Science-based targets to boost powerful climate strategies in Australia

Since the Paris Climate Agreement was signed at COP21 last year, an increasing number of leading companies have been relying on scientific data to improve their climate strategy. Setting science-based targets, i.e. climate targets in line with climate science, is becoming the new norm.

Bringing the ground-breaking metric to Australian shores, Australian consultancy Edge Environment has partnered with leading global energy and climate consultancy Ecofys, forming an alliance to support Australian companies in developing and implementing science-based targets.

“This is an opportunity for Australian companies to shape, influence, and inform future climate policies by taking pragmatic, scientific, and proportionate action.” says Giel Linthorst, leading global expert on science-based targets at Ecofys. “We are excited by the opportunity to complement experiences with Edge Environment to support Australian businesses that want to build credibility among stakeholders, become more risk resilient, and save money.”

A joint effort by CDP, UN Global Compact, WRI and WWF, the Science Based Targets initiative was launched two years ago and has since hit the corporate world by storm – in the past year, uptake grew at a rate of 2+ companies per week[1]. Today, 200 companies globally have already embraced it. These 200 companies represent an estimated USD $4.8 trillion in market value, comparable to the total estimated value of the Tokyo stock exchange, and are responsible for 627 million metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions per year, roughly equal to the annual emissions of South Korea.

Setting a target is a first step. “We also provide a method for assessing what a company needs to do to achieve the science-based targets level, and the most cost-effective way to achieve the targets,” says Jonas Bengtsson, CEO and co-founder of Edge Environment. “We assess the company’s current abatement strategy and the emissions reduction level that is to be expected. If there is a gap, we advise on how it can be bridged to achieve science-based emission levels.”

Edge Environment is a leading Australian environmental consultancy offering effective tools and solutions for environmental management in the public and private sector since 2008. Applying scientific and technical rigour, Edge are innovative thinkers and collaborative partners, presenting creative solutions that are well aligned with the commercial reality of its clients. www.edgeenvironment.com.au

Ecofys – Experts in Energy Established in 1984 with the mission of achieving “sustainable energy for everyone”, Ecofys has become the leading expert in energy policies, climate strategies and policies, energy systems and markets, urban energy as well as sustainable industries and services. Since November 2016, Ecofys is part of Navigant’s global energy practice. Ecofys creates smart, effective, practical and sustainable solutions for and with public and corporate clients all over the world. With offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Ecofys employs over 200 people dedicated to solving energy and climate challenges. www.ecofys.com

Media contacts
Tati Guedes, Edge Environment tati@edgeenvironment.com.au +61 404 738 005
Marielle Vosbeek, Ecofys, press@ecofys.com +31 30 662-3402