Setting a Target for Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Autodesk has developed a new approach that corporations can follow in setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The approach calls for companies to reduce GHG emissions in line with global scientific and policy climate stabilization targets, and in proportion to companies’ relative contribution to the economy, measured by gross domestic product (GDP).

If all companies were to adopt this approach, private sector emissions would be on track to help stabilize the climate by 2050. Autodesk is making this approach open source so that other companies can adopt and build upon it.

Autodesk’s Approach to Setting a Target
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that in order for climate stabilization to occur, industrialized countries need to reduce their absolute GHG emissions by 85% by the year 2050. Our approach, called C-FACT, entails creating an index that enables companies to:

• Align corporate GHG reduction target with the IPCC goal
• Adjust for relative contribution to global GDP
• Annually recalculate target based on the previous year’s performance

Autodesk has committed to following this approach through the year 2020. In the spirit of transparency, we will publish the annual target derived from this methodology and our performance against that target at the close of each fiscal year (FY).

For FY10 (February 2009-January 2010), the methodology points to the need for Autodesk to reduce its absolute emissions by 4.52% compared to our FY09 (February 2008-January 2009) baseline. This translates to 3,756 metric tons of GHG.

Email us if you would like to receive a free Excel template to help you follow the
C-FACT methodology, if you have questions or comments about C-FACT, or suggestions for improvements.

About Autodesk's Commitment to Sustainability
Sustainability is central to Autodesk’s ongoing success as a company. As a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software, Autodesk and its tools help enable innovative, achievable solutions for a more sustainable world. By modeling sustainable business practices, including innovating new corporate best practices on carbon accounting and target setting, Autodesk inspires peers and business partners to espouse similar leadership positions.