If Paris Agreement's mitigation goal was a Marathon?
What if a company sets relevant GHG reduction target but inconsistently invests in GHG intensive assets and grows its production faster than GHG reduction? That might lead to no actual GHG reduction at all, aka setting target but missing the goal !
Carbon neutrality is a marathon for which it’s better to have relevant equipment and training program to run and end the race.
Setting GHG reduction targets aligned with demanding decarbonisation scenarios should not be just another brick in the companies’ GHG disclosure wall. But it should lead to actual strategic shifts towards a low carbon economy.
Quantifying GHG emissions and setting GHG reduction targets should be the stepping stones to support and develop relevant decarbonisation strategy with associated transition plan and roadmap.
ACT uses measurement as input data. Reporting and commitment are good practices valued in ACT.
MEASUREMENT
Measurement is the first step to reducing environmental impacts, on the basis that 'what gets measured gets managed'. A complete inventory of GHG emissions helps organizations understand their emissions profile and identify opportunities for emissions reduction.
REPORTING
Transparent reporting consistent with climate standards is essential to achieving a low-carbon economy. Stakeholders can hold transparent organizations accountable for their performance, and sharing information brings opportunities to collaborate along the value chain.
COMMITMENT
Public commitments provide a clear sense of direction to an organization and its stakeholders. Setting science-based targets and defining the appropriate means to achieve them lays out the pathway to meaningful climate action.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability is needed to ensure the commitments of companies deliver the low carbon economy.
ACT uses climate transition scenarios to define the specific level of ambition required for each sector.
The ACT assessment process checks companies against this science-based benchmark to produce the ACT rating while ACT Step by Step support them with developing coherent low carbon transition plan.
So what does ACT provide ?
Developed with businesses and key sectors’ stakeholders, ACT methodologies and tools represent the only international climate accountability system to support companies’ progress by developing coherent and yet ambitious decarbonisation strategies and providing independent assessment. ACT framework answers 5 key questions regarding companies climate strategies:
COMMITMENT
Has your company committed to a low-carbon future vision?
Are your emissions reduction targets ambitious enough to get there
How quickly are you planning to act?
TRANSITION PLAN
Do you have a transition plan to achieve your low-carbon vision?
Will it drive the evolution of your business?
PRESENT
Does your current strategy lead to a decrease in emissions in the short-term?
Are your investment decisions today made with the long-term future in mind?
LEGACY
How do the business decisions you made in the past influence your emissions trajectory?
CONSISTENCY
Is your business strategy consistent with your emissions reduction targets?
Do any of your activities undermine your ability to reach a low-carbon future?
RATING
The ACT rating combines quantitative and qualitative information on your past, present and projected business to reveal it’s alignment with the low-carbon transition.
How can ACT help your company?
Your journey towards low carbon alignment with Paris Agreement with ACT
ACT provides sectoral methodologies as an accountability framework to drive corporate climate actions and align their strategies with relevant and ambitious low-carbon pathways.
ACT is an international initiative engaging with stakeholders globally including companies. ADEME being the French Agency for Ecological Transition and ACT cofounder, successful engagement with French companies to date, including through the French voluntary program, means french corporates are largely represented. ACT aims at supporting companies worldwide to contribute to global carbon neutrality through partnerships development such as the ACT – Deep Decarbonisation Pathway project.
Contact us if you are interested in setting up an ACT ecosystem in your region.
The ACT assessment provided us very interesting and useful feedback on our carbon strategy. In particular, the quantitative assessment of emissions reduction targets is a valuable input into our ongoing process of defining a new low carbon strategy and management process.”
Jean-Philippe Hermine, Environment, Strategy and Planification Director, Renault.
The main strength of the ACT methodology? It is fast and effective.”
Caroline Ramondou, Project Manager, Companie Nationale du Rhône.
News and events
Companies, get your free ACT assessment
ACT assessments provide companies with a feedback report outlining best practice and opportunities for improvement as well as a rating to track progress. These assessments are carried out following sectoral methodology and, from the end of May 2021, Aluminium, Chemicals, Glass and Pulp & Paper companies can pilot test their methodologies through the roadtest. If […]
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Give your feedback: Aluminium, Chemicals, Glass and Pulp & Paper methodologies out for public consultation!
Interested and concerned about the low carbon transition requirements for these high emitting sectors? Contribute to the final development stage of the ACT methodologies by taking part in the public consultation as we would like to hear from you on the gaps and strengths of the methodology. Your input is welcome to create a robust […]
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ACT position on Avoided Emissions
Are referred as “avoided emissions” of an organization the emission reductions achieved by its activities, products and/or services, when these reductions are achieved outside its scope of activity. These last years, more and more companies claim avoided emissions to highlight their efforts to the global decarbonization effort. However, this concept is not always well known […]
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Practice makes perfect: how road-testing the new ACT sector methodologies brings surprising benefits to companies
The ACT initiative provided more than 100 companies with a confidential assessment of their climate strategy and with training on the methodology used through multiple road-test over the past 5 years free of charge. The individual report summarising key findings and recommendations was particularly appreciated to guide future company efforts towards their low-carbon transition. “The […]
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The world is accelerating its climate ambition, but is the automotive sector speeding up or slowing down on decarbonisation?
Comparing the 2019 and 2020 Climate and Energy Automotive Benchmarks. China, Japan, South Korea and the European Union are some of the world’s biggest car markets. One other thing they all now have in common is a commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 or 2060. The second biggest car market in the world, the […]
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Utilities are not planning properly for the electricity system of the future: new ACT benchmark by WBA
Transforming electricity systems is crucial to decarbonisation. In 2018, 62.9% of global electricity was still generated from fossil fuels, but low-carbon generation, particularly from wind and solar, is growing significantly. Excitingly, electrification can enable other high emitting sectors such as autos or heat to slash emissions, but only if emissions from electricity generation are reduced. […]
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ACT Generic methodology: public consultation
As all companies have their role to play in the low-carbon transition, the ACT initiative developed the ACT Generic methodology which aims to assess the readiness to transition to the low-carbon economy of multi-activity companies as well as companies operating in sectors that will not be covered by ACT sectoral methodologies (see Participate page). ACT […]
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Electric Utility benchmark with ACT by WBA
The World Benchmarking Alliance is using ACT methodologies to conduct its Energy and Climate Benchmark since 2019. The first benchmark was published in December for COP25 and ranked 25 most influent auto manufacturers using their ACT scores. On the July the 6th, WBA will release their new benchmark ranking 50 electric utilities companies based on […]
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Oil & Gas, Transport and Cement companies: ACT call for volunteers
Last chance to join the group of pioneer companies from the Oil & Gas, Transport and Cement sectors road-testing the innovative ACT methodologies which assess the alignment of their low carbon strategy with sectoral decarbonisation pathways. Participating companies will benefit from a free assessment of their low carbon strategies conducted by consultants trained in ACT […]
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