Wavestone SA

06/24/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/24/2022 00:02

Wavestone commits to an emissions reduction trajectory aligned with the Net-Zero Standard SBTi

As part of its CSR policy, Wavestone commits to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the short and long term, in line with the Net-Zero Standard of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which helps companies define a reduction trajectory, consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C (Paris Agreement objective).

This commitment involves reducing its emissions to reach a carbon footprint close to zero by 2050 and neutralizing its residual emissions thereafter.

As part of this commitment, Wavestone will submit its reduction targets for 2025 and 2050 to SBTi for validation.

Wavestone's reduction targets align with the Net-Zero Standard

"The forced pause in 2020 due to the pandemic has heightened awareness: the fight against global warming has become an imperative, especially for companies and their employees," said Pascal Imbert, CEO of Wavestone. "By setting objectives in line with the Net-Zero Standard, Wavestone reinforces its commitment in this matter."

For the record, as part of the signature of an impact credit in May 2021, the cabinet had already committed to reducing its carbon footprint per employee on its scopes[1] 1 and 2, as well as its business travel (part of scope 3).

Wavestone's new reduction targets are more ambitious and cover all emissions generated (scope 1, 2 and 3):

  • In the short term, by 2025, Wavestone commits to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from scope 1 and 2, and by 35% per employee from scope 3.
  • In the long term, by 2050, Wavestone commits to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from scope 1 and 2 by 90% and its emissions from scope 3 by 97% per employee.

For its base year, the cabinet has chosen to use the 2019/20 fiscal year for which its carbon footprint reflects a nominal situation before the effects of the health crisis.

A range of measures to achieve the cabinet's commitments

The priority measures to reach these new objectives will involve the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions linked to business travel (particularly by air), IT equipment and digital usage, and the purchase of goods and services (particularly hotels and catering services).

To reduce its carbon footprint related to the energy consumption of its premises, the cabinet is pursuing a transition to 100% renewable electricity for all its offices, including those located in countries with a high carbon energy mix.

Wavestone will also strengthen its collaboration with its stakeholders to work on decarbonizing its entire value chain. It is in this spirit, for example, that the cabinet has integrated various working groups, notably on sustainable IT.

"We are also committed to going beyond our value chain in the transition to Net-Zero. In this context, just as we support associations fighting against global warming through skills sponsorship, our accelerator Shake'Up accompanies startups with an environmental vocation.", says Hélène Cambournac, CSR Manager at Wavestone.

These measures are in line with the approach chosen by Wavestone which consists in always choosing the avoidance and the reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions over offsetting actions.

Supporting the transformation of Wavestone's clients to meet environmental challenges

To address the climate issue, Wavestone intends to act not only on the footprint of its activities, but also with its clients, by supporting them in their environmental transition challenges.

To this end, the cabinet invests in the training of its employees and restructures itself, with the creation of a new Sustainability activity and the recent acquisition of Nomadéis.

About the Science Based Targets initiative

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science. It is focused on accelerating companies across the world to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050.

The initiative is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting, offers resources and guidance to reduce barriers to adoption, and independently assesses and approves companies' targets.

More information available on sciencebasedtargets.org

About Wavestone

In a world where knowing how to drive transformation is the key to success, Wavestone's mission is to inform and guide large companies and organizations in their most critical transformations, with the ambition of a positive outcome for all stakeholders. It's an ambition anchored in the firm's DNA and embodied in the signature "The Positive Way."

Wavestone draws on about 4,000 employees across Europe - where it is a leading independent player in consulting, the United States and Asia.

Wavestone is listed on Euronext Paris and recognized as a Great Place to Work®.

[1]Scope 1: gas heating, gas leaks. Scope 2: electricity, heating/cooling network. Scope 3: business travel (air, train, etc.), commuting, purchases of goods and services (hotels, catering, etc.), digital equipment and usage, fixed assets, and waste.