Established baseline for greener operations

A plan to become carbon neutral was included in DNV GL’s Group Strategy towards 2020. Climate action is an increasingly crucial task for society and also a priority for DNV GL.

Targets and results

We aim to deliver smarter, safer and greener performance in everything we do. We take a precautionary approach and are committed to managing and continually improving our environmental and climate performance. This is to ensure that we safeguard the environment and climate and comply with regulations and expectations.

• Targets
  • Implement a global plan with measures to become climate neutral regarding travel and buildings within 2020 
  • Measure greenhouse gas emissions from air travel for 100% of employees 
  • Include more locations in the environmental and climate reporting 
  • Add waste to our environmental reporting and establish a reporting baseline 
  • Engage in initiatives to understand our customer services’ impact on the environment.
• Results
  • Global plan to become climate neutral in our operations by 2020 established 
  • Greenhouse gas emissions from air travel are measured for 97% of employees and estimated for the remaining employees 
  • Emissions from offices and operations are estimated for 100% of our employees, directly provided from locations representing 86% of employees 
  • A reporting baseline for waste has been established for the biggest locations 
  • A project has been established to understand our customer services’ impact on the environment.
• Plans

  Governance

  • Establish environmental goals in all countries

  Carbon neutrality

  • Develop programmes to reduce our emissions from travel and operations
  • Become verified as carbon neutral by 2018

  Strategy

  • Identify opportunities to become a climate positive company that contributes to reducing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Approach

We aim to foster a safer, smarter and greener culture in which we continuously improve our environmental and climate impact. As a signatory to the UN Global Compact, taking a precautionary approach in managing environmental and climate aspects is embedded in how we run our business.

• Climate neutral strategy

  In line with our vision for a safe and sustainable future, we will reduce our negative impact on the environment. We will implement programmes to reduce our emissions and consumption from travel and operations, including sustainable procurement programmes. From 2018, our operations will be verified as being carbon neutral.

• Code of Conduct
  Our Code of Conduct states that we are to work to reduce the environmental impact of our own operations, procurements, investments and property management. Further, we are to minimize our emissions and consumption of energy and natural resources, and actively contribute to environmental protection by promoting the development and deployment of environmentally friendly technologies.
• Environmental management system
  We have been certified in accordance with ISO 14001 since 2008 and this certification is key to ensuring that the Group operates in a safer, smarter and greener manner. The certification also contributes to DNV GL being trusted as a leader that enables the safe and sustainable performance of its customers. To implement environmental initiatives, internal and external audits are undertaken at test sites and laboratories.
• Environmental reporting system and tool
  Environmental measurements, incident reporting and performance monitoring of material topics, such as energy consumption, emissions to air and waste management are followed up annually using the Synergi Life tool.
• Climate and environmental governance
  Our approach, processes and systems for managing our environmental performance throughout the Group are defined in a series of governing documents. The Global Shared Services unit supports line management, and the Group HSE function is responsible for governing and controlling environmental performance across business units using the Synergi Life tool and dedicated travel agencies.
• Green solutions

  Our operational priorities are to reduce our operations’ energy consumption and emissions to air, and the measuring and monitoring of these aspects are recorded and followed up annually. We seek appropriate and sustainable approaches and choose green solutions. If no such solution can be found, we shall as far as possible apply the solutions with the least negative environmental impact. If we undertake work which may have environmental impacts that are different to those of our normal operations, such impacts shall be identified and evaluated. 

Review

2017 is the first year for which DNV GL reports emissions from offices, operations and air travel for 100% of its employees.

Click the image above to see relevant tables and figures.

• Compliance and risk

  No risk related to climate change is considered material. Action has been taken to mitigate the potential risk of flooding at the Arnhem laboratory, which is situated on reclaimed land beside the River Rhine. This includes an early-warning system as well as the purchase of protection material. The related financial implications are limited. 

  Zero non-compliance cases involving environmental regulations and zero fines related to environmental aspects were reported in 2017.

• The total energy consumption was 118.3 GWh
  Environmental numbers are reported by 112 locations with 86% of our employees. Energy consumption is estimated for the remaining employees, based on the global average energy consumption per square metre. The Netherlands operations used energy with green certificates in 2017.
• The greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) were 25,822 tonnes CO2e

  The reported greenhouse gas emissions are from our energy consumption, burning of fuels and use of gases in lab operations. The Arnhem Power TIC Laboratory is one of the major contributors to our greenhouse gas emissions due to its use of SF6 gas. The specific greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) from the reporting locations were 2 tCO₂ per person in 2017.

• The greenhouse gas emissions from air and car travel (Scope 3) were 43,665 tonnes CO2e
  Of these, 36,444 tonnes CO₂e were from air travel. The travel agencies currently cover 97% of the permanent and temporary employees, and an estimate is made for the remaining employees. Additional 6.5 tCO₂e Scope 3 emissions from waste are reported for Norway.
• Calculation of greenhouse gas emissions

  The greenhouse gas emissions have been calculated in line with the GHG Protocol (World Business Council for Sustainable Development and World Resources Institute). For 2017, we adopted the financial and operational control approach, with the operational control criteria defining the boundary for consolidating the greenhouse gas emissions. Location-based emissions are reported globally, while market-based emissions are reported for Norway and several EU countries. Emission factors for air travel, chemical consumption and fossil fuels are based on Defra CO₂ emission factors. Indirect emissions from electricity and district heating have been calculated using country-specific grid average emission factors published by the IEA in a 2017 revision. Market-based emissions for EU countries are taken from AIB “European Residual Mixes 2016”.

• Emissions not included in the reporting

  For 2017, we have not reported emissions of the greenhouse gases CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, SF6, NF3, NOx or SOx.