Beca proudly supports Climate Leaders Coalition 2022 Statement of Ambition

Beca is proud to support the Aotearoa Climate Leaders Coalition 2022 Statement of Ambition, which has come into effect this month, and its rallying call for meaningful climate action.

Our purpose as a company, is to ‘Make everyday better’. The Climate Leaders Coalition Statement of Ambition aligns incredibly well with this purpose, and to all we do alongside our clients, partners, suppliers and communities to accelerate our transition towards a zero-carbon, climate-resilient future.

The 2022 Statement replaces the 2017 and 2019 Statements, and requires signatories to:

• adopt short-and-long-term, science-aligned emissions reduction targets for all three scopes of emissions (1, 2 and 3), to support delivery of reductions needed to limit future warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius
• assess and publicly disclose climate change risks and opportunities (including in our value chain), and set objectives and/or target(s) to reduce these risks and maximise opportunities
• proactively enable our employees, board members, customers, and suppliers to reduce their emissions and climate change risks
• embed plans within our businesses to accelerate climate action across mitigation, adaptation, and transition, and incorporate te ao Māori perspectives
• prepare for the next frontier of climate action, including considering the assessment of nature-based risks and long-term climate positive targets.

"Meaningful action, to respond to climate change and shape a better, more sustainable tomorrow is a kaupapa that is dear to our hearts at Beca," says Amelia Linzey, Beca Board Sustainability Champion and Group Director Advisory.

"Underpinning our passion for a low-emissions, inclusive and positive future for all New Zealanders, and the many communities we touch, is our strong belief that we need to 'walk the talk'. We recognise that as a professional services firm, the biggest positive material impact on social and environment outcomes we can have is through the work we do with our clients, and the projects and programmes we deliver."

"To that end, we have implemented a range of science-based tools and approaches to drive sustainable innovation, measure and reduce our own emissions, and also maximise opportunities for both emission reductions and positive social and environmental outcomes through the work we do."

Using the methodology defined by the Science Based Target Initiative, we’ve committed to reducing our total carbon emissions by 32 percent by 2030, from a 2018 baseline, across our direct (Scope 1 and 2) and indirect (Scope 3) emissions.

Through this commitment, we are continuing to build on our work to measure and improve our offices’ energy efficiency, and reduce emissions across our supply chain, vehicle fleet and travel for work. Examples include the introduction of Plug-in Electric Vehicles to our fleet, joining the Toyota Hydrogen Project and MEVO car-share schemes in selected locations, energy audits across our offices, and end-of-trip facility improvements to encourage employee cycling and other micro-mobility travel-to-work choices.

Building on our travel-for-work emission reduction activities, a key focus for the coming year will be on air travel – we see this as a key priority as our borders open back up and we want to explore ways on how we 'reconnect' in new, different and better ways.

Earlier this year we published our first public climate-related disclosures report, using the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework. The insights from this process are helping us continue to deliver transformational solutions together with our clients.

For more on all that Beca is doing to shape a fairer, better and more sustainable world, visit www.beca.com/sustainability
 

About the Climate Leaders Coalition

Beca was one of the first cohort of 60 members of the Climate Leaders Coalition when it was established in 2018, to promote collective action and leadership on climate change.

The Coalition has around 100 signatories from across the public, private and not for profit sectors.  Collectively they account for almost 60 per cent of New Zealand’s gross emissions, create around 38 per cent of GDP, employ more than 220,000 people, and have a collective turnover of $122 billion.

Find out more about the Climate Leaders Coalition, and Statement of Ambition here - https://climateleaderscoalition.org.nz