Computacenter claims it will be carbon net-zero by 2040

Computacenter said it will become carbon net-zero by 2040 if any of us are still alive to remember its pledge.

The Hatfield-based firm says that it now aims to be carbon neutral for Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2022, five years ahead of its previous target.

Scope 1 and 2 emissions refer to direct emissions from facilities as well as indirect emissions such as electricity consumption.

Computacenter has also brought forward its carbon net zero commitment, which includes Scope 3 emissions, by 10 years to 2040. Scope 3 includes indirect emissions such as business travel and transport as well as emissions stemming from supply chains and the products from technology partners.

Computacenter claims that it reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 74 percent between 2019 and 2021, despite continuing to expand and grow the business during that period.

The reseller claims it has invested in its new and existing facilities to reduce energy consumption, as well as installing solar panels on its buildings in Hatfield in the UK and Kerpen in Germany to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The reseller claims it has also moved its electricity contracts to green energy suppliers.

In 2021, 73 percent of Computacenter’s electricity usage came from renewable sources, it claims, which means the reseller will need to make “minimal usage” of carbon offsets to reach carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions this year.

Computacenter’s group finance director and chair of its Climate Committee, Tony Conophy, said: “Achievement of Carbon Neutral (Scopes 1 & 2) in 2022 will be a major milestone on our journey to Net Zero, based on years of carbon reduction efforts across the business that we are confident can be sustained and improved upon. We’re proud that we will be one of the first companies in our industry to achieve this.”