On April 22, 2023, the world will celebrate Earth Day, focusing on the actions people all over the world can take to protect the Earth, with a continuation of last year’s theme: “Invest in Our Planet”.
At SGS, we have made contributing to a better planet one of the pillars of our Sustainability Ambitions 2030, which set us on a path towards a better future. We make many investments to promote sustainability, integrating the financial and non-financial aspects of our company.
In 2022, we continued to focus on solutions and initiatives to help protect the planet – from local community events and volunteering to developing solutions that enable our customers to improve their sustainability credentials.
Helping customers reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Regulatory authorities around the world are responding to the need for greater action on GHG emissions. New legislation is being introduced to ensure organizations report their carbon footprint. Simultaneously, investors’ interest is shifting to include environmental, social and governance factors into their decision-making process. A fundamental part of their assessment will consider GHG emissions and the ability to meet climate pledges.
We help customers to verify their GHG emissions inventories with accurate data that allows for transparent disclosure of their progress in meeting Net Zero Targets.
Measuring the carbon footprint of products
The footprint of your product or service measures all GHG emissions released throughout its life cycle. We help customers to measure the carbon footprint of their products with a life cycle analysis (LCA) methodology, an internationally recognized standard, such as ISO 14067, or the GHG Protocol Product Lifecycle and Reporting Standard.
Improving energy efficiency
Companies can make substantial gains in terms of reducing operational GHG emissions by simply cutting back on energy consumption. We help customers to take a proactive approach to energy management – starting with quick fixes (e.g., LED lighting) and moving onto major system upgrades, and an acceleration in renewable energy procurement.
Unlocking biodiversity data with E-DNA
Consumers, industries, government bodies and NGOs are increasingly concerned about maintaining biodiversity. We help our customers to comply with regulations and protect brand reputation by assessing their impact on biodiversity with revolutionary surveys using environmental DNA (E-DNA) sampling and analysis. E-DNA sampling and analysis is non-invasive, highly sensitive and can be used to detect rare and evasive species as well as organisms that are very small or difficult to identify visually – quickly and cost-effectively.
Participating in Turkmenistan first environmental festival
We participated in Turkmenistan's inaugural environmental festival, "Let's Save the Earth Together." The event featured performances of songs, thematic quizzes, and quests for children, as well as presentations by climate activists on waste sorting. The eco-market showcased ecological cosmetic products, and a collection point for those in need was provided. Green technological innovations, including robots from the Imdatbot company, 3D pens, and solar panels, were also demonstrated. The festival concluded with a screening of a film by renowned British naturalist and nature documentary filmmaker, David Attenborough.
Planting trees in Colombia
We organized tree planting activities for landscape restoration in four cities in Colombia (Bogotá, Barranquilla, Medellín, and Cajicá), and invited our staff to volunteer. The activities took place on Fridays and Saturdays, resulting in the planting of 228 trees with the participation of 88 volunteers.
Volunteering for the Million Trees Foundation
SGS partnered with the Million Trees Foundation to plant trees near La Mesa Dam as part of the Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC). The AMTC is a five-year watershed rehabilitation project aimed at benefitting seven critical watersheds, including Manila Bay, planting of one million trees yearly. SGS volunteers planted two trees each, with their names on a plaque beside each tree. MTFI has planted 5.2 million trees in five years and aims to plant 10 million more by 2030.
About SGS
We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 97,000 employees operate a network of 2,650 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.