We are contributing to the global effort to achieve sustainable development. Across our entire global company, we are working to reduce our carbon footprint and energy consumption, with a focus on travel and energy use in our offices. This is in line with the global effort to achieve the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our 2023 Carbon Footprint and Net Zero Commitment
Arcadis supports the Paris Agreement and Glasgow accords. Since February 2022 Arcadis has had a science-based target approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) for our global scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions aligned with a 1.5°C pathway and a net zero commitment. Since then, Arcadis grew through acquisitions and updated our scope 3 inventory, trigging an update to our baseline emissions and targets. Arcadis took this as an opportunity to make our science-based targets more ambitious. As part of our 2024-2026 strategy, we publicly announced our new near-term targets that are aligned with the new SBTi Net-Zero standard and which were submitted for approval by SBTi in January 2024.
In November 2023, Arcadis committed to achieving net zero across our value chain by 2035. Arcadis’ near-term net zero objectives are a reduction of absolute scope 1 and market-based scope 2 GHG emissions of 70% by 2026 from a 2019 base year (currently at -58%) and a reduction of absolute scope 3 GHG emissions of 45% by 2029 from a 2019 base year (currently at -17%).
As part of our efforts to reach these targets, we also committed to transition our entire company fleet to electric vehicles by 2030 (currently 26% of vehicles are EVs). Furthermore, Arcadis committed to reducing emissions associated with air travel by 50% (currently -29%) and business travel by 35% (currently achieved with -37%) by 2025 compared to our 2019 baseline emissions.
Arcadis achieved a 20% absolute reduction across scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions from 2019 to 2023
Over that same timeframe, we achieved a 58% absolute reduction in scope 1 and 2 (market-based) emissions through our program to concentrate and consolidate our offices and by purchasing green energy. Whenever office relocations are planned, Arcadis will continue to consider energy source and use as a factor in selecting new office space. Our overall scope 3 emissions decreased 17%, led by a reduction in scope 3 category 1 (Purchased goods and services), offset by an increase in scope 3 category 7 (Employee commuting, including working from home). While our scope 3 Category 6 (Business travel) emissions declined versus the (pre-covid) base year, there was a significant increase in travel emissions in 2023 compared to 2022 resulting from increased travel to align the organization to our new business model, as well as increased client interaction.
Our detailed carbon footprint calculation methodology is described in our annual integrated report on page 76 and in the Glossary.
Connect for more information
We hope you enjoyed this story. It would be our pleasure to connect with you as well and discuss how we can help you improve the quality of life at your business.
