Register for free and continue reading
Join our growing army of changemakers and get unlimited access to our premium content
The switch to renewable electricity will see BT’s carbon emissions in the year to March 2021 fall by an estimated 54
BT has today (4 November) confirmed that it will run all of its global operations using 100% renewable electricity where markets allow. In total, 99.9% of the global electricity BT sources will come from renewables. The remaining 0.1% represents eight countries that don’t allow due to non-availability of renewable electricity.
BT’s chief procurement officer Cyril Pourrat said: “As an organisation that consumes nearly 1% of the UK’s electricity, it is important for BT to demonstrate its commitment to a green recovery. Our team has worked hard to secure renewable electricity contracts for our sites globally, a crucial step towards the Paris agreement’s 1.5°c target.”
BT will source additional renewable electricity from neighbouring markets to cover the remaining 0.1%.
The company is the joint-largest private purchaser of electricity in the UK. It will continue to collaborate with businesses as part of the RE100 initiative to spur improvements to global renewable access.
Currently, 16% of BT’s electricity is supplied through corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). The remainder comes from green tariffs and renewable certificates.
The switch to renewable electricity will see BT’s carbon emissions in the year to March 2021 fall by an estimated 54,000 tonnes compared to last financial year.
BT had set itself on the path to help limit global warming to 1.5C through a science-based target to reduce emissions by 87% by 2030 against a 2016/17 baseline, which was set back in September 2017. However, the company raised its ambitions again in 2018, when it committed to becoming a net-zero-carbon business by 2045.
The BT Pension Scheme will also aim to achieve net-zero emissions across all three scopes by 2035, which will cover all of its £55bn portfolio that it invests on behalf of the 300,000 current and ex-members of the BT Group. The commitment will be met by reducing emissions in the Pension Scheme’s existing portfolio and investing in low-carbon assets.
Edie’s Net-Zero November
edie spoke to Interface’s Jon Khoo as part of Net-Zero November. Brought to you in association with edie’s headline partner EDF Energy, Net-Zero November will offer edie readers an array of net-zero-themed exclusive interviews, downloadable guides, reader blogs, virtual events and podcasts.
As part of the month of content, edie is also encouraging sustainability professionals to submit new or newly created carbon commitments aligned to net-zero on the Mission Possible Pledge Wall.
Additionally, Committee on Climate Change (CCC) Chair Lord Deben, Conservative MP Bim Afolami and Unilever’s Chief Supply Chain Officer Marc Engel are among the headline speakers for the free-to-attend Net-Zero Live virtual event on 10-12 November, which is now open for registration.
Matt Mace
So they are just buying green energy? Id like to see them invest in renewables, energy reduction and refurbishment projects to make some real progress.