May 02, 2022

Accenture Strengthens Sustainability Capabilities with Acquisition of akzente

MUNICH, Germany; May 2, 2022 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired akzente, a recognized sustainability consultancy. akzente helps companies across a broad range of industries including automotive, financial services, energy and consumer goods build sustainability into the core of their businesses and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Munich, Germany, with an additional office in Berlin, akzente’s team of more than 60 professionals brings extensive knowledge in sustainability strategy, reporting, communication, and stakeholder management to Accenture Sustainability Services. A recognized expert in environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and non-financial reporting, akzente significantly strengthens Accenture’s sustainability capabilities. The move also builds on Accenture’s Sustainability Value Promise to embed sustainability into everything the company does and with everyone it serves, leveraging the power of technology, human ingenuity and industry leading ecosystem partners to create business value and sustainable impact.

“Companies face a critical choice on how they manage, measure and report on sustainability. They can either tidy up their disclosure and reporting or they can recognise this is a fundamental shift in the basis of competitiveness and prepare the technology, tools and skills to win — especially as increasing regulation and new standards call for accurate data in decision-making by companies across industries,” said Peter Lacy, Accenture’s global Sustainability Services lead and chief responsibility officer. “The addition of akzente expands our ability to help our clients navigate this transformation, drive greater value and impact and deliver on the promise of sustainability.”

akzente also has deep relationships with policy makers, academia and experts and leadership involvement in the development of global sustainability standards – which gives the company knowledge and insights to anticipate trends faster and turn them into actionable results for clients.

Christina Raab, market unit lead for Accenture in Germany, Austria and Switzerland added: “We’re delighted to welcome akzente to our team, adding significant expertise to our sustainability capabilities while jointly extending our services powered by technology and human ingenuity. Helping our clients drive this change across all dimensions paves the way to a more sustainable economy and future for all.”

“akzente is known for deep consulting expertise and thorough experience in all facets of sustainability for almost 30 years,” said Sabine Braun, founder and managing partner of akzente. “Accenture’s scale and commitment to sustainability will enable us to extend our value proposition to new customers across industries and geographies. Being part of Accenture will lead to new opportunities for our people and our combined expertise will help our clients to integrate sustainability at the core of their business.”

Accenture Sustainability Services provide distinctive services and solutions across the full set of ESG issues, that includes social and governance efforts equally alongside environmental, to help clients become net-zero and circular businesses, leveraging digital investment to create intelligent organizations that are sustainable at their core. Along with its ecosystem partners and ventures into disruptive technologies, as well as deep functional expertise in CFO & Enterprise Value, Accenture is driving transformations at scale with the tools, technology, and methodologies that embed sustainability data, decision-making and performance to effectively measure business value and sustainable impact for all stakeholders.

akzente is the latest move by Accenture to expand its Sustainability Services and ESG capabilities globally to help clients build resilience into their global value chains and drive innovation at the intersection of physical and digital aspects of sustainability; as it becomes an imperative for both shareholder value and stakeholders’ values in an increasingly unpredictable world. Last month, Accenture announced the acquisitions of Avieco in the U.K. and Greenfish in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

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, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 699,000 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 accenture.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Many of the following risks, uncertainties and other factors identified below may be amplified by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the sanctions (including their duration), and other measures being imposed in response to this conflict, as well as any escalation or expansion of economic disruption or the conflict’s current scope. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture’s results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company’s clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture faces legal, reputational and financial risks from any failure to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; Accenture’s business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company’s services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company’s results of operations; if Accenture is unable to match people and skills with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company’s business, the utilization rate of the company’s professionals and the company’s results of operations may be materially adversely affected; the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Accenture’s business and operations, and the extent to which it will continue to do so and its impact on the company’s future financial results are uncertain; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture’s ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company’s results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture’s profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accenture’s level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company’s effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders’ ownership interest in the company; as a result of Accenture’s geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue to expand in its key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; Accenture’s business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture’s global operations expose the company to numerous and sometimes conflicting legal and regulatory requirements; Accenture’s work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture’s services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture’s results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” heading in Accenture plc’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.

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Contacts:

Alexander Aizenberg
Accenture
+1 917 452 9878
alexander.aizenberg@accenture.com

Lea Treese
Accenture
+49 6173 94 61641
lea.treese@accenture.com

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