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.

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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 fiscal year 2011, we used the methodology to define our target to reduce absolute emissions by 10.9% compared to our fiscal year 2009 baseline. We exceeded and continue to be ahead of this target. For fiscal year 2012, our C-FACT target is a 15.8% absolute reduction from our fiscal year 2009 baseline. We will continue to pursue reduction initiatives to achieve this target.  

Learn about what we do to reduce our carbon footprint in the Environment section of the Autodesk Sustainability Report.

Autodesk Sustainability Report: Environment (pdf - 1092Kb)

Setting a Corporate Greenhouse Gas Target
Watch this video for an overview of Autodesk’s methodology.

	A Corporate Finance Approach to Climate-Stabilizing Targets (C-FACT) (pdf - 607Kb) Read this white paper for a detailed explanation of the methodology and how other corporations can adopt it.
	C-FACT Questions and Answers (pdf - 276Kb) Read frequently asked questions about C-FACT, including what makes it unique, its benefits and how it works.

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 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.