How EY is driving a more environmentally sustainable future
Sustainability is one of the defining challenges of our lifetime. We’re rising to that challenge and helping others to do the same, taking action across our operations to address key environmental challenges, setting bold targets and devising ambitious strategies to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and wider environmental impacts. And we are proud to have achieved a number of environmental standards and credentials along the way.
We recognise, however, that we can – and must – do more
As the need for action becomes ever more pressing, we are taking action across our operations to address key environmental challenges and have set bold targets to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Our carbon ambition - net zero by 2025
Action is urgently needed to cut carbon emissions and limit average global temperature increases to 1.5°c above pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement. In 2020 Ernst & Young LLP (EY), achieved global carbon neutrality and we became carbon negative in 2021, but we believe we have a responsibility to go further, faster.
That’s why EY will be globally net zero in 2025. We will achieve this by significantly reducing our absolute carbon emissions, and then removing or offsetting more than the remaining amount of our emissions, every year. We will reduce our absolute emissions by 40% across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by FY25 against an FY19 baseline, consistent with a 1.5°c science-based target approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), enabling EY to reach net zero in FY25. Find out more about our Global Carbon Ambition.
In response to this global goal, EY has developed country-specific emissions reduction targets and a UK strategy comprising six key actions critical to achieving net zero. Find out more about our UK Net Zero Strategy.
Investing in the power of renewables
We began procuring renewable electricity for our UK offices in 2007, and in 2019 we switched from natural gas to renewable biogas. But our carbon ambition drove us to seek new opportunities to create long-term sustainable value for our communities and planet.
In December 2020, EY announced a 10-year zero carbon Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in the UK. This long-term commitment significantly contributed to the commercial viability of constructing a new solar power station project based in Norfolk, by providing certainty of revenue at a fixed price for 10 years.
Thornham Solar Farm went online in October 2021, generating Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) enabling 100% of EY’s UK electricity consumption to be backed by renewables certification. And our PPA contributes to the wider decarbonisation of the electricity generation sector, by adding more renewable electricity to the grid than EY consumes. Read the press release.
Explore more
Discover more about EY’s environmental performance and our approach to managing our impacts:
Reducing single-use plastics
The scale and severity of the impact of plastics pollution on marine environments, wildlife and ultimately human health is undeniable.
In recent years a global call to action from international organisations, governments – and our own people – led us to adopt an ambitious programme to radically reducing single-use plastics consumption in our UK offices. And we’ve had some amazing results.
Discover more about our plastics reduction strategy.
Working in partnership with our suppliers
We recognise that it’s not just our own direct environmental impacts which we can influence. It’s also important for us to work closely with our supply partners to minimise the footprint of our entire supply chain.
We aim to engage and collaborate with environmentally responsible companies that drive innovation, and continually look for ways to reduce the impact of the goods and services we buy.
Our carbon ambition provides the focus for aligning our suppliers’ values with our own environmental targets, and we are committed to employing best practice in supply chain evaluation and monitoring. Learn more
Engaging our people
Our people are building a better working world through working with all our stakeholders – from clients to wider communities. We understand the value they create by using their knowledge, skills and experience to fulfil our purpose and create positive long-term sustainable change.
Engaging and empowering our people to create that change is integral to our success.
Our employee network of Eco-innovators is a firm-wide community of colleagues who are passionate and committed to embedding environmental sustainability into every aspect of our lives, using smart thinking and smart technology to solve environmental problems. Find out more
Sustainability challenges and opportunities
We’re investing in solutions to help businesses decarbonise and meet environmental, social, and corporate governance requirements.
