Recognizingย that climate change is a defining challenge of our time and that meeting this challenge requires decisive, collective action,ย
Acknowledgingย that theย Paris Agreement, adopted within theย United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changeย in December 2015,ย sets a goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels and that Canada ratified theย Paris Agreementย in 2016,ย ย
Acknowledgingย thatย withinย theย Sustainable Development Goals,ย set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and intended to be achieved by 2030, Goal 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts,ย
Affirmingย that reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is critical to meeting these targets, as well as producing economic and social benefits,ย
Notingย that the global digital industryย and governments areย well-positioned to catalyze transformative emissions reductions in other sectors,ย ย ย
Recognizingย that CIOs and executive technologyย leaders are uniquely positionedย to reduce the carbon footprintย ofย our ITย across its lifecycleย and be enablers of enterprise-wide transformation,ย ย
1. Demonstrate leadership in the development and adoption of sustainable IT practices;
2. Exchange expertise and resources facilitating:
a. Setting targets for, measuring, and disclosing Scope 1 (direct GHG emissions), Scope 2 (indirect GHG emissions from electricity purchased and used), and Scope 3 (other indirect GHG emissions, upstream and downstream) relating to IT operations and procurement
b. Taking action to reduce emissions such as:
c. Usingย technology procurement as a strategic lever to influence the sustainability commitments and practices of our suppliersย byย setting rigorous sustainable procurement criteria to ensure we use/acquire the lowest impact technology,ย while supporting Canadaโs cleantechย industry;
d.ย Leveraging technologyย as an enablerย to accelerate enterprise-wideย transformation on sustainability-related topics and to meetย the enterpriseโsย sustainability targets;ย and
e.ย Educating and empoweringย our digital workforce to incorporate a sustainability lens inย all aspects of theirย work.
3. Develop and share innovative sustainability use cases for our technologies across all business functions;
4. Create intellectual capital to shape public discourse and promote the national adoption of sustainable IT practices;
5. Promote Canadaโs leadership in the global sustainable IT ecosystem;
6. Identify and scope new sustainable IT standards projects, use cases, pilots, and proofs of concept, including the national adoption of international standards; and
7. Identify other opportunities for collective action.
1. Set GHG emissions reduction targets relating to our organizationโs IT operations and supply chain,* specifically by:
a. Setting time-bound targets for Scope 1 (direct GHG emissions) and Scope 2 (indirect GHG emissions from electricity purchased and used); and
b. Prioritizing and working toward: setting targets for Scope 3 (other indirect GHG emissions, upstream and downstream); and defining targets recognized by the Science Based Target Initiative or equivalent.
2.ย Measure and disclose our IT operations and supply chain GHG emissions and annual emissions progress, specifically by:
a.ย Providing reporting that is transparent, relevant, complete, accurate, and consistent;
b. Using relevant Greenhouse Gas Protocol GHG emissions accounting standards or an equivalent;
c. Disclosing to CDP or an equivalent emissions disclosure platform and on our public web site; and
d. Considering the applicability of the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, the assessments underlying the Dow Jones Sustainability Index family, the standards relating to IT set by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and Global Reporting Initiative, and engaging a third party for independent verification of disclosures.
* While targets and disclosures specific to the IT function are encouraged, they may not be feasible in all cases. Enterprise-wide commitments that meet or exceed this commitment are acceptable. ย
This Pledge will be reviewed periodically. Consideration will be given to broadening the scope of Sustainable IT beyond GHG reductions to encompass other environmental and social impacts.ย
The Sustainable IT Pledge is open to any Canadian company that is committed to making its IT operations more environmentally friendly.
To discuss how you can join the pledge, complete the form below and one of our team will be in touch.ย