AECOM shoots for 20% reduction in emissions through approved science-based targets

Engineering and construction firm AECOM has revealed that targets to reduce operational emissions by 20% and value chain emissions by 10% by 2025 have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as aligned to the requirements of the Paris Agreement.


AECOM shoots for 20% reduction in emissions through approved science-based targets

The company is also part of a coalition of environmental consultancies that have set up a new net-zero pledge campaign

AECOM’s targets include a 20% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025 against a 2018 baseline and a 10% reduction in supply chain emissions in the same timeframe. The SBTi has confirmed that the targets are aligned to the 2C target of the Paris Agreement.

“During these unprecedented times, business resilience and continuity are at the forefront of what we do and how we operate so that we can help deliver a better world,” AECOM’s chairman and chief executive Michael Burke said.

“AECOM is fully committed to mitigating the impact of climate change through our SBTi-approved greenhouse gas emissions targets as we take meaningful action to protect tomorrow for the benefit of future generations, our communities and the planet.”

AECOM has confirmed that it will work closely with its significant suppliers to help them phase out inefficient fleet vehicles, improve energy efficiency and integration of renewables, identify emissions hotspots and help some suppliers set their own science-based targets.

Pledge to Zero

The company is also part of a coalition of environmental consultancies that have set up a new pledge campaign, urging companies from across the environmental services sector to set science-based targets and report annually on decarbonisation progress.

Called ‘Pledge to Net-Zero’, the commitment requires signatories to set approved science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement’s more ambitious 1.5C trajectory. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) research has found that meeting this aim will require global emissions to reach net-zero by mid-century.

Signatories to the ‘Pledge to Net-Zero’ are also required to publicly report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all Scopes and to detail progress to reduce them on an annual basis.

In December, a new report from the SBTi revealed that 285 businesses have now set emissions aims in line with the Paris Agreement. The body estimates that the actions of these companies will spur more than $18bn in climate-mitigation investment and up to 90TWh of annual renewable electricity generation.

“We congratulate AECOM on becoming the first US-based engineering and construction company to have their emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative,” said Alexander Farsan, global lead for science-ased targets at World Wide Fund for Nature, one of the SBTi partners. “AECOM has cleared a high bar and is setting an example that their peers should follow.”

Matt Mace

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