(Credit: Pixabay)Aecom, a global infrastructure firm, today announced that its 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 US-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% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 10% reduction in supply chain emissions by 2025 from the firm’s 2018 baseline.
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 below 2 degrees Celsius. The company’s target for its supply chain meets 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.
In order to achieve these targets, Aecom will work closely with its suppliers to take the following measures:
The Science Based Targets initiative 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.
In December 2019, SBTi published an assessment of its progress. The report showed that nearly 300 companies have set emissions reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement goals.
Called “Raising the Bar: Exploring the Science Based Target initiative’s progress in driving ambitious climate action,” the report found a strong growth in the adoption of science-based targets (SBTs). As of October 31, 2019, 686 companies had publicly joined the initiative and 285 of them have had their targets officially approved.
