The urgent issue of climate change has led to companies increasingly taking climate action by setting science-based emission reduction targets aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Swedish companies are working to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through science-based targets. The study was performed through a survey to the Swedish companies committed to the Science Based Targets initiative, and by an assessment of progress against targets using public emission data. The results showed that science-based targets as a tool for climate action raises the climate ambition of companies and provides a good basis for climate strategy. Benefits of committing to science-based targets were primarily that it builds credibility and a good reputation. The main drivers were to improve company climate action, reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as to gain market advantages. Most companies reported climate results annually, but reporting practices were often insufficient or lacked transparency. Most science-based targets were on track to be achieved, though the results showed more limited progress against targets covering scope 3 emissions. The key activities for progress were primarily linked to energy, transportation and fuel, and product development. Overall, the study shows that science-based targets can play a significant role in companies’ efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and serve as a useful climate action tool. However, increased transparency is needed to strengthen the integrity of the targets.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-196308 |
| Date | January 2022 |
| Creators | Lidén, Ida |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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