Stantec targets net-zero by ’22, carbon neutral by ‘30
Global design firm Stantec has announced that it will target carbon neutrality for its operations by next year with a view to becoming net-zero across its operations world-wide by 2030.
“We are making this commitment to do our part in protecting communities from the worst impacts of climate change,” said company president and CEO Gord Johnston. “Our team members apply sustainable best practices to projects around the world daily. By making this pledge we demonstrate that Stantec applies the same passion to address our own impact.”
Stantec plans to reach its carbon-neutrality target in 2022 by meeting emission-reduction targets and addressing remaining emissions through the purchase of renewable energy certificates (or the country-level equivalent) and certified carbon offsets. Carbon neutrality, it says, is an interim step towards the net-zero goal.
To meet its net-zero commitment, the organization plans to transition offset purchases to options that directly produce renewable energy or reduce carbon. That transition is anticipated to rely on a combination of traditional and innovative pathways that connect directly to Stantec’s client work and technical expertise.
Stantec says the initiative is as much about reducing its operational carbon impact as it is about demonstrating how engineering and design firms can define new solutions in their markets.
Stantec’s Innovation Office will fund employee-driven research and business solutions that will not only serve as a strategic resource in reducing Stantec’s carbon emissions, but also those of its clients.
Stantec’s various teams are working on several recognized sustainable projects in a variety of locales, including the Gull Bay microgrid north of Thunder Bay, which reduces the reliance on diesel fuel for local First Nations communities.
Other key projects include work in Brussels, New York City, Denver, Maryland, Kentucky and Ethiopia.
The company was named the fifth most sustainable company in the world and first in North America by Corporate Knights in 2021.