The data-informed goals we have set are rooted in science and align with mitigation pathways recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We are also emboldened by the ambition of our parent, ENGIE, to become the leader in the energy and climate transition by setting wide-reaching goals in a way that reconciles economic, social and environmental performance. However, setting goals is just the first step. Transformation requires immediate action, so we have set short timelines to achieve these goals. In our transformation, we will shape new markets, leverage our own sustainability experts and capabilities, and engage an ecosystem of stakeholders to drive the greatest impact across our employees, communities, suppliers and clients.
ENGIE Impact's Sustainability Goals
Water Balance
We will balance our water use in the U.S. by the end of 2021 and internationally by the end of 2023.
Zero Waste
We will reduce our upstream waste and waste to landfills to achieve zero waste by 2023.
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Carbon Negative by 2021
Our Roadmap
See Our Progress to GoalENGIE Impact has set a goal to be carbon negative by 2021. While ENGIE Impact offset all of its emissions already in 2019, our carbon goal calls for increased methodological rigor, science-based reduction of our carbon footprint, and an innovative strategy to compensate for our residual emissions. In 2020, we aim to reach carbon neutrality, and by 2021, we aim to be carbon negative by avoiding or removing more carbon from the atmosphere than we emit annually. Leading this strategy are some of the world's foremost sustainability consultants on carbon markets and greenhouse gas accounting across voluntary and regulated markets.
Steps to reach our carbon negative goal:
- Exhaust all internal carbon reduction opportunities. By evolving our policies and programs to implement more efficient ways of working, we will make every effort to first reduce our emissions.
- Adopt leading sustainability standards. We follow the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to measure our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions footprints, as well as leverage our advanced digital tools, greenhouse gas accounting expertise and financial incentives to set and meet data-driven targets rooted in science.
- Become carbon negative in 2021. We will invest in high-quality greenhouse gas reduction projects and clean energy certificate products to compensate for our remaining emissions. We are still exploring which opportunities exist, such as direct investment in carbon capture and utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies and projects, purchasing more Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) than we emit, or other approaches to supporting global reductions in emissions.
- Build and serve markets of tomorrow. ENGIE Impact works in partnership with our clients and other leading institutions to shape emerging carbon markets. We are working actively to inform new guidance and approaches to support our clients, our communities and ourselves to advance science-based, credible and robust pathways to decarbonization, leveraging both market- and non-market-based approaches.
Our Progress to Goal: On Track
Our strategy began with a detailed analysis of our own emissions footprint and development of our offset strategy. To make this vision a reality, we have a lot of work to do. We’ve now spun up cross-functional teams to tackle our largest emissions sources, to devise new strategies to improve the quality of offsets, and to begin our efforts to simplify carbon markets for clients and communities.
Next steps:
- Initiate workstreams to tackle our largest sources of emissions: business travel, commuting, digital, and buildings. These workstreams will estimate potential impacts of each measure (such as the comprehensive impact of a remote workforce) and build corresponding business cases and measurable project plans to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions.
- Develop a portfolio of high-quality offset projects to compensate for Scope 1 & 3 emissions and execute a best-in-class renewable energy procurement strategy to address Scope 2 emissions.
- Work with key partners to develop new tools, resources and guidance to demystify global carbon markets for both our own decarbonization strategy, as well as those of our clients and partners.
Water Balance by 2023
Our Roadmap
See Our Progress to GoalSteps to reach our water balance goal:
- Assess global water risks and key local issues. We will analyze our water footprint and local risks facing our global offices, aligning our investment to areas facing the greatest threats.
- Identify high-impact water stewardship programs to balance our water footprint. Conduct deep analyses of local projects that restore natural ecosystems and watersheds. Ensure that every project we pursue directly addresses the most relevant local issues.
- Catalyze collective action. Partner with global water stewardship partners to bring clean and healthy water to our highest-risk communities and ecosystems. Work closely with these partners to establish high-quality programs that can be leveraged by our network of international clients.
Our Progress to Goal: On Track
Our strategy began with a review of our water footprint and scan of our water risks across our global locations, leveraging tools like the World Resource Institute Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. With that foundational understanding, we plan to analyze water restoration projects and partners in our most at-risk regions, through the key dimensions of water risk: availability, quality and reputation. Our analysis revealed a strong partner in North America to help us achieve our goals quickly, but to tackle our global footprint, we must invest in a deeper diagnostic.
Next steps:
- Exhaust all opportunities to reduce water consumption through more efficient operations.
- Work with a partner to balance 100% of our water footprint in North America. Compensate for our water consumption by investing in protecting and restoring local watersheds and ecosystems by the end of 2021.
- Initiate an international watershed project scan. Our partner will evaluate the landscape of watershed restoration opportunities in our highest risk areas. We will invest only in projects that can make the largest impact on the key issues facing those regions.
- Where high-impact projects do not exist, we will evaluate developing our own. Using our in-house experts, who were instrumental in projects such as the Sigma-Plan, we will evaluate and scope projects that will have a meaningful impact on high-stress regions.
Zero Waste by 2023
Our Roadmap
See Our Progress to GoalSteps to reach our zero waste goal:
- Set ambitious, data-driven targets to reach zero waste. Using findings from waste audits at our 13 largest offices and waste invoice data to build an agile, evidence-based roadmap to drive down waste generation and increase diversion.
- Leverage technology and high-quality data to gain granular diversion insights. Pilot sensor technologies and mobile applications to remotely audit waste and diversion rates. Launch a comprehensive regulatory and bill management tracking program to understand additional variables in each location.
- Build a best-in-class employee engagement program to minimize downstream waste. Through employee training, instructional office signage and regular data-driven communication, our employees will be essential drivers of our zero waste efforts.
- Minimize upstream waste. Develop cross-functional teams to identify upstream opportunities to minimize waste generation by evolving our purchasing practices and engaging our supply chain.
Our Progress to Goal: On Track
Our strategy began by conducting waste audits across our North American offices, coupled with data from previous on-site waste characterizations to estimate diversion rates, which we will use as our baseline going forward. Given the evolving conditions of remote work due to COVID-19, we will use our historic waste invoice data and resume waste characterizations once employees return to offices.
Next steps:
- Designate a working group of experts to lead zero waste roadmap initiatives. This cross-functional team brings together deep expertise in circular, zero waste program design and local insight from representatives at each of our international offices.
- Research and identify ideal diversion vendor partners for each office location. Our diversion experts will conduct a diagnostic assessment of the available markets per region to drive our vendor selection process.
- Initiate employee education programs. With a large percentage of our employees working from home, our ambition is to extend our zero waste mission beyond our offices through educational programs to help employees minimize consumption of single-use products while following health guidelines.
Our Commitments to People, Planet & Prosperity
In the coming months, we will continue to communicate on our comprehensive Corporate Sustainability Program. As signatories of the United Nations Global Compact, we are working to design a program that will have the greatest impact on Sustainable Development Goals. Through this process, we aim to further integrate sustainable development across our enterprise management processes, systems and culture. Here is a glimpse into several critical areas of focus.
Governing Purpose & Culture
To enable our corporate purpose, ‘Make Sustainability Happen Today,’ we are committed to building a governance structure that drives global outcomes with local relevance. As a wholly owned subsidiary of ENGIE, our transparent business practices fully align with global policies, practices and reporting.
Human Rights
In line with ENGIE’s Human Rights policies, we actively support the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights. We will continue to raise awareness of human rights issues within our workforce and structure our supply chains to identify risks and ensure our partners demonstrate excellence in upholding these values.
Value Chain Stewardship
Our greatest impact will come from reducing emissions across our value chain, spanning our suppliers, employees and our significant decarbonization work with clients. Within our supply chain, we will implement new policies and training to minimize air travel, strengthen sustainability criteria in supplier selection, and reduce emissions of information and communication and technology (ICT) systems.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We know that a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment with different perspectives creates stronger and more innovative solutions. Our program will target addressing inequality in society, fostering diversity in the workplace and advancing environmental justice. We recognize the significant work we must do in this area and the meaningful actions we will take to advance these critical outcomes.
Employment Practices
To succeed in our mission, we must provide a safe, healthy environment in which our employees can learn and thrive. Health & Safety are deeply integrated into the design of our work environments as well as the promotion of a strong work-life balance. We invest in our employees, including new programs and tools to drive sustainability literacy, exchange ideas, and initiate projects at every office location.
Community & Social Vitality
We will empower employees to be sustainability champions in the office, at home and in their communities by introducing programs and opportunities that align with their passions and skills. We are researching global community giving programs and designing new options to enable employees to give back with their time, talent or money.
Building Our Sustainable Strategy
Learn more about the process we went through to prioritize the goals that would be most meaningful to our planet and our business
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