The fight against climate change is a priority for BDO as a global organisation and for our global leadership, which is why we joined the Net-Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance (NZFSPA) in September 2021. Along with our GPPC peers, the BDO global network has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner, in alignment with the Paris Agreement.

“The Net-Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance will be critical to helping the financial sector achieve net zero. By joining the alliance and GFANZ, these firms are committing to ensuring their products and services support a high ambition, credible net zero transition that we need to achieve our 1.5-degree goal.”

Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of England & the UK Prime Minister’s Finance Adviser for COP26

Global net-zero programme

BDO’s global net-zero programme provides all BDO firms with a standardised global methodology and approach that supports them in calculating their firm’s baseline emissions, going on to set net-zero targets and fulfil any annual reporting obligations. This ensures the consistency and auditability of BDO’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and the reduction targets that BDO will be reporting on as a global organisation.

During 2023, a representative sample of 19 of our firms, as well as the BDO Global Office, measured their carbon footprint for the first time, across scopes 1, 2 and 3, using the BDO global methodology that references the best available climate science and standards, as well as engaging third-party expertise. With this data, we were able to extrapolate the results to calculate BDO’s first global carbon footprint.

 This is a significant milestone for BDO and represents the global organisation’s collective commitment to working together for the best interests of our firms, and the planet, as well as leading the way for other organisations to follow. We’re proud that, through the audit work that BDO undertakes for its clients, we can demonstrate that our aim is to fulfil our obligations under professional standards as external auditors, with quality, integrity and independence.

 From 2024 every firm in the BDO network will be required to measure their carbon footprint, followed by submission of their targets to SBTi and reporting in accordance with TCFD recommendations.