A 1.5°C world is still possible, but only just

In August this year, the IPCC’s report on the Physical Science of Climate Change issued our final warning. We have the opportunity to prevent the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, but the window is closing fast.

Every company and country must act now.

The Science Based Targets initiative

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The SBTi call to action is one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments.

The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies’ targets. Over 1600 companies have committed to set science-based emissions reduction targets. Science-based targets provide companies with a clearly defined pathway to future-proof growth by specifying how much and how quickly they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Science Based Targets initiative champions science-based target setting as a powerful way of boosting companies’ competitive advantage in the transition to the low-carbon economy.

Companies committed to Business Ambition for 1.5°C receive independent validation of their targets from the SBTi and become part of the UN Climate Champions’ Race to Zero. The Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign enables companies to set robust emissions reduction targets at the pace and scale required by climate science.

Paul Simpson, CEO of CDP, one of the SBTi partners, said: “The science is clear: in order to limit the catastrophic impacts of climate change, we must ensure warming does not exceed 1.5°C. The ambition is high but it’s achievable — and science-based targets give companies a roadmap for getting there. Corporations worldwide have an unprecedented opportunity to be at the very forefront of the transition to a net-zero economy — and there is no time to lose.”

Our climate action

Ahead of COP26, we are calling on other companies in the construction and engineering sector to take up the call and accelerate their own climate ambition, and for governments to lead the way with policies that bolster the transition to a net-zero economy.

The collective voices of companies is vital in spurring policy makers to deliver on policy that supports climate action. There is no time to sit on the side lines - join us in the race against climate change today.