CAIT Business Emissions and Targets

Introduction

It is now clear that to constrain the impacts of climate change, global average temperatures must be stabilized to within two degrees Celsius. This will be practically impossible without sustained leadership from the private sector - most global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are either directly or indirectly influenced by the corporate sector. CAIT Climate Data Explorer Business (“Climate Data Explorer”) lets you explore whether and how leading companies are tackling their impact on the climate. The Climate Data Explorer lets users:

Easily visualize, access and compare the GHG emission trajectories of companies;
Assess which companies have set GHG emissions reduction targets; and
Monitor the progress of individual companies against their targets.

The Climate Data Explorer’s current focus is on members of the Global 500 and any additional companies that have set Science-Based Targets (SBTs; see below).

Corporate GHG emissions reporting

When reporting emissions, companies generally follow the requirements of global standards developed by the GHG Protocol. These standards define a reporting framework that breaks emissions down into three scopes:

Scope 1: emissions come from internal sources owned by the reporting company.
Scope 2: emissions are associated with the production of electricity and other energy purchased by the reporting company.
Scope 3: emissions come from all other indirect sources located upstream or downstream of the company. For many companies, scope 3 sources will dominate a company’s overall scope 1+2+3 inventory. Scope 3 sources are further divided into 15 different categories, as shown in Figure 1.

Corporate emissions reduction targets

Emissions reduction targets are either absolute (entailing reductions in the absolute amount of emissions to the atmosphere) or intensity-based (entailing reductions in the amount of GHGs emitted per unit of activity, such as the amount of GHGs per number of employees or amount of product produced). SBTs are an ambitious class of targets that are discussed further below and must meet stringent quality criteria. Otherwise, a company’s (non-SBT) target can involve any combination of the scopes.

Science-based targets (SBTs)

SBTs are those targets consistent with the level of decarbonization required by science to limit global warming to less than 2°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures. The Climate Data Explorer recognizes as SBTs those targets that have been reviewed and approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative, a joint initiative of CDP, the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and WWF. Approved SBTs must meet a range of criteria, including:

Boundary: The target covers company-wide scope 1 and scope 2 emissions and all GHGs as required in the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.
Timeframe: The target must cover a minimum of 5 years from the date of announcement of the target. For companies with a long-term target (e.g. more than 15 years from the announcement date), interim targets are needed.
Level of ambition: The target will be consistent with the level of decarbonization required to keep global temperature increase below 2°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures.
Scope 3: An ambitious scope 3 target is also required when scope 3 emissions cover a significant portion (greater than 40% of total scope 1+2+3 emissions) of a company’s overall emissions.
Reporting: The company will disclose company-wide GHG emissions inventory on an annual basis.

The Climate Data Explorer reports all SBTs that have been approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative. The number of SBT is increasing with time and the ‘Dashboard’ shows the number and aggregate impact of all approved SBTs to date.

Data sources

All emissions and non-SBT data are from the CDP, which should be consulted for data on other companies.
Data on SBTs were sourced from the Science Based Targets Initiative, to which companies directly submit SBT information.

Indicators

The following tables describe the various data fields and metrics in the Climate Data Explorer.

'Dashboard' view

Field	Descriptor
The current number of companies with SBTs	Companies that have successfully developed targets in line with the Science Based Targets initiative’s Call to Action. For more information, see: http://sciencebasedtargets.org
Aggregate reduction from existing SBTs (million metric tonnes CO2e)	Calculated by summing the total reductions committed by companies through their science-based targets. These targets may have different target years and base years, such that the aggregate figure does not necessarily convey the emissions reductions that all companies could achieve over a specific period. The reductions from intensity SBTs have been calculated by assuming that: (a) business activity rates will increase 3.8% per annum, unless more specific assumptions have been provided by companies. The 3.8% value is based on the average real GDP growth rate increase over the past 50 years (reference); (b) emissions intensities in the absence of the SBT will remain at the base year level, across the entire target period; and (c) emissions intensities under the SBT will remain at the target level, across the entire target period.
Map: Companies by country	Map shows the countries in which companies are domiciled. Dataset includes FTSE Global 500 companies that report to CDP and any additional companies with science-based targets.
Absolute emissions of the companies achieving the largest percentage reductions in scope 1 and 2 emissions from 2013 to 2015	Graph shows the companies that have achieved the largest percentage reduction in combined scope 1 and 2 emissions over the 2013-2015 period. Companies are shown in descending order of percentage reductions. Data are provided only for FTSE Global 500 companies that reported emissions data to CDP. Caveat: Graph excludes companies that may have made substantial reductions during or prior to 2013.

'Companies' view

Field	Descriptor
Company	Climate Data Explorer shows data for the top 500 companies in the FTSE Global Equity Index Series (as of January 1st, 2015). Additional companies with science-based targets are also shown.
Country	A company’s country allocation is based on incorporation and stock market listing, along with market perception.
Sector	Companies have been independently assigned to a Sector based on the GISC classification system
Combined S1+2 emissions in 2013 (metric tonnes CO2e)	Aggregate scope 1 and scope 2 emissions in 2013. An empty cell indicates data are not available.
2015: Number of scope 3 categories calculated and reported	Based on the 15 scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard. Included in this metric are all categories for which a company provided data, whether a company has deemed these categories relevant or not. A value of ‘0’ means company did not report any scope 3 categories to CDP in latest reporting year (2015).
Type of target	Whether company has set an absolute and/or intensity target. Need not be an SBT. Absolute targets entail reductions in the gross amount of emissions companies emit to the atmosphere. Intensity targets entail reductions in the amount of GHGs emitted per unit of activity, such as the amount of GHGs per number of employees or amount of product produced. Intensity targets do not necessarily lead to reductions in gross emissions. ‘Unknown’ means company did not report to CDP in latest reporting year (2015), so CDP data cannot be used to ascertain existence of target.
Has set science-based target?	Whether company has set an SBT, as approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative

'Detailed company' view

Field	Descriptor
Emissions graph
Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions (metric tonnes CO2e)	Emissions data are disaggregated by scope and provided for 2010 onwards
Number of calculated scope 3 categories	The total number of scope 3 categories for which companies indicated emissions had been calculated
Scope 3 categories reported	List of the specific scope 3 categories for which companies indicated emissions had been calculated. Revealed as a tooltip.
Science-based targets
Target description	Description of primary target.
Intensity metric	Only provided for intensity targets. Measurement units are reported when available.
Scope of target	Combination of scopes covered by target
Percentage of emissions in scope (%)	The percentage of emissions within the designated scope(s) covered by the target
Annual percentage reduction required (%)	The compounded percentage reduction required each year to reach the target. Not necessarily the value a company strives for each year.
Supplemental target	Whether and how company has set targets for scope 3 sources. Should its scope 3 emissions exceed 40% of its value chain inventory, it must have set an ambitious target for its scope 3 sources, according to criteria of the Science Based Targets Initiative
Target setting method	Description of the methodology used to set the target
Notes
Non-SBT absolute target
Scope 3 categories covered	As determined from supplied information. Categories based on the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard. ÒOtherÓ means the appropriate scope 3 category could not be determined based on the available information.
Base year emissions (metric tonnes CO2e)	Absolute emissions in the base year for the scopes of the target
Percentage of emissions in scope (%)	The percentage of emissions within the designated scope(s) covered by the target
Annual percentage reduction required (%)	Calculated by dividing the ÒPercentage reduction in absolute emissions of base year (%)Ó by the duration of the target in years
Scope 2 method underlying target	Which of the 2 S2 methods was used to set the target.
Notes
General comment on target	Provided verbatim from the companyÕs CDP disclosure
Percentage target completion – time (%)	Progress against target in terms of time elapsed
Percentage target completion – reductions (%)	Progress against target in terms of emissions reductions achieved
Comment on progress toward target	Provided verbatim from the companyÕs CDP disclosure
Non-SBT intensity target
Scope 3 categories covered	As determined from supplied information. Categories based on the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard. ÒOtherÓ means the appropriate scope 3 category could not be determined based on the available information.
Normalised emissions in base year	Value of the intensity metric in the base year
Percentage of emissions in scope (%)	The percentage of emissions within the designated scope(s) covered by the target
Percentage reduction from base year (%)	The targeted percentage reduction in the value of the intensity metric (%)
Notes
General comment on target	Provided verbatim from the companyÕs CDP disclosure
Percentage target completion – time (%)	Progress against target in terms of time elapsed
Percentage target completion – reductions (%)	Progress against target in terms of emissions reductions achieved
Comment on progress toward target	Provided verbatim from the companyÕs CDP disclosure
Direction and magnitude of change anticipated in absolute Scope 1+2 emissions upon target completion	Projected impact of the intensity target on each of absolute scope 1+2 and scope 3 emissions
Direction and magnitude of change anticipated in absolute Scope 3 emissions upon target completion
Comment on impacts on absolute emissions	Provided verbatim from the companyÕs CDP disclosure

Contact

If you have any questions or feedback regarding the Climate Data Explorer, please feel free to send us your feedback at cait@wri.org.

What is the CAIT Paris Contributions Map and the CAIT Pre-2020 Pledges Map?

Built on the robust CAIT 2.0 platform, the CAIT Paris Contributions Map enables users to visualize and assess the greenhouse gas mitigation plans in each country's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). The tool structures INDC data according to a framework based on the Lima Decision, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Mitigation Goal Standard, and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Policy and Action Standard to help users better understand submitted INDCs. By highlighting the information provided by Parties (referred to as "countries" in this FAQ), and where that information is lacking, the Paris Contributions Map helps to enhance transparency.

Users are able to map greenhouse gas reduction goals by type (e.g. base year emissions goal or base year intensity goal), included sectors, included greenhouse gases, or percentage of national emissions covered. By clicking directly on a country within the map, users can see a summary of relevant information related to that specific country's contribution.

The CAIT Pre-2020 Pledges Map highlights pledges that were submitted by countries to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2009 and 2010, outlining actions countries would take by 2020.

The two tools have the similar functionality, presenting information submitted by countries at different points of the negotiations.

How do I use the map?

A map view in the tool allows users to see all submitted country contributions at a glance. Users may select a specific indicator from the drop-down menu to examine what types of GHG reduction goals countries use and what sectors are covered, among other options. On the map, users can also click on a country to access a short summary of the mitigation-related information countries submitted to the UNFCCC.

A complete, structured list of information can be accessed by clicking on "Detailed View" or by using the search box on the top right. This allow users to access complete list of mitigation-related information countries submitted to the UNFCCC and see indicators side by side for a maximum of 3 countries. This view does not imply a direct comparability of the contributions or pledges as a whole but allows users to see singe indicators side by side.

The complete data on the site is available for direct download by clicking on "Download Data" on the top right menu.

Can I download all data?

Yes, the pre-2020 pledges data is available at here.
Please note that portions of the content are in html format.

What are INDCs and pre-2020 pledges?

Under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), countries committed to create a new international climate agreement by the conclusion of the Paris climate summit in December 2015. In order to help facilitate that goal, countries agreed to release public outlines of actions they intend to take. These commitments are known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or INDCs.

In their mitigation INDCs, countries propose the steps they intend to take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Each country's proposal takes into account its specific national priorities, circumstances, and capabilities. Taken together, the individual INDCs are likely to form the basis for the global agreement.

The Pre-2020 Pledges Map profiles country mitigation pledges made before and during climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009 and Cancun in 2010.

Do you perform an assessment of the INDCs through the CAIT Paris Contributions Map?

The CAIT Paris Contributions Map presents data submitted by countries to the UNFCCC and therefore does not include an assessment of the INDCs. The tool transcribes the mitigation component of the INDCs into a uniform format, making it easy for users to see what information countries have submitted.

Does the map tell me anything about ambition of the contributions?

The CAIT Paris Contributions Map does not evaluate ambition per se. Rather, the tool focuses on making INDCs transparent and accessible, aiming to facilitate others' assessments of ambition, equity, and other factors.

Is this all the information submitted by countries to the UNFCCC? What about adaptation? What about finance?

The CAIT Pre-2020 Pledges Map only incorporates climate change mitigation pledges and does not include pledges related to issues such as adaptation or finance.

Likewise, the CAIT Paris Contributions Map focuses only on the mitigation component of countries' INDCs. Countries may include proposals in their INDCs related to adaptation, finance, capacity-building, and/or other issues, but the Paris Contributions Map does not focus on these other contribution types.

The focus of these tools on mitigation stems from links to WRI's work on the GHG Protocol Mitigation Goal Standard and Policy and Action Standard, which apply specifically to GHG mitigation, and should not be read as a commentary on the proper scope of INDCs or on the role of adaptation or finance in the UNFCCC. Separately, WRI has worked on the role of adaptation in INDCs, and has tracked progress toward meeting finance commitments under the UNFCCC.

What is the methodology behind the map?

All assumptions and development decisions for the map are clearly documented in the "Documentation" link on the top right. This also includes the structure and the sources of information presented in the map. For some countries, information is not applicable or has not been provided.

For the Pre-2020 Pledges Map, the data set includes 15 developed (Annex I) and 58 developing (non-Annex I) countries. Developed countries committed to quantified economy-wide emissions reduction targets and developing countries submitted a diverse range of nationally appropriate mitigation actions. The data is based on national government documents submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Where can I provide feedback on the tools?

Please contact us either via email at wcait@wri.org or through our feedback form. We will reply to you as soon as possible.

What abbreviations are used?

Please refer to the "Documentation" link on the top right to access the full documentation.

CDM	Clean Development Mechanism
GHG	Greenhouse Gases
GWP	Global Warming Potential
INDCs	Intended Nationally Determined Contributions
LULUCF	Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry
NAMAs	Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions

Will you be expanding this map over time adding new features?

We will continue to work to make the map more useful and user friendly. Please provide feedback if you have ideas or suggestions.
Additionally, once more proposals are available we will add a dashboard providing a big picture view of the state and format of INDC submissions.

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