Top tips for moving to science-based targets from Dawn Meats Group, AIB and Janssen

At the launch of our new Low Carbon Pledge in March we heard from an excellent panel of speakers who spoke about their top tips for moving to science-based targets for the creation of a low carbon economy.

Gill Higgins, Head of Sustainability, Dawn Meats Group, spoke about the company’s climate vision around science-based targets and the learning process. The company has signed up to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), with its targets being approved in 2019.

As part of the discussion, Gill shared several top tips for setting science-based targets and establishing a solid plan:

• Spend time with key-decision makers. Make sure they understand the risks of not taking action and the benefits of having targets and a clear plan in place.
• Strong leadership and strong governance are key to managing climate related risks and it is vital to avail of opportunities as they arise.
• Have a cross-functional team of key people in place to monitor developments and implement plans.
• You won’t have all the answers, don’t let this dissuade your organisation acting and moving forward.
• Co-operation is vital. Get your suppliers, peers and competitors working together on shared solutions.

Sarah Dempsey, Head of Sustainability Communications & Partnerships, AIB told us how sustainability is core to the bank’s strategy. Delivering its strategy starts from the inside out. The bank has set a commitment to become carbon neutral using a net zero approach by 2030, having already reduced its carbon emissions by 40% since 2014.

It is also on the Leadership Rating CDP, A rated for the last five years. The bank has 4000 suppliers and has established a ‘responsible supplier code’ that sets out expectations of suppliers to AIB to bring them along on the journey to transitioning to a low carbon economy.

Here are some of Sarah’s top tips:

• Understand your organisation’s current state
• Understand what your own impact is in terms of the scope of climate action
• Once you understand where you have a role to play, set clear goals and targets
• Be clear because without a plan you won’t get leadership or buy-in
• Make it practical and don’t make it all about theory. There has to be practicalities behind your organisation’s plan to make real and lasting change

Andrew Flynn, General Manager, Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences said Johnson & Johnson have set out an ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality across all their organisations. To meet this, the organisation has begun aggressively accelerating its targeting for 100% renewable electricity throughout their global operations, with the aim to have reached that goal by 2025. In addition, Johnson & Johnson is aiming to reduce its upstream carbon footprint by 20% by 2030.

There are clear similarities between the top tips outlined by all speakers, with Andrew echoing both Gill and Sarah.

Here are some of Andrew’s top tips:

• Set meaningful goals
• Collaborate with others
• Track and measure success
• Be ready to adapt

Hear more tips in  in the low carbon pledge event video.

Download a free copy of our report “Progressing towards science-based targets’. 

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