Sweco’s climate targets approved by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

Published Oct 25, 2024

Sweco has received the validation and approval of its near-term emissions reduction targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The climate targets cover emissions across the company’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 and are consistent with the goals of the UN Paris Agreement. 

Sweco is committed to actively supporting the transition to a low-carbon society. Setting science-based targets for the company’s own emissions reductions is an important step in building a more sustainable society and acting as a forerunner.

In the near-term, Sweco has committed to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90 per cent and Scope 3 GHG emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 from a 2020 base year. The targets have been validated and approved by SBTi and are consistent with halving total emissions by 2030.  

“I am very pleased that Sweco has received confirmation of our determined commitment to a more sustainable and low-emission society. The emission reduction targets officially confirmed by the SBTi organisation require strict criteria and measures in the background to ensure that our emissions reduction roadmap is science-based and truly enables Sweco’s climate neutrality efforts,” says Iida Vakkuri, Chief Sustainability Officer, Sweco Finland.

Sweco’s long-term target remains to reduce emissions across the company’s value chain and to achieve climate neutrality by 2040.  

“As forerunners, we have a duty to demonstrate that we not only design and implement more sustainable solutions for the built environment and industry, but also take significant emission reduction measures ourselves in our own operations and supply chains. We at Sweco hope that global warming can be limited to 1.5 degrees, so as Europe’s leading architectural, engineering and sustainability consultants, we are sending a strong signal to both our clients and subcontractors to participate in the climate efforts together,” Vakkuri sums up Sweco’s work towards emissions reduction targets.

In Finland, Sweco has reduced its own direct greenhouse gas emissions since 2021, for example by switching to renewable electricity in its offices in cooperation with property owners – already 52% of the energy used by Sweco’s premises in Finland is renewable energy. During the past year, Sweco’s largest office in Ilmala, Helsinki, has introduced geothermal heat and cooling, which reduces the carbon footprint of almost half of Sweco’s employees in Finland. Sweco has also updated the business travel policy to prefer train instead of air travel, and Sweco Finland’s company car fleet will be fully electrified by 2028.

Sweco’s climate targets and footprint in brief

• Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 90 per cent by 2030 from a 2020 base year (SBTi approved).
• Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, capital goods, fuel- and energy-related activities, waste management, business travel and employee commuting by 30 per cent by 2030 from a 2020 base year (SBTi approved).
• Achieve climate neutrality by 2040.
• Sweco Finland’s climate footprint in 2023 amounted to 11,122 tonnes CO2e, and Sweco Group’s to 66,449 tonnes CO2e. Compared with the base year 2020, in 2023, Scope 1 emissions decreased 25 per cent, Scope 2 emissions were down 36 per cent and Scope 3 emissions increased 18 per cent as a consequence of increased business activities. In total, emissions increased 2 per cent in 2023 compared with the base year 2020.

Read more about Sweco’s climate neutrality target »

About SBTi

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global partnership between Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, the We Mean Business Coalition, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Science-based targets provide a clearly defined pathway for companies and financial institutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, helping to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and to future-proof business growth. Targets are considered science-based if they are in line with the level of decarbonisation required to keep global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.  

Additional information:

Iida Vakkuri, Chief Sustainability Officer, Sweco Finland, tel. +358 50 531 3765, iida.vakkuri@sweco.fi
Heini Jokinen, media contact, Sweco Finland, tel. +358 40 718 0063, heini.jokinen@sweco.fi