At Antea Group, we believe that helping clients achieve their sustainability goals starts with holding ourselves to the same high standards we recommend to others. As a global environment, health, safety, and sustainability (EHS&S) consulting firm, our mission is to create a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable world.
Central to this mission are our Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated emissions reduction targets, which align our climate ambition with the latest climate science.
In 2023, we proudly announced that our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to reduce Scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions 50% by 2030 against a 2018 baseline year, as well as to measure and reduce Scope 3 emissions. Today, we are excited to share an update on our journey toward these targets and the concrete steps we are taking to ensure we reach them.
What is a Science-Based Target?
The science-based target framework is grounded in the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, a landmark international climate treaty adopted by nearly 200 countries. Its central objective is to combat climate change by limiting global warming to no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. A science-based target provides a clear, credible benchmark for reducing emissions in line with climate science. But the target itself is only the beginning.
“The real value comes from translating that target into operational decisions, capital investments, and measurable actions that actually reduce emissions over time, and we are doing just that,” says Dr. Susan Lewis, Senior Consultant and Climate & Carbon Advisory Services Leader at Antea Group USA. “The organizations that see the greatest value are those that use targets as a catalyst for action, identifying opportunities to reduce emissions, improve efficiency, strengthen resilience, and create long-term business value.”
By setting an SBTi-approved target, we are taking that high-level global imperative and applying it directly to our own operational footprint.
Where We Are: Real Progress
The same Climate & Carbon Advisory Services team that supports our clients with GHG accounting, target setting, and decarbonization planning also manages Antea Group's annual emissions inventory. Since establishing our science-based target, we have reduced our operational emissions by 42.5%.
Much of the progress to date has been driven by optimizing our office footprint and transitioning to more efficient, shared workspaces. However, our data also indicates that we are approaching a plateau in these specific reductions. To meet our goal of a 50% reduction by 2030, we must now address our largest remaining source of operational emissions: mobile combustion from our fleet vehicles. In other words, our fuel usage.
Taking Action: A Strategic Shift in Our Fleet
With our fleet size expected to remain stable, simply reducing vehicle usage is not a viable strategy. Instead, we are evolving how we choose our vehicles and moving away from those powered by purely internal combustion engines.
Thanks to a collaborative analysis between our Climate & Carbon Advisory Services team, our corporate accounting team, and select vendors, we have identified a strategic path forward. By transitioning our fleet into hybrid and more efficient vehicle models, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint without compromising on operational requirements -- such as off-road capabilities and hauling capacity -- that our teams rely on daily.
Why this makes sense:
- Performance and Utility: We are focused on hybrid trucks and SUVs that meet the same demanding job requirements as our conventional vehicles.
- Fiscal Responsibility: While in some cases the hybrid models may present a higher upfront cost, significant fuel savings mean the vehicles pay for themselves well before the end of their useful life. For the remainder of their lifecycle, they deliver net operational savings to the company, while continuing to drive our Scope 1 emissions down.
- Climate Impact: Replacing just the highest-mileage vehicles is projected to reduce our emissions by approximately 20% annually.
Moving Forward
The transition will begin this year with 25% of our fleet scheduled to be replaced with hybrid equivalents. Because we maintain our fleet vehicles for five years, the decisions we make today will have a lasting impact on our emissions profile well beyond 2030.
This initiative is a critical stepping stone in our journey as a responsible steward of the environment. By applying the same approaches we use to help clients quantify emissions, set targets, and implement decarbonization strategies, we are demonstrating that environmental stewardship and strong business performance can go hand in hand.
We look forward to keeping you updated on our progress.
Learn more about our Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change Advisory services.
