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Carbon Neutrality

Since 2014, we have annually offset any residual CO2 emissions associated with our operations in major countries. As a result, we are recognized as being a carbon neutral company.

Why Is Carbon Neutrality Important to SGS?

We see carbon neutrality as having three main benefits:

  • Taking a leading role in tackling climate change
    Energy efficiency and carbon intensity reduction projects both play a role in tackling climate change. Across SGS, we have over 73 projects and investigations underway to reduce energy use. As carbon emissions are still generated, and given that each metric ton of carbon eliminated today is more valuable than one removed in the future, we use carbon neutrality to bridge the gap.
  • Improving efficiency
    The economic cost of carbon is difficult to quantify, but carbon neutrality enables a clear cost of carbon to be assigned. This allows us to incentivize affiliates to re-double their efficiency efforts by requiring all affiliates to pay for offsetting their emissions.
  • Community commitment
    Supporting carbon-offsetting projects that directly benefit local communities is in line with our community investment strategy.

Our Actions

Mitigating CO2 Emissions

To mitigate our CO2 emissions in 2016, we made the following investments in renewable energy initiatives during 2017:

Carbon Neutrality Map

Voluntary Offset Schemes

In addition to purchasing renewable energy and carbon credits in 2017 (as shown above), we invested in five voluntary offset schemes, supporting the development of local enterprise through power generation from sustainable energy:

  • China
    • 89,000 credits: from supporting a biomass cogeneration project in Hubei Province
    • 50,000 credits: from our investment in a group of hydroelectric power plants in the Chongquing, Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces of China
    • 5,000 credits: through the Danjiang River Solar Cookers. These provide far reaching benefits, improving the indoor air quality and living conditions of 100,000 rural Chinese households
  • Chile
    • 42,000 credits: through an investment in the Nueva Aldea Biomass Power Plant in Chile

  • Zimbabwe
    • 1,000 credits: through the Kariba REDD+ Project

Supporting Sustainable Economic Growth

Verified by the Clean Development Mechanism, our credit purchases help promote sustainable economic growth, provide clean energy to regions and local communities, and protect the environment by reducing reliance on fossil fuels for energy.

100% Renewable Energy

RE100 by The Climate Group, in partnership with CDP is a collaborative, global initiative uniting more than 100 influential businesses in a commitment to 100% renewable electricity. We became one of the first companies globally to sign onto the RE100 (in 2014) and as such have pledged to use 100% energy from renewable sources by 2020.

 

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