Impact Stories
Accenture
In our three most-recent Impact Stories, we’ve focused on some small-but-mighty regional companies which are working their Trans-Tasman magic in different and wonderful ways.
This time, we’re going global by shining a light on Accenture – an IT consultancy powerhouse that’s now held as a stock in our Global Responsibility Fund.
If you’re questioning how an AI-loving corporate titan belongs in an ethical investment fund, then keep reading. We’re about to bust some misconceptions.
Shining a light on Accenture
Our investment in Accenture is a great example of how you, as a Pathfinder member, can own a slice of some of the most amazing and influential companies in the world (while still adhering to our Ethical Investment Policy).
Accenture is a world leader in IT consultancy services. In simple terms, the company advises clients on how to use technology in ways that are efficient, innovative, and rewarding.
To be clear, their work is far from simple. A quick look at Accenture’s homepage reveals just how vast their expertise is. Key capabilities include, but aren’t limited to, aerospace, marketing, cyber security, supply chains, learning, finance and risk management[1].
And when it comes to its clients, Accenture has a lot of them – in excess of 9,000 worldwide, spanning a range of industries including banking, chemicals, life sciences, travel and more[2].
Underpinning the firm’s work are a number of long-term relationships that illustrate the high esteem in which many clients hold Accenture. Out of its 200 top clients, 195 of them are said to have been clients for at least 10 years[2].
While those client stats represent excellent foundations on which the business has grown, Accenture is also proactive in identifying the trends that can set the company up for the future. One such trend is Generative AI - something which it now claims to be reaping the rewards from.
As Accenture’s Chair and CEO, Julie Sweet, wrote in the firm’s 2025 annual report: “Our decision in fiscal year 2023 to make a significant, multi-year investment of $3 billion in generative AI and become an early leader has positioned us to capture this new area of spend for our clients. In fiscal year 2025, we tripled our revenue over fiscal year 2024 from generative AI and, increasingly, agentic AI to $2.7 billion. And we nearly doubled our generative AI bookings to $5.9 billion.[2]”
That same report paints a compelling picture of corporate resilience. Accenture’s last reported annual revenue of $69.7 billion (USD) was up 7% year-on-year. The firm also logged $80.6 billion (USD) worth of new client bookings [2].
A sustainability focus that we love
If you read our recent CHFA Impact Story, you’ll recall that we don’t invest based soley on purpose, or soley on performance. We like to be confident that a stock or a bond can balance purpose and performance, before we invest on behalf of our members.
Having covered Accenture’s strong performance above, below you’ll find a snapshot of the sustainability credentials that ticked our boxes as an ethical investor.
Accenture has set-up a responsible AI programme and AI principles which collectively provide a framework for all of their AI enablement. It is overseen by their Chief Responsible AI Officer, with some oversight also coming via the Board of Directors. Our ESG analyst likes this rigorous, responsible, and structured approach to using AI at a time when growth is fast and guardrails are few[3]. Accenture’s environmental goals are split across 3 areas: reducing and removing our carbon emissions, moving towards zero waste, and planning for water risk.
The firm is a signatory to the UN Global Compact Business Ambition for 1.5°C Pledge, committing to help keep global warming below 1.5° Celsius.
The company also aims to reuse or recycle 100% of its electronic waste by the end of 2025. This includes computers, servers, and office furniture.
Accenture also uses 100% renewable electricity in its offices and is targeting near-zero waste. In addition, it helps clients (who want it) to decarbonise their own operations through its “Sustainability by Design” and “Green Cloud” initiatives[4]. These credible sustainability efforts are impactful in their own way but also help to offset the energy intensity associated with the firm’s AI adoption.
In 2023, the company removed single-use plastics from all of its facilities.
Accenture also partners with UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited, helping young people in the ‘Global South’ to gain life skills that equip them for the future.
Please note: All of the above is referenced on the following web page, from where you can learn more about Accenture’s sustainability commitments: https://www.accenture.com/us-en/about/corporate-sustainability
In summary
At Pathfinder, we are transparent that our ‘investible universe’ is smaller than comparable universes in which other fund managers might ply their trade. That’s a result of our very deliberate and conscious decision to exclude some investments in the aim of helping people, our planet, and animals.
However, our decision to invest in Accenture is proof that this smaller ‘investible universe’ doesn’t necessarily rule out our members from investing in some of the world’s biggest companies.
One of our guiding principles is to “Be changemakers”. By holding Accenture in our Global Responsibility Fund, we’re able to leverage the success of a true global changemaker in action.