Adopting Science-Based
Targets
With climate change rapidly accelerating, industry leaders have started adopting science-based targets to help guide their emissions control efforts in line with the reduction required to keep the global temperature increase below 2°C, as outlined in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Created by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in partnership with nonprofits CDP, United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and We Mean Business, the Science Based Targets Initiative helps companies futureproof their growth from environmental impact, guide technological innovations and ensure that carbon reduction efforts are scientifically astute.
A company’s GHG emissions are categorized into three Scopes
by the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.
- Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from owned or controlled sources.
- Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy.
- Scope 3 emissions are all indirect emissions (not included in Scope 2) that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions.
