SAP announced its intention to become carbon-neutral in its own operations by the end of 2023 – two years earlier than previously stated.
SAP’s 2020 Integrated Report showed it has reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions significantly, overachieving by 43% on its targets for reducing net carbon emissions in 2020. This was mainly due to changes in the way its 100,000 employees across the world worked and travelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In striving to become carbon-neutral, SAP takes into account all of its direct and indirect emissions, as well as selected emissions arising in the supply chain, including those linked to business travel and third-party data centers.
SAP’s approach to carbon neutrality by 2023:
- Avoidance: SAP avoids the creation of greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of business practices, e.g. using telecommunications technologies rather than traveling.
- Reduction: If emissions cannot be avoided, SAP leverages innovations, e.g. energy-efficient lighting in offices, efficient cooling systems in data centers and alternative mobility solutions.
- Compensation: SAP offsets unavoidable emissions by supporting climate projects and working with partners who meet the gold standard advanced by The Gold Standard Foundation or equivalent quality standards.
SAP continuously drives corporate initiatives, for example putting an internal carbon price on business flights at a global level and creating the SAP Forest UK at local level. SAP UK has partnered with The Carbon Community to plant the SAP Forest UK in the Brecon Beacans in Wales, with the aim of capturing just under 2,000 tonnes of carbon over the next 35 years. That’s the equivalent of taking a train to the moon and back 75 times before taking the same train to the sun or 8,515 drives from London to Glasgow.
SAP supports the Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, focusing particularly on goal 13, Climate Action. Here, SAP’s greatest strength lies in its ability to help its more than 400,000 customers worldwide implement climate protection measures through offerings under its Climate 21 initiative.
Together with customers and partners, SAP will provide more information on solutions in this context as well as on the circular economy, holistic steering and reporting at the virtual SAP Sustainability Summit taking place on April 28–29, 2021.
