AECOM have announced that its ambitious emissions reduction targets have been approved by the globally-recognized Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). At the time of approval, AECOM was the first and only U.S.-based company in the engineering and construction sector to have set approved targets. Designed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, these targets include a 20 percent reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 10 percent reduction in supply chain emissions by 2025 from the firm’s 2018 baseline.
“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,” said Michael S. Burke, AECOM’s chairman and chief executive officer. “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.”
The targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from AECOM’s operations (scopes 1 and 2) are consistent with reductions required to keep the increase in global temperatures well-below 2 degrees Celsius. AECOM’s target for its supply chain meet the SBTi’s criteria for ambitious value chain goals, which are in line with current best practices. In setting science-based targets, AECOM bases its goals according to what the latest climate science indicates is needed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. For more information about AECOM’s sustainability efforts, visit www.aecom.com/about-aecom/sustainability/.
In order to achieve these targets, AECOM will work closely with its most significant suppliers to take the following measures:
- Phasing out inefficient fleet vehicles
- Pursuing vehicle emissions reduction technology options
- Right-sizing our real estate portfolio
- Focusing on office energy efficiency and renewable energy
- Working with our suppliers to identify emissions hotspots and aim to set science-based targets
“We congratulate AECOM on becoming the first U.S.-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 Based Targets at World Wide Fund for Nature, one of the Science Based Targets initiative partners. “AECOM has cleared a high bar and is setting an example that their peers should follow.”
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature to define and promote best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies’ targets.
Amid the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, AECOM is doing everything it can to help ensure the safety and well-being of its employees, maintain operational resilience and provide solutions that can help clients and communities along the path to recovery. Learn more about the company’s approach to business resilience and continuity, and its commitment to deliver a better world.
