BearingPoint: Climate-Neutral All the Way to the Client ? Now Worldwide!

The UN Climate Change Conference is currently meeting. Since the Paris Agreement, with its framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2 °C, companies are also obliged to record, reduce and offset their CO₂ emissions. For management consultancies, business trips are the most significant emission factor, especially long-distances trips. This is why BearingPoint, the management and technology consultancy, decided five years ago to offset the CO₂ emissions caused by the business travel activities of all its German businesses. Now, the CO₂ footprint in connection with business travel was recorded and offset for the first time across all its business units globally.

BearingPoint measures the amount of CO₂ emissions from business trips with its certified LogEC emissions calculator. The emissions calculator is also used on client projects, and what is extraordinary is the accuracy of the data made possible by the tool. BearingPoint has offset a total of 9,100 tonnes of CO₂e and purchased emission certificates across all its businesses globally. In addition to CO₂ emissions, the greenhouse effects of gases such as methane and nitrous oxide, so-called equivalents, were also taken into account.

Recommendation of the 24th UN Climate Change Conference
With the emission tracking and compensation payment, BearingPoint is supporting the Jacunda REDD+ project in Brazil, which promotes reforestation and renaturation in the Brazilian rainforest. By doing this, BearingPoint follows the recommendation of the 24th UN Climate Change Conference that reforestation and stopping deforestation are among the most critical measures for climate protection. Michael Sahm from Forest Finest Consulting GmbH, who is responsible for this project: "We are delighted that BearingPoint is again involved in rainforest conservation this year. Scientific work convincingly demonstrates that the protection of existing forests, sustainable forest management, and reforestation are among the most effective solutions in the fight against climate change. After all, biomass and soils are the world's most important CO₂ reservoirs alongside the oceans. However, forest protection will only succeed if the social and economic situation of the local population improves noticeably. This is exactly what the Jacunda REDD+ project is doing by addressing numerous UN development goals."

The project area covers a total of 94,000 hectares and is located in the northeast of the state of Rondônia, which is still predominantly covered by primary forest. By acquiring CO₂ certificates, BearingPoint protects about 20 hectares of tropical rainforest. Jacunda REDD+ is subject to the UN-sponsored REDD mechanism (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and contributes to the sustainable management of forest areas and the preservation of protected forest as well as protection against illegal logging. The fires in the Amazon region have shown that these measures are needed to preserve and strengthen the green lung.

"Companies must take responsibility"
The decision to offset CO₂ emissions from business travel company-wide for the first time is also linked to the UN Global Compact signed by BearingPoint in 2019. BearingPoint is committed to the 10 underlying principles, including environmental and climate protection. UN Global Compact signatories are encouraged to improve their contribution to the principles continuously.

Against this background, BearingPoint has been celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a campaign to give back to what has made it a success: people, the planet, and society. The #10DaysOfCaring campaign, which has been the biggest CSR campaign in the firm's history, brought to live about 150 different activities, ranging from planting trees and cycling to work to donating blood and volunteering for local non-profits.

"Companies must take responsibility. Focus and continuity help, and the UN Global Compact provides both with its 10 Principles and progress reporting. So for us it was an obvious decision that we must implement CO? offsetting for all our business units globally. At the same time, of course, we are also committed to avoiding and reducing CO? emissions both internally and in our consulting projects, where sustainability issues are increasingly asked about," says Markus Laqua, BearingPoint's Corporate Social Responsibility sponsor.

About BearingPoint
BearingPoint is an independent management and technology consultancy with European roots and a global reach. The company operates in three business units: The first unit covers the advisory business with a clear focus on five key areas to drive growth across all regions. The second unit provides IP-driven managed services beyond SaaS and offers business critical services to its clients supporting their business success. The third unit provides the software for successful digital transformation and regulatory requirements. It is also designed to explore innovative business models with clients and partners by driving the financing and development of start-ups and leveraging ecosystems.

BearingPoint's clients include many of the world's leading companies and organizations. The firm has a global consulting network with more than 10,000 people and supports clients in over 75 countries, engaging with them to achieve measurable and sustainable success.

For more information, please visit:

Homepage: www.bearingpoint.com
Sustainability Report: https://www.bearingpoint.com/files/BearingPoint_Sustainability_Report_2018.pdf?download=0&itemId=562466
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/bearingpoint
Twitter: @BearingPoint