Sustainability focuses on accountability and climate action to reach net-zero emissions. At Plan A, we want our company to be the world’s best showcase of sustainability. We still have the same ambition as when we started this company in 2017, demonstrating that companies that become sustainable achieve better results. Five years down the road, we are pleased to report on our progress so far and share our commitments publicly.
With immense pleasure, we are publishing our Target Setting Report celebrating our Sustainability Initiative and disclosing what remains to be achieved, both in reporting and action.
Download our target setting report
Our carbon footprint in 2020
To calculate our carbon emissions, compare them with other companies in the market, and comply with the principal reporting framework, we have followed the guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGp). This standard is used by businesses globally. Plan A’s emission accounting methodology - used to serve our clients - has been audited and certified by the TÜV Rheinland, one of the most authoritative certification bodies in the German-speaking world. We have implemented the same process when accounting for our own emissions.
Following our methodology disclosed previously, Plan A’s total carbon footprint for 2020 is 85.74 tCO2e
Why are we going beyond the science-based target recommendations?
Since our inception, science has been an integral part of our company’s DNA. We respect the science behind climate change and its science-based target recommendations. The latest report of the IPCC warned that we have until 2025 (only three years remaining) to curb global GHG emissions before we start experiencing extreme living conditions. The world needs to reduce GHG emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels and reach net-zero emissions by mid-century. We recognise this urgency. We need to take profound and transformative action now. We decided to go beyond the recommended science-based targets and set ourselves a more ambitious objective. We want to decarbonise our company as soon as operationally possible.
By 2025, Plan A will have decarbonised at least 80% of its avoidable emissions, internally and across its value chain.
Our Sustainability Solutions team, who help our clients build up their targets and strategies toward sustainability, have defined Plan A’s science-based targets based on our latest available carbon emissions. We proudly announce our commitment to decarbonising at least 80% of our avoidable emissions by 2025, both internally and across our value chain. This objective goes beyond the Science-Based target initiative’s recommendations of 42% reduction targets for SMEs for scopes 1 and 2 only.
Announcing the creation of a Scientific board
Plan A is announcing the creation of a Scientific Advisory Board to help steer its approach, actions and sustainability activities in the right direction. Members of this board will be announced shortly and come from some of the most authoritative organisations in sustainability studies, climate science, corporate decarbonisation, and ESG.
We consider the creation of this board a condition sine qua non for the success of our approach, involving scientific bodies in our activities and giving them the power to steer and support our sustainability efforts. Sustainability is an evolving topic, and we need the leaders at the forefront of this action to help us go above and beyond the status quo.
Our Scientific Advisory Board will be responsible for sharing valuable insights and expert guidance on market dynamics and providing feedback on product development. In addition to advising on innovative tools and methods to ensure rapid and effective decarbonisation.
Our sustainability commitments: BCorp certification, Climate Pledge, SME Climate Hub
Plan A is proud to lock in its commitment to sustainability through publicly available pledges.
- Plan A is one of 313 signatories of the Climate Pledge, officialising a commitment to report regularly on its progress, eliminating carbon from its operations proactively, and working with credible offsetting programmes. This commitment obliges us to double down on our reporting, decarbonisation and compensation efforts.
- In previous months, we have been working hard to validate our B Corp certification, revealing a score of 114.5, placing us among the top-rated companies in the world regarding environmental, social and governance performance. We plan to honour that distinction and push further towards building the most sustainable company.
Upcoming: Publication of a scientific-based decarbonisation plan and full scope report
We are currently preparing a public roadmap for Plan A’s decarbonisation that we will share as a blueprint for companies to go from reporting to action. These actions will be transparent, quantified, time-based, and range throughout all the emissions categories for which Plan A is responsible.
