us achieve our goals and ensure that One way we demonstrate our commitment to Accenture’s culture, reflecting our core values, these objectives are reflected throughout the behaving ethically is by supporting labor and inclusiveness and the highest ethical standards. organization. Members of our Global Management human rights across our global business and Committee sponsor our responsible business operations. We also uphold this commitment as We continue to shape our leadership strategies. These senior leaders, from multiple a LEAD participant of the United Nations Global structure so it reflects our values of corporate functions and geographies, engage Compact (which we signed in January 2008) governance throughout the business. Conducting on these topics and are responsible for making and by adhering to the United Nations Guiding Our Responsible Business, Corporate final decisions on strategies, goals and policies Principles on Business and Human Rights. Sustainability & Citizenship Lead, business with recommended by various management groups. Chad Jerdee, retired in February 2021. Together, they make strategic recommendations Our commitment to ethics, human rights and Effective December 2020, Peter Lacy was and decisions on our integrated responsible strong corporate governance is a key driver appointed to the newly created role of integrity business and ESG initiatives, including of our business strategy and is essential to Chief Responsibility Officer and Global sponsorship of our non-financial goals. safeguard our people, clients, brand and financial Sustainability Services Lead, and also performance. It is the foundation on which joined the Global Management Committee, Responsibility for Environmental, Social and We believe an ethical culture is critical to our we build trust and is evident in our long-term taking the first senior leadership position Governance (ESG) topics at Accenture starts at growth and differentiates us in a competitive relationships with our clients around the world. at Accenture with a primary focus on both the top, with our Board, our executive chairman marketplace. Clients choose to involve us in some Of our top 100 clients, 97 have been with us for client and corporate sustainability. Peter’s and our chief executive officer, and cascades of the most sensitive areas of their business in over 10 years. work spans ESG issues as they relate to our through the business, including our use of part because of our integrity and commitment to business, clients and ecosystem partners— performance objectives relating to responsible the highest ethical standards. Our robust Ethics including our actions to help achieve business. For example, the Nominating & & Compliance program has helped earn the United Nations Global Compact’s Accenture a spot on Ethisphere’s 2021 World’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 52

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Building a strong Contractors are also required to complete Ethics & We strongly encourage our people to raise ethical culture Compliance training within 60 days and may face concerns to a manager or trusted advisor, an revocation of access to systems or even Accenture Leader, Human Resources or Legal termination if they fail to do so. Our goal is to and make it clear that they can always escalate In today’s evolving business, legal and regulatory maintain our high completion rates for trainings concerns without fear of retaliation if they do landscape, determining what the right decision is globally and to continue to evaluate our trainings not receive an acceptable response from their can be difficult. To help our people make ethical (including through user feedback) to make sure first point of contact. Concerns may also be choices and consider the full impact of their they remain relevant and effective. reported anonymously to the Accenture Business Code of decisions, we rely on our core values and Ethics Helpline 24/7. We encourage our people to as guides. We are committed to providing a positive, Business Ethics (COBE) contact Human Resources or Legal for guidance respectful and inclusive work environment to all if they are unsure whether an issue should We offer a broad range of resources to help our our people. This means we prohibit disrespectful be reported. We take all good faith concerns people better understand and fully engage behavior and have zero tolerance for sexual seriously and all steps necessary to ensure that with our COBE, including annual required harassment, harassment or discrimination based those who raise concerns do not experience any Ethics & Compliance trainings, a Making on personal characteristics (such as race, color, form of retaliation. Good Decisions tool, our COBE toolkit with ancestry, national/regional or ethnic origin, downloadable job aids, an ethics helpline, an on- religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, % demand anonymous chatbot, and internal and pregnancy, age or disability), retaliation, workplace 99 + external platforms for people to raise concerns, violence or threats. of our people including anonymously. We understand that it is not always easy or completed We continue to evolve our required Ethics & comfortable to raise concerns. As a result, we Ethics & Compliance Compliance training with shorter, interactive provide multiple reporting channels for our training in fiscal and visually engaging courses. Accenture people to raise those concerns in order to minimize employees (including part-time) must complete potential unease in reporting an issue that may 2020 all required Ethics & Compliance training by involve a colleague, an Accenture Leader, a client, July 31 each year to be fully eligible for year-end supplier or contractor, or anyone else. rewards (as permitted by law). In fiscal 2020, we Scott, Senior Analyst – Technology, Software Applications achieved completion rates of more than 99%. Cloud Technical Support, Vancouver, Canada United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 53

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Guiding our people’s behavior local leaders embracing the program and setting the “tone from the top,” further enhancing our professional environment by visibly modeling The first fundamental behavior featured in COBE good behavior and holding themselves and is “Make Your Conduct Count,” which articulates others accountable. five locally relevant yet globally applicable As the program continues to grow and standards to guide how we think and act across incorporate insights gained through local our unique and diverse culture. This framework learning sessions and focus groups, we see creates a foundation for a positive, respectful and positive individual and workplace changes. inclusive work environment that can inspire our Survey data is driving our training and people, reflect who we are and who we want to development programs to make sure we are be as a company, and guide how we work with meeting the needs of our people. One direct clients, our partners and each other. result of data-driven training is our interactive, We believe these ethical behaviors are critical scenario-based course for supervisors focused to the success of our business, and we continue on handling feedback and concerns, which to monitor the ethical environment through we introduced this year to ensure they have anonymous surveys. We conducted our global the tools they need to properly approach and Conduct Counts survey across all eligible elevate incoming feedback. countries at the end of fiscal 2020 and will continue to conduct the global survey at regular intervals. Because we are a global organization, we can leverage our scale to establish and improve efficient programs for our global workforce. We are pleased to see continued adoption of Conduct Counts across our geographies, with Ramzel, Analyst – Operations, Finance & Accounting, Transaction Processing, Manila, Philippines United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 54

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Building and maintaining Building trust: Regular audits of trust and transparency • Appointing an investigations advisory panel ethical standards and increasing the representation of affected groups among conduct investigators. In fiscal 2020, our CEO, Julie Sweet, and our • Launching a retaliation monitoring system. We continually assess the effectiveness of CLIENT SPOTLIGHT Global Management Committee reaffirmed • Increasing support for those involved in a compliance-related processes across corporate our unwavering commitment to equality for all, conduct investigation. functions through audits and risk assessments. Insights for law enforcement: with zero tolerance for discrimination, bigotry One example: We have adopted a three-year or hate of any kind. Following this commitment, • Introducing specialized training for cycle of ongoing risk assessments for each of our Identifying human our people made clear that they felt there were investigators, supervisors and managers. global compliance programs on a rotating basis. trafficking networks to bring not enough opportunities to speak up about • Further understanding how microaggressions This is in line with the seven elements of an perpetrators to justice discrimination and racism or to report race- and microinequities impact our people. effective compliance program outlined by the related incidents. We took a hard look at our • Updating our Conduct Counts policies U.S. Department of Justice: Artemis is the world’s first human trafficking business and practices—and we enlisted experts stand to help. We held anonymous focus groups and to reflect our commitment to • Year one consists of a “deep dive” assessment content classifier, developed by the Global . against racism of an individual compliance program in Emancipation Network and Accenture. It feedback sessions, which allowed us to identify analyzes public records, finds common two critical areas where we can do better: collaboration with outside counsel and building trust and increasing transparency. Increasing transparency: external consultants. trafficking terminology and identifies • Year two consists of program enhancements, potential illegal activity, sending alerts to law From there, we developed an action plan, which For many years, we have communicated enforcement agencies so they can further frequently and effectively with our people including designing/implementing investigate. Insights garnered from Artemis is well under way. We are: about how to raise a concern. In fiscal 2021, enhancements, program reviews and desk reviews. have led to prosecutions in California’s we increased transparency with our people Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties. about how they can find support once they • Year three consists of a program review raise a concern, how the investigation process (e.g., targeted “health check” of select works, and where to find aggregated internal program criteria and framing of next global Learn more data about the types of conduct matters we risk assessment). investigate and their outcomes. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 55

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Supporting and respecting we use good judgment consistent with our core Anticorruption policies Our relevant anticorruption policies apply to all the rights of all people values and COBE to support and respect and compliance Accenture people working for any Accenture the principles of internationally recognized entity in any country and to the many ways we human rights. handle our broad-based Anticorruption program. Our commitment to supporting and respecting We also adhere to relevant international We are committed to conducting business We continually assess and refine our Ethics & internationally proclaimed human rights is a instruments and documents, including the ethically and leading by example. Our COBE and Compliance program, including how we train common thread connecting our business and International Labour Organization’s Declaration related anticorruption policies, both part of our our people. Our approach provides a baseline of requires the support of our leaders, people on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, global Ethics & Compliance program and human training to all Accenture people, including our and suppliers. and the United Nations Guiding Principles on rights efforts, require our people, business part-time employees and contractors. Individuals COBE, we focus our human Business and Human Rights. See the Supply partners and suppliers to comply with the in higher-risk roles and regions receive additional As stated in our Chain section for information on our Modern anticorruption laws everywhere we do anticorruption and other compliance training, rights efforts where they are most relevant to Slavery Transparency Statement. business, including: including in-person training with local members Accenture. Our clients and other stakeholders of the Legal team in high-risk markets. increasingly look to us for visibility into our • The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). human rights commitments and policies. Some • The Organization of Economic Cooperation In the past year, we again worked with outside of our key global policies are publicly available and Development Convention on Combating counsel—including the former head of the through our Modern Slavery Transparency Bribery of Public Officials in International U.S. Department of Justice’s Foreign Statement to show how we drive human Business Transactions. Corrupt Policies Act division—to conduct a rights within our organization. These include: • The United Nations Convention risk assessment to evaluate the risk of our Speaking Up and Zero Tolerance for Retaliation, Against Corruption. Anticorruption program. The assessment and Prohibition on Human Trafficking, Forced confirmed that our Anticorruption program Labor and Child Labor. • The U.K. Bribery Act. continues to be among the most advanced and We continue to review our human rights efforts, We are a member—and our CEO, Julie Sweet, forward-thinking programs in the world. as well as best practices in the marketplace, is the co-chair—of the World Economic Forum to understand how we can best meet our Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, which commitments. If it is unclear how to apply the unites companies that have a zero-tolerance law consistent with our human rights principles, policy toward bribery and corruption in any form. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 56

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Data privacy of personal data (such as required temperature • Accenture rapidly enhanced its award-winning Digital checks, questionnaires, etc.). learning programs with COVID-19-specific information. In particular, Accenture developed With a goal to stabilize, normalize and optimize a work-from-home/COVID-19-themed episode responsibility Safeguarding data is one of our most important our approach to the changing environment, we responsibilities. We are continually evolving for the Cannes Corporate Media and TV award- strengthened our processes and privacy controls winning internal web series “Hacker Land” our approach to information security and data already in place to enable a secure and safe protection, identifying emerging threats and (the most-viewed internal video series in As technology becomes ubiquitous, trust mobile workforce, and enhanced information Accenture’s history) to reinforce work-from- becomes paramount. To build—and maintain— driving appropriate behavior to prevent and security and data protection training to include mitigate attacks. Everyone at Accenture has a home security hygiene. trust in today’s digital age, businesses must use guidance on how to securely work from home. • We generated global awareness of our data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethically across personal responsibility to practice effective data customer information, product development and management in accordance with our company Already a seasoned leader in remote work and guidance around work-from-home security workforce training. Security and AI are among policies, including our Data Privacy Statement having a long-established Information Security practices and increased participation in the the topics within our Technology Quotient (TQ) and procedures, as well as changing global (IS) learning program, our employee learning IS Advocate program. training available to all Accenture people. regulatory policies. assets were easily amended to address COVID-19- • Accenture applied our Client Data Protection related changes in our work environments across (CDP) controls across the enterprise and By using technology responsibly, we are Facing the unique challenges created by the globe. For example: acquisitions, as well as collaborated with CIO to considering the extended consequences of each COVID-19 and large employee populations strengthen our app and cloud security. new innovation—both positive and negative—on working remotely, we took additional steps to • Work-from-home users received specific people, the planet and the economy. protect sensitive health data while operating guidance and job aids. Advanced Technology • Further, we updated our required Ethics & safely and effectively. We continued to maintain Centers and Intelligent Operations Centers Compliance training to include enhanced work- As society continues moving to a digital-first our robust data protection for every individual received increased levels of guidance. from-home guidance. reality, promoting human rights and setting within our global network and our transparency • Accenture quickly amended—and continues We adhere to the highest and strictest industry standards are top of mind as we about how and what personal data we process to update—our dedicated internal information standards for handling and protecting global adapt our offerings to reflect this new as outlined in Accenture’s Binding Corporate security websites and communications with privacy requirements. Our robust data privacy collective consciousness. Rules. In addition, we quickly implemented a up-to-date work-from-home guidance and management program is acknowledged multi-phased COVID-19 risk management plan COVID-19 scam awareness. through receipt of both Enterprise and Client with a focus on adapting our security posture Service Business ISO® 27001:2013 and ISO® to the immediate crisis and preventing misuse 27701 certifications. These certifications United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 57

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acknowledge that Accenture complies with We also outperformed our peer groups in strengthen employee awareness and adoption of At Accenture, we believe that AI is everyone’s the highest, strictest standards for handling top-tier, third-party security benchmarking secure behaviors. Employees who complete the business. And one of the primary ways we deliver and protecting personal data everywhere, and and endorsements: IS Advocate program are significantly less likely value for our clients is by scaling AI, analytics demonstrates accountability to upholding global CIS Controls: Maintains at or above its peers and to contribute to an incident and outperform non- and automation—and the data that fuels it all—to data protection and privacy requirements like Advocates in identifying phishing email indicators power people and processes, responsibly. the European Union’s General Data Protection industry verticals in all 20 categories, validated by and passing phishing tests. Regulation (GDPR), California’s Consumer Privacy Verizon Security Services As AI decisions increasingly influence and impact Act (CCPA), Brazil’s Lei Geral de Proteção de Cyber Essentials Plus certification: Awarded as In addition to keeping Accenture, our people people’s lives, the responsibility enterprises Dados Pessoais (LGPD) and many more. We were required by the National Cyber Security Centre and our clients protected through advanced have to manage the potential ethical and socio- the first global organization to be ISO® 27701 for suppliers to the U.K internal security practices, technologies and technical implications of AI adoption increases. certified by the British Standards Institution (BSI) NIST CSF: Role Model across all 23 categories, controls, we serve as a global provider of We are acutely sensitive to our role in innovating globally across both Enterprise and Client highest-possible benchmark rating managed security services, helping our clients responsibly and consider the unintended Service Business. with comprehensive security solutions spanning consequences of AI and related technologies UpGuard, SecurityScorecard and BitSight: strategy development, risk management, cyber one of our highest ESG priorities. Our CDP program governs the stewardship High ranks in maintaining a strong defense defense, digital identity, application and managed of client information and has defined our security services. When we think about responsible AI, issues such management processes and controls in We take security seriously, with extensive training as bias, discrimination, explainability and fairness accordance with relevant privacy laws. BSI has and learning assets. All Accenture people have become paramount. We are working with rated us as a “Role Model” (the highest rating) regularly participate in required and targeted data Responsible AI our clients to translate ethical principles and for all National Institute of Standards/U.S. privacy trainings. Further, our global awareness academic theories like algorithmic fairness into Department of Commerce Cyber Security campaign, Protecting Accenture: Live Smart to practical, measurable metrics. To embed these Framework categories. Stay Safe, equips our people with the latest best Responsible AI is the practice of designing, responsible approaches into everyday practices, practice learnings and behaviors necessary to developing and deploying AI with good intention we believe enterprises must put in place the maintain safe hygiene of data security. Beyond to empower employees and businesses, and necessary organizational, technical, operational our required, comprehensive training tracks, 80% fairly impact customers and society—allowing and reputational scaffolding. of our people have completed our IS Advocate companies to engender trust and scale AI program, a self-paced training designed to with confidence. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 58

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We are especially proud of the mix of skills, Board Diversity Adhering to experience, diversity and perspectives our directors bring to Accenture, as detailed in our Gender Race and Ethnicity Global best practices 2020 Proxy Statement. In this regard, 1 Hispanic 1 South America Beth E. Mooney was appointed to our Board in February 2021, enhancing the diversity of 50%2 African American 2 Europe and policies our directors and increasing the percentage 42% 5 Women Racially and 50% of women directors to five out of 12, or 42%. In Women Ethnically Born Outside addition, Ms. Mooney brings a track record of Diverse 3 Asian U.S. 3 Asia fostering a culture of inclusion and diversity, Accenture’s corporate governance matters which is an important attribute as we continue are described in our 2020 Proxy Statement, executing on our diversity strategy and goals. filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Board Committees Significant Board Age Commission on December 10, 2020, as well Chaired by Women Refreshment Distribution as our Corporate Governance Guidelines and , which are all found on our Average Age committee charters New Directors of Director corporate website. These documents outline 50% 7Over Past 5 Years 61Nominees the role of our Board and its committees and our key governance practices, as well as the Age range: 52-66 experience, qualifications, attributes and skills Board Tenure of our directors. 3 <2 Years Years 2-5 Years Average 4 Tenure 4.3 5 >5 Years United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 59

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Corporate governance and diversity; ESG matters; risk management, highlights including data privacy and security; and Board composition and structure. As reflected in our Corporate Governance We have a history of strong corporate Guidelines, our independent Lead Director is governance and believe that good governance available for consultation and has communicated is critical to achieving long-term shareholder directly with major shareholders at their request. value. We are committed to governance The feedback received from our shareholder practices and policies that serve the long-term outreach efforts is communicated to and interests of Accenture and our shareholders, as considered by the Board, and our engagement outlined in our 2020 Proxy Statement. activities have produced valuable feedback that helps inform our decisions and our strategy, Shareholder engagement when appropriate. We maintain an ongoing, proactive shareholder outreach program. Throughout the year, members of our Investor Relations team and leaders of our business engage with our shareholders to seek their input, to remain well informed regarding their perspectives and to help increase their understanding of our business. In particular, we leverage these discussions to cover topics of interest to our shareholders. As outlined in our Proxy, 2020 engagement topics included: our commitment to our people; our culture, including inclusion Yonathan, Managing Director – Technology, SAP, Data Management, Washington D.C., United States United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 60

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Reporting & Data IN THIS CHAPTER: Reporting Approach Goals & Progress Awards & Recognition Performance Data Table United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 61

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Reporting Approach Our United Nations Global Compact (UNGC): For our 2020 report, we continue to align with * Communication on Progress 2020 details the the GRI Standards as a basis for disclosure. impact we made across the following topics: For more information, please see our GRI People, Social Impact, Path to Net-Zero, Supply Content Index. We also continue to align with Chain and Ethics & Governance. The report Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) explores our goals, progress and performance best practices, such as the World Economic across our global operations during fiscal 2020 Forum’s new Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics. (ended August 31, 2020), unless otherwise noted. Our previous reports are available We disclose our key non-financial metrics in our on accenture.com. Performance Data Table, including data from the last three years. More information about our Accountability and transparency are priorities global ESG activities, including our most recent for Accenture and are part of the foundation CDP response, is available on our ESG Disclosures on which we build trust with our clients, our page. Additionally, Accenture holds a range of people, our investors and other stakeholders. industry-wide external certifications that are We continually take steps to strengthen our relevant to ESG, including ISO® 14001, ISO® reporting approach through ongoing stakeholder 27001 and OHSAS 18001/ISO 45001. Current engagement and voluntary adherence to global financial and governance information about non-financial reporting standards. Accenture can be found in our Annual Report and fiscal 2020 Proxy Statement. * Our Communication on Progress 2020 contains forward-looking statements, and actual results could differ materially. Risk factors that could cause actual results Renu, Senior Manager – Strategy & to differ are set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K. These risk factors are subject to update by our future filings and submissions with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and earnings releases. Consulting, Mumbai, India United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 62

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Delivering for the UN Global Compact This report serves as our twelfth Communication Since becoming a signatory to the UNGC, we on Progress to the UNGC that we signed in have updated our reporting for the prior fiscal January 2008, and it documents our progress year each March. In our 2020 annual letter to on implementing the 10 Principles as a member shareholders, for the first time, we incorporated of Global Compact LEAD, which focuses on our latest reporting on a number of our goals raising sustainability performance. For a detailed because the actions we take to meet these goals look at our progress toward addressing the 10 are an important part of our commitment to Principles, see our UNGC Index. being a responsible business and to our market leadership as a trusted partner. We also extended As a LEAD participant, we are committed to our coverage of responsible business and what working toward implementing the Blueprint for that means at Accenture in our fiscal 2020 Proxy Corporate Sustainability Leadership and sharing Statement. Going forward, we intend to shift related outcomes and learnings with the broader the majority of our ESG reporting to our annual universe of companies in the Global Compact. financial reporting time frame and will continue As part of our ongoing commitment, we our annual Communication on Progress to actively engage with the UNGC’s U.K. Network’s the UNGC in a format different from this report. Modern Slavery Working Group to share our view of corporate best practices to support the elimination of slavery and human trafficking, and to benchmark our own approach and strategies against those of other industry peers and thought leaders. Mercedes, Senior Analyst – Technology, SAP, Application Development, Buenos Aires, Argentina United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 63

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Stakeholder Engagement Stakeholder group Example of engagement Satisfaction surveys, client account lead relationships, project We regularly engage internal and external stakeholders Clients quality assurance processes, conferences and events, responses regarding our goals, progress and performance to improve to information requests (e.g., CDP Supply Chain, EcoVadis) our reporting. We use input from a variety of groups to inform our approach and align more closely with Surveys, internal memos and webcasts, accenture.com, social stakeholder expectations (see table at right). Current Accenture People media, Business Ethics Helpline, focus groups, employee resource groups Additionally, we engaged extensively with varied Quarterly earnings calls, investor and analyst conferences, stakeholders to help us revise our non-financial ESG responses to investor questionnaires (e.g., CDP Climate Change, materiality matrix, which we detail in the ESG Investors Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Institutional Shareholder materiality section. Services, MSCI), Investor Relations team outreach CDP’s Supply Chain program, Supplier Standards of Conduct, Suppliers Global Diverse Supplier Development Program, supplier summits, training and mentorship Goverments, Multi-laterals & Policymakers Political Contributions and Lobbying Policy, discussions via Government Relations team Long-term, strategic nonprofit partnerships in support of Skills to Succeed, employee volunteering and giving, grantee Nonprofit Partners & Foundations relationships via Accenture Foundations, advocacy and societal change through cross-sectoral coalitions, national and international forums Potential Recruits, Alumni & Civil Society Social media, accenture.com, careers blog, alumni forums and events, news releases United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 64

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8 DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC 9 INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND 10 REDUCED 12 RESPONSIBLE 13 CLIMATE ACTION 16 PEACE, JUSTICE AND 17 PARTNERSHIPS FOR Material issue 5GENDER INFRASTRUCTURE INEQUALITIES CONSUMPTION STRONG THE GOALS GROWTH AND PRODUCTION INSTITUTIONS EQUALITY SDGs and our Material issue ESG material issues Data Privacy & Cyber Security • • • Data Privacy & Cyber Security Ethics & Integrity • • Ethics & Integrity Climate Change & Carbon Emissions Accenture’s ESG material issues shown against • • • • Climate Change & Carbon Emissions the SDGs we have identified as highest priority for Responsible Technology & Innovation • • • • • Accenture’s operations. Responsible Technology & Innovation Inclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunity • • • • • iorityInclusion, Diversity & Equal Opportunity Enabling Clients’ Sustainability prEnabling Clients’ Sustainability • • • • High priorityHigh Employee Well-being & Engagement • • Employee Well-being & Engagement Working Conditions • • • Working Conditions ESG Management • • • • • ESG Management Talent Attraction, Retention & Development • • • Talent Attraction, Retention & Development Human Rights • • • • Human Rights Responsible Buying • • • • • Responsible Buying Societal Impact • • • • Societal Impact Public Policy & Advocacy • • • • Public Policy & Advocacy Water • • • • Water Community Giving • • • • Community Giving Waste, including e-waste • • • Waste, including e-waste Nature, Biodiversity & Wildlif e • • • Nature, Biodiversity & Wildlife United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 65

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Goals & Progress Most relevant SDG targets Most relevant Guiding SDG Most relevant Accenture Accenture metrics for Accenture’s operations UNGC principles Ambition benchmark goals and programs and progress 5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective Principle 1 Gender balance at all • We set a goal to achieve 25% women managing • We met our goal of achieving 25% women managing participation and equal opportunities Principle 6 levels of management directors by the end of 2020. directors by the end of 2020. for leadership at all levels... • Our new goal is to achieve 30% women managing • In 2020, women accounted for 45% of our global 5.b Enhance the use of enabling directors by 2025. workforce and 49% of new hires. technology, in particular information and • Additionally, by 2025 we will achieve a gender-balanced communications technology, to promote workforce (for those whose gender is binary). the empowerment of women. 8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic Principle 1 100% of employees • We are firmly committed to pay equity and have robust • We pay 100% of employees working for Accenture productivity through diversification, Principle 6 across the organization processes in place to ensure that all our people—across a living wage or more. technological upgrading and earn a living wage gender, race and ethnicity—are compensated fairly based • Our Adjustment Request Tool is now available in innovation… on their markets and skills, from the moment they are hired 16 countries and we plan to expand availability. 8.5 Achieve full and productive through the milestones of their careers at our company. employment and decent work for all If we find an issue, we fix it. • We currently operate Accessibility Centers in China, women and men, including for young • We invest nearly US$900 million annually in continuous India, Japan, Malaysia and three in the Philippines people and persons with disabilities, learning and professional development opportunities with plans for more locations around the globe. and equal pay for work of equal value. for our people. 8.8 Protect labour rights and promote • We have invested in our applications to ensure that at safe and secure working environments least 75% are accessible and have supplemental resources for all workers… to navigate additional accessibility requirements. • Through our Adjustment Request Tool, our people with disabilities can easily ask for accommodation such as assistive technology, flexible work arrangements, sign language interpreters, screen readers and more. • We continue to invest in Accessibility Centers focused on enablement and advisory services, and collaborative technology research for persons with disabilities. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 66

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Most relevant SDG targets Most relevant Guiding SDG Most relevant Accenture Accenture metrics for Accenture’s operations UNGC principles Ambition benchmark goals and programs and progress 9.2 Promote inclusive and Principle 9 • R&D and innovation are pivotal to Accenture’s strategy • Accenture invested US$871 million in R&D sustainable industrialization… and we invest heavily to innovate for a better future, in fiscal 2020. including innovating explicitly for sustainability. 9.5 Enhance scientific research, • In fiscal 2020 cloud revenues accounted for upgrade the technological capabilities • For our clients, we recently launched our myNav approximately US$12 billion of our global revenues. of industrial sectors in all countries… Green Cloud Advisor to enable sustainable migration encouraging innovation… to the cloud. 10.2 Empower and promote the social, Principle 1 • We are taking action to fight racism. We have set goals • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Canadian spend economic and political inclusion of all, Principle 2 in South Africa, the U.K. and the U.S. to increase our ethnic with diverse suppliers decreased from 25% in fiscal 2019 irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, and racial representation. to 19% in fiscal 2020; our U.S. diverse spend decreased ethnicity, origin, religion or economic Principle 4 • Our Global Diverse Supplier Development Program explicitly from 34% in fiscal 2019 to 31% in fiscal 2020. or other status Principle 5 targets minority-owned businesses. For example, in South • In 2020, our procurement spend with black-women- Principle 6 Africa, we aim to go above and beyond requirements of the owned enterprises in South Africa increased to 39%, Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act. again exceeding the B-BBEE target of 12%. Additionally, • We continue to prioritize diverse suppliers, including through our spend with black-owned-SMEs was more than 52% our Global Diverse Supplier Development Program (DSDP). against a target of 30%. Our procurement spend in Our DSDP goal by the end of fiscal 2020 was to graduate 170 South Africa with black-owned suppliers increased to diverse suppliers. Our new goal is to graduate 250 diverse 47% from 39% in the previous year, nearly reaching the suppliers by the end of fiscal 2023. target of 50%. • Our DSDP goal by the end of fiscal 2020 was to graduate 170 diverse suppliers. Due to class schedules, we achieved this goal by mid-fiscal 2021. 12.2 Achieve the sustainable Principle 7 Zero waste to landfill • We are committed to reaching 100% renewable • In fiscal 2020, 30% of Accenture’s office electricity was management and efficient use Principle 8 and incineration electricity by 2023 under RE100. from renewable sources, up from 26% in fiscal 2019. of natural resources 100% sustainable material • Accenture is moving to zero waste: By 2025, we will reuse • In fiscal 2020, we avoided landfill for more than 99% 12.5 Substantially reduce waste inputs that are renewable, or recycle 100% of our e-waste and office furniture. of Accenture’s e-waste. generation through prevention, recyclable or reusable • We are committed to eliminating single-use plastics in our reduction, recycling and reuse locations at the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 67

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Most relevant SDG targets Most relevant Guiding SDG Most relevant Accenture Accenture metrics for Accenture’s operations UNGC principles Ambition benchmark goals and programs and progress 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive Principle 7 Science-based emissions • We are a signatory to the UN Global Compact’s Business • Accenture’s total reported GHG emissions for fiscal 2020 capacity to climate related hazards and Principle 8 reduction in line with a Ambition for 1.5° Pledge, and we aim to achieve net-zero have decreased by more than 30% since fiscal 2016. natural disasters in all countries. 1.5°C pathway emissions by 2025. We have science-based greenhouse gas • In fiscal 2019, we met our 2015 goal to have 75% of 13.2 Incorporate measures to fight (GHG) emissions targets to reduce our absolute greenhouse our suppliers to disclose their environmental targets climate change into policies, strategies gas emissions by 11% and our scope 1 and 2 emissions by 65%. and actions through CDP. and planning. • By 2025, we will develop plans to reduce the impact of • In our first year of tracking progress against this new flooding, drought and water scarcity on our business and goal, 57% of suppliers disclosed their targets and 57% our people in high-risk areas. disclosed the actions they are taking. • In 2015, we set a goal to encourage 75% of our suppliers to disclose their environmental targets and actions taken to reduce their impact through CDP. • We have now set a new goal: By 2025, we will require 90% of our key suppliers (accounting for 75% of our scope 3 emissions) to disclose their environmental targets and actions. 16.5 Substantially reduce corruption Principle 10 Zero incidences • All Accenture people must complete all required Ethics & • In fiscal 2020, we achieved Ethics & Compliance and bribery in all their forms. of bribery Compliance training by July 31 each year to be fully eligible training completion rates of more than 99%. 16.6 Develop effective, accountable for year-end rewards (as permitted by law). and transparent institutions at all levels 17.16 Enhance the global partnership Relevant across the • At Accenture, we collaborate with our clients, suppliers, • Together with our partners, in the past decade Skills for sustainable development, 10 UNGC principles ecosystem partners and others to mobilize collaborative to Succeed has equipped nearly 4.6 million people complemented by multi-stakeholder action. For example, to meet our RE100 commitment, we with the skills to make substantive improvements to partnerships that mobilize and share are collaborating with partners to drive higher demand for their lives. knowledge, expertise, technology and renewables in targeted locations. financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable • Through our ongoing Skills to Succeed initiative, we support development goals… people in our communities with the skills to make substantive improvements to their lives. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 68

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Mayank, Senior Principal – Technology Strategy & Advisory, San Francisco, United States Awards & Recognition Ethisphere’s World’s Fast Company’s FORTUNE’s Wall Street 3BL Media’s Dow Jones Most Ethical Most Innovative World’s Most Journal’s 100 Best Sustainability Index Companies Companies Admired Management Corporate Citizens North America 14 consecutive years 2 consecutive years Companies Top 250 12 consecutive years and No. 1 in our industry 4 consecutive years FTSE4Good for 8 years, marking Global Index 19 consecutive years Since 2005 on list Forbes’ CDP’s Business Today/ Great Place to Bloomberg’s Disability:IN’s JUST Capital Climate Change People Strong’s Work/FORTUNE’s Gender Equality Disability 5 consecutive years “A List” Best Companies to 100 Best Index Equality Index 6 years Work For in India Companies to 4 consecutive years 4 consecutive years and Among Top 5 for 7 Work For Supplier Engagement consecutive years In Japan, Mexico, Leaderboard U.K. and U.S. 4 consecutive years DiversityInc’s Human Rights Randstad’s Refinitiv Diversity & Stonewall Global Working Mother’s Top 50 Companies Campaign’s Most Attractive Inclusion Index Workplace 100 Best for Diversity Corporate Employers in Among Top 3 for 3 Equality Index Companies 14 consecutive years Equality Index Greater China consecutive years 6 consecutive years 18 consecutive and 9 years in Top 15 In Chile, Mexico 3 consecutive years years in U.S. and 5 and U.S. consecutive years in India United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 69

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Performance Data Table Our People FY18 FY19 FY20 Global Headcount at Fiscal Year End (rounded) 459,000 492,000 506,000 The following table quantifies our progress since fiscal 2018 on key non-financial indicators. Unless 3 Percent of Total Employee Workforce Percentage by Gender specified, all metrics are global in scope, reported on a fiscal year basis, consistent with previously reported figures and cover those of our consolidated entities. All data are consolidated from Women 42% 44% 45% performance management systems across multiple Accenture teams and vetted through an internal controls process, which includes senior leadership, to ensure they provide an accurate representation Men 58% 56% 55% of Accenture’s non-financial performance. 3 New Hires Percentage by Gender Women 47% 49% 49% 1 Accenture at a Glance FY18 FY19 FY20 Men 53% 51% 51% US $ Thousands 3, 4 Executives Percentage by Gender 2 $40,992,534 $43,215,013 $44,327,039 Revenues Women 29% 30% 30% Men 71% 70% 70% Operating Expenses 35,093,755 36,909,939 37,813,395 3, 5 Managing Directors Percentage by Gender Operating Income $5,898,779 $6,305,074 $6,513,644 Women 22% 24% 25% Men 78% 76% 75% Total Training Spend (US $ Thousands) $927,484 $972,939 $866,063 Average Training Hours per Employee 42 38 38 United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 70

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Community Impact1 FY18 FY19 FY20 Community Impact1 FY18 FY19 FY20 People with a Substantive Life Improvement 2,845,000 3,588,000 4,598,000 Hours of Participation in (cumulative rounded)6 Accenture-sponsored 853,901 872,023 971,990 Accenture Contributions by Region US $ Thousands “Time & Skills“ Programs8 North America $15,979 $15,973 $18,925 Employees Participating in Europe 20,189 19,654 22,193 Accenture-sponsored 8,465 9,847 8,289 “Time & Skills“ Programs8 Growth Markets 17,026 18,419 21,021 Cross-Region 20,512 21,167 32,105 Employee Donations $9,735 $10,798 $18,003 Total Accenture Contributions $73,706 $75,213 $94,244 (US $ Thousands) Accenture Contributions by Type US $ Thousands Cash $22,289 $24,191 $28,721 In-Kind (Accenture Development 47,530 47,489 62,869 Partnerships and pro bono consulting) Time (Paid volunteering) 3,886 3,533 2,654 Total Accenture Contributions $73,706 $75,213 $94,244 Accenture Foundations Contributions7 $13,884 $11,008 $14,762 Total Accenture and Accenture $87,589 $86,221 $109,006 Foundations Contributions United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 71

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Environment1 FY18 FY19 FY20 Environment1 FY18 FY19 FY20 Percentage Change in Total Carbon Emissions 10 -5% -7% -32% Carbon Emissions by Scope Metric Tons of CO2 Compared to FY16 Baseline Scope 1 22,183 18,923 13,945 Carbon Emissions per Employee 9 1.66 1.57 0.87 (Metric Tons of CO ) 2 11 218,855 214,680 162,983 Scope 2 Core Carbon Emissions by Source9, 10 Metric Tons of CO 2 9 Scope 3 948,756 932,653 677,994 Air Travel 351,966 370,028 176,482 Total Carbon Emissions 1,189,794 1,166,256 854,922 Other Business Travel 164,533 157,097 104,586 Office Electricity Efficiency 11 216,051 210,934 159,522 167 159 124 Office Electricity (kWh/square meter) Other Energy (Natural Gas, Diesel) 3,416 4,426 3,896 % Electricity from Renewable Sources 24% 26% 30% Total Core Carbon Emissions 735,966 742,485 444,486 10, 12 Energy Usage by Source MWh Core Carbon Emissions by Region9, 10 Metric Tons of CO Non-Renewable Electricity 361,512 351,414 272,485 2 North America 223,720 233,664 136,342 Renewable Electricity 111,574 121,101 115,149 11 133,138 130,125 67,283 Natural Gas 12,155 13,596 14,171 Europe Growth Markets 379,108 378,696 239,931 Diesel 3,839 6,709 4,130 Cross-Region 0 0 930 Total Energy Usage 489,080 492,820 405,935 13 Electronic Waste by Disposal Method Metric Tons Total Core Carbon Emissions 735,966 742,485 444,486 Avoided Landfill 583 423 278 Landfill <1 <1 <1 Carbon Emissions from Other Purchased 453,828 423,771 410,436 Total 583 423 278 9 Goods and Services 14 2,518,000 2,639,436 1,997,036 Total Water Consumption (cubic meters) Total Carbon Emissions 1,189,794 1,166,256 854,922 Water Consumption per Employee (cubic meters) 5.69 5.57 3.93 United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 72

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Footnotes 1 Supply Chain FY18 FY19 FY20 1. Some detail numbers may not sum exactly to total number due to response; 100% of Accenture’s fiscal 2020 scope 1 and scope 2 rounding. emissions, as well as a small subset of scope 3 emissions received a Diverse Procurement Spend US $ Thousands positive statement for a limited assurance review by an independent by Type (U.S. only) 2. Effective September 1, 2018, we adopted ASU No. 2014-09 and third party. eliminated our net revenues presentation. Prior period amounts have been revised to conform with the current period presentation. 11. CO2 emissions related to scope 2 Office Electricity reflect a market- Minority-Owned Business $450,992 $429,455 $395,892 based accounting approach as defined by the updated GHG Protocol 3. Values reflect our workforce as of December 31 of that year and scope 2 guidance. In line with the guidance, fiscal 2020 office Women-Owned Business 118,587 164,835 122,482 do not include information from Avanade, a joint venture between electricity market-based emissions factor renewable electricity Accenture and Microsoft that is majority-owned by Accenture. impacts as well as 2,201 tons of residual non-renewable emissions in Europe. Also in line with the guidance, we report CO emissions using Small Business 75,171 49,930 50,846 4. “Executives” comprises our managers, senior managers, managing 2 directors, senior managing directors and members of our Global a location-based approach, which for fiscal 2020 would be 224,913 Management Committee. tons for Office Electricity and 228,373 tons for Scope 2. 15 Other Type Business 1,731 2,264 3,323 5. “Managing Directors” comprises our managing directors, 12. In previous reports, values for “Non-Renewable Electricity” and Total Diverse Procurement $646,481 $646,485 $572,543 senior managing directors and members of our Global “Renewable Electricity” were combined into a single value for Spend (US Only) Management Committee. “Electricity.” Prior year values disclosed for “Electricity” are the same as the sum of values for “Non-Renewable Electricity” and 6. Substantive Life Improvement is the new term to include both people “Renewable Electricity.” skilled to get a job or build a business as well as lives improved in the 13. Electronic waste (e-waste) is the most significant environmental Diverse Procurement Spend Next Generation cohort. aspect in our waste stream and includes laptops and workstations as Percentage of Total 31% 34% 31% 7. Accenture Foundations refers to independent charitable with disposal method tracked in Accenture’s global asset Procurement Spend (U.S. Only) organizations that bear the Accenture name. management system. Other waste streams result primarily from our office-based activities, many of which include recycling services that 8. “Accenture-sponsored ‘Time & Skills’ Programs” comprise are both inside and outside our operational control, and overall are Accenture Development Partnerships, pro bono consulting and paid not considered to have a significant environmental impact. volunteering projects. 14. Fiscal 2020 total water consumption is derived from 64% measured 9. Emissions designated as “Core” represent those most directly data and estimating the remainder based on average per-workstation associated with Accenture’s business model and align with total consumption from measured locations. emissions reported prior to fiscal 2016. As part of Accenture’s 15. “Other Type Business” consists of the following subcategories: science-based emissions target, we now include scope 3 emissions Veteran, Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise, Historically Black for fiscal 2016 onward resulting from procurement of other purchased Colleges or Universities and LGBTI. goods and services as part of our total emissions inventory. 10. Detailed methodology for carbon emissions and energy usage calculations is available in Accenture’s CDP Climate Change United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 73

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ABOUT ACCENTURE Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services—all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 537,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. We welcome your feedback. Copyright ©2021 All rights reserved. United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2020 | 74

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