“Delivering for people and the planet” was the theme of the 27th United Nations (U.N.) Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27), which took place Nov. 6-18, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. This year, over 100 world leaders attended the conference to discuss the myriad challenges posed by climate change, as well as how to address them.
In order to deliver on climate promises and goals, we need to work together across industries and borders. Climate change is a problem that we all must work to solve. Through the power of collaboration, we can make progress toward meeting climate goals and secure a more sustainable future.
It’s this spirit of collaboration that underlies Sphera’s recently announced membership in the Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC). The goal of the SCC is to solve climate challenges within the semiconductor value chain. Members of the SCC must commit to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, as well as meeting the 1.5-degree Celsius target.
SCC members, some of whom attended COP27, are working together on ways to tackle the semiconductor industry’s carbon footprint, as well as reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within their value chains and in the other industries that semiconductors support. The SCC is also assessing the climate-related risks that will affect the semiconductor value chain.
Semiconductors will be key to enabling the clean energy technology that will be instrumental to transitioning to a net-zero future. Through collaborating with the SCC, semiconductor companies can share decarbonization best practices, set ambitious decarbonization goals and achieve greater GHG emissions reporting transparency. Sphera is proud to be a founding member of the SCC. We look forward to collaborating with others in the semiconductor industry to meet climate goals.
To achieve net zero emissions by 2050, we’ll need guidelines on how to get there. To this end, over 1,200 experts from more than 100 countries contributed to the creation of the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) Net Zero Guidelines, which were published during COP27. Chris Koffler, Sphera’s technical director of sustainability consulting for the Americas, and Stefan Premer, principal consultant and global lead of climate strategy at Sphera, contributed to the guidelines.
The Net Zero Guidelines establish a “common understanding of net zero.” They provide a definition of net zero, scientific and fact-based guidance on how to reach net zero, as well as advice on how to achieve consistent reporting on GHG emissions reduction and removal. I’m thrilled that Sphera was able to contribute to guidelines that will help organizations make more transparent, consistent and standardized net-zero pledges.
Speaking of the need for standardized metrics for net-zero pledges, the issue of greenwashing in net-zero pledges was also addressed during COP27. Greenwashing happens when companies or organizations make misleading statements about the sustainability of their products and services.
During the conference, the U.N.’s high-level expert group on the net-zero emissions commitments of non-state entities published a report that gives 10 practical recommendations to ensure credible net-zero pledges. The report highlights the importance of making net-zero pledges that are concrete, detailed, accountable and transparent.
According to the report, net-zero pledges must also include Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions, must adhere to the target of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius and include a detailed roadmap of how companies will make progress on their pledges.
Now more than ever, companies need the right software and expertise to collect the data necessary to set and meet net-zero goals. As the devastating effects of climate change continue to be felt across the globe, we need to act quickly and decisively to reach net zero by 2050.
While this may seem like a massive undertaking, it doesn’t have to be. Together, we can solve today’s most pressing climate challenges and create a more sustainable tomorrow for future generations.
–Paul
Learn more about Paul Marushka.
