Jacobs launches new climate action commitments

Jacobs has set out new climate commitments in its updated Climate Action Plan. In doing so, the company hopes to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2040, and to maintain carbon neutrality status and 100% low-carbon electricity for operations.

To deliver on the strategy, Jacobs has established an Office of Global Climate Response and ESG (Photo: Jacobs)

Jacobs stated that it achieved its previous climate commitments in 2020, becoming carbon neutral for its operations and business travel and adopting 100% low-carbon electricity.

The company recently became the first professional consultancy and one of the world’s first companies with net-zero targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The SBTi’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard, published in late 2021, aims to provide businesses with a consistent definition of the term ‘net-zero’ and how to achieve it.

Chair and CEO of Jacobs, Steve Demetriou, says, “Our Climate Action Plan charts our next phase of climate mitigation and adaptation commitments, which builds on the progress we have made since the release of our initial plan on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020.

“As an industry-leading global solutions provider focused on ESG, our greatest opportunity to address climate change comes through the sustainable, resilient and nature-positive solutions we co-create with our public and private sector clients around the world.”

In the last year, the US-based company introduced carbon pricing for its corporate business travel, and a Climate Solutions Accelerator course designed to educate all 55,000 employees on climate change and the role they can play in the climate response.