Making progress on our climate commitments
We continue to work across Deloitte NSE to advance WorldClimate, Deloitte’s environmental sustainability ambition, which includes both actions we take and actions we inspire to promote more sustainable choices.
Deloitte has committed to reducing absolute Scopes 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90% by 2040 from a 2019 base year and reaching net-zero GHG emissions across our value chain by 2040. Deloitte’s net-zero by 2040 goals were validated by the Science Based Targets initiatives (SBTi) in September 2024. Our near-term 2030 goals are to reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 70% and reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions from business travel by 55% per full-time equivalent employee (FTE) from a 2019 base year; to meet the SBTi Net-Zero Standard, Deloitte reviewed its existing near-term targets and increased its business travel reduction target from 50% to 55%.
Deloitte’s net-zero targets (as of September 2024)
Deloitte commits to reach net-zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2040.
Under the firm’s near-term targets, Deloitte commits to:
- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 70% by 2030 from a 2019 base year.
- Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions from business travel 55% per FTE (full-time equivalent employee) by 2030 from a 2019 base year. (Note: To meet the SBTi Net-Zero Standard, Deloitte has increased its business travel reduction target from 50% to 55%).
- Engage with the firm’s suppliers to have 67% set science-based targets by 2025 (by emissions, covering purchased goods and services and business travel).
Under our 2040 targets, Deloitte commits to:
- Achieve net-zero GHG emissions across our value chain by 2040.
- Reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions 90% by 2040 from a 2019 base year.
"There is more to do as we accelerate towards Deloitte’s Net-Zero by 2040 goal. Our focus and priority will be to evolve our approach – in our own operations, together with our value chain, working with organisations to advance their climate-led transformations, and in the markets in which we operate, so that collectively, we can mitigate the impacts of climate change."
Smruti Naik-Jones, NSE Chief Sustainability Officer
Deloitte continues to make progress on our commitments to the three core initiatives of the Climate Group, which supports the advancement of renewable electricity (RE100), electric vehicle adoption (EV 100), and energy efficiency/productivity (EP 100). In FY2024, 100% of the electricity Deloitte NSE purchased was renewable electricity and 54% of the fleet was electric or plug-in hybrid.
We are working with suppliers toward a goal of having 67% of them, by emissions, set science-based targets (SBTs) by 2025. From FY2021 to FY2024, the number of Deloitte’s suppliers with SBTs increased from 8% to 30%. Based on this progress, we know we will not meet our 2025 target, but we have taken meaningful steps to begin decarbonising our supply chain and we continue to work actively with our suppliers on this.
Our Supplier Code of Conduct includes clear expectations for our suppliers, related to their sustainability practices and governance. We’re also supporting our suppliers to set their science-based targets and monitor performance. This includes a plan to provide support to our SME suppliers which will enhance their ability to set SBTs.
This year, our emissions from business travel are down 51% per FTE against our FY19 baseline, a step back from our position in FY23 (when they were down 64%). Behind this is a variable pattern of travel activity across our 30 NSE countries, with some having decreased and others increased travel activity in FY24. Specifically relating to the UK (as the largest emitting country in NSE), as well as the change in travel activity, an uplift in UK Government GHG emissions factors for air travel is also responsible for significant proportion of the emissions uplift.
We remain committed to our near term 2030 target to cut business travel emissions by 55% per FTE and delivering on our Net-Zero ambition. Through our Sustainable Delivery Clause, we are making this a collaborative journey with our clients, questioning old ways of working and defining new approaches. By creating tools such as our travel emissions calculator and dashboards to track progress, we are enabling more informed conversations about business travel, sustainable events and the best use of immersive technology.
Over the past two years, we have transitioned to a forward-looking approach where we contribute investment equivalent to our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions to help reduce and remove emissions beyond our value chain. This means we provide pro bono support and finance (through a combination of direct funding and credits) to a diverse portfolio of high-impact climate solutions and projects to help achieve societal net-zero.
Last year we published our inaugural Deloitte NSE Climate-related Financial Disclosures report; this year we have published an updated report. This report includes more detailed FY24 environmental and GHG performance data, commentary and explanatory notes. We have also published a detailed GHG statement.
Our environmental and GHG reporting, as well as our societal impact reporting, is powered by Deloitte’s GreenLight Solution, the same technology that our practitioners implement for Deloitte clients to use to track their progress toward net-zero.
