The authoritative Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved Bioregional’s target to:
We have also committed to reducing our scope 3 emissions – indirect emissions from manufacturing, supply chains and company travel – even though the SBTi does not require SMEs to do so. Bioregional will:
The new targets, which will be measured from a 2018 baseline, put Bioregional on course to become a net zero carbon organisation, as defined by the SBTi.
They were developed by Bioregional’s Sustainable Business team, which has helped businesses to set science-based targets since 2004, supporting international retailers such as Kingfisher and professional services firms including Troup Bywaters + Anders to create carbon reduction strategies that have been approved by the SBTi.
Bioregional’s offices are in BedZED, South London, which was built in 2002 as the UK’s first large-scale sustainable community. BedZED’s energy-efficient design, and our longstanding commitment to minimise our environmental impact, means that our electricity use is comfortably within the top quartile for non-air-conditioned offices in the UK and our scope 1 and 2 emissions are already extremely low, representing just 5% of our total greenhouse gas emissions.
Sue Riddlestone OBE, Chief Executive of Bioregional, said: “Urgent action across all sectors of the economy and society is needed to keep temperature rises below 1.5 degrees, and a vital first step for any organisation is to calculate its greenhouse gas emissions and to set science-based targets to reduce them. Bioregional has been doing this with partners, on behalf of clients, and for our own operations for more than 20 years.”
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) drives ambitious climate action in the private sector by enabling companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets. These provide companies with a clearly defined path to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement goals.
Image credits: Path: Lili Popper, via Unsplash, BedZED: Tom Chance
With almost 600 businesses publicly setting science-based targets, and consumer demand for sustainability growing exponentially, all businesses should be asking not if, but when, are we setting ours?
The new definition of ‘net-zero carbon’ from the Science Based Targets initiative requires emissions cuts of at least 90% before offsets can be used, and will transform how businesses respond to the climate emergency