Aon

Carbon per million dollars of revenue. The legacy industry-standard reference (CDP, MSCI). Useful for cross-sector context, but distorted by margin — high-margin firms appear artificially efficient. Read alongside the operational and asset intensities for the full picture.

OpEx (operating expenditure) is the running cost of the business — staff, services, energy, materials. This shows how carbon-intensive operations are per million dollars of spend. Removes the margin distortion that revenue-based ratios introduce.

EVIC (Enterprise Value Including Cash) is the firm's total capital footprint — equity + debt + cash + minority interest. The EU's standard intensity measure (SFDR PAI 3) — answers: how much carbon does each million of capital deployed in this business produce?

PP&E (Property, Plant & Equipment) plus leased real-estate assets is the firm's physical infrastructure on the balance sheet. This shows the carbon intensity of that physical footprint — uses Scope 1+2+3 for consistency with the other headline intensities. Surfaces stranded-asset risk for asset-heavy firms.

Carbon per FTE (full-time-equivalent employee) — the diagnostic measure for people-leveraged businesses where headcount, not capital, drives delivery. Captures the office, energy and travel footprint per person.

Aon continues to expand its use of renewable energy and is at 48% kWh usage for Aon's real estate footprint (excluding NFP) as of 2024. Strategy focuses on driving energy efficiency across the real estate portfolio and technology, including renewables, supported by facilities optimization projects such as LED lighting upgrades and HVAC system improvements.

Aon has stated it intends to neutralize any residual emissions with permanent carbon removals at the end of its net-zero target (12/31/2030). As a first step, Aon purchased the environmental attributes of more than 40,000 gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in collaboration with Amex GBT and Shell, achieving a 74.72% GHG reduction compared to fossil jet fuel. The SAF volume was consumed in October 2023, generating 403.378 tCO2 in biogenic carbon. The firm has not yet specified which permanent carbon removal technologies (e.g. DAC, BECCS) it will use for residual neutralization.

• Office energy efficiency via LEED-certified buildings

  Aon has moved its operations in many major cities into newer office buildings that consume less energy and water and are certified by the LEED Green Building Program or other internationally recognized ranking programs. This is positioned under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) as part of its environmental impact strategy.

• Hardware leasing and circular IT

  Aon has moved from ownership to leasing of hardware through third-party partners, which enables end-of-life recycling for printers, print cartridges and laptops. Office products are increasingly refurbished to reduce waste, and Aon donates to local communities to extend the life cycle of materials and products.

• Net-Zero Committee governance

  Aon's management team has established a Net-Zero Committee to develop short, medium and long-term strategies to support firm sustainability and the commitment to net-zero from own operations (Scope 1 and Scope 2) by 2030. Jointly sponsored and chaired by chief procurement officer and head of strategic finance and corporate sustainability.

• Business travel reduction via flexible/Smart Working

  Aon thoughtfully approaches its travel and commuting footprint. The Smart Working model enables flexible working arrangements (remote, in-office, client office, or combination), supported by investment in virtual technology. This allows clients to reduce their own footprints with more thoughtful decisions on travel.

• Real estate energy efficiency

  Reducing the impact of real estate footprint by reducing space used and improving energy efficiency across real estate portfolio and technology. Hundreds of facilities optimization projects undertaken including LED lighting upgrades, utility capacity optimization, and upgrading of heating and cooling systems. Moves to newer, more energy-efficient buildings (e.g., new Dublin office) including LEED-certified buildings.

• Business travel reduction and Sustainable Aviation Fuel

  Aon controls its direct operations emissions through thoughtful travel and its Smart Working strategy. The firm invests in innovative solutions such as a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) pilot program to reduce the impact of air travel emissions, which is one of its dominant Scope 3 categories.

• Real estate energy efficiency programme via JLL partnership

  Aon has implemented a Global Energy Program in partnership with JLL to capture Scope 1 and 2 utility data across all buildings and manage energy consumption through a single global reporting platform. A benchmarking exercise identified 'Priority Locations' where Energy Usage Intensity exceeds best practice; formal action plans are underway. Initiatives include LED lighting upgrades across global offices, consumption deviation investigation and resolution, and energy/environmental 'Good Catches' by FM teams. Aon also procures 100% renewable electricity where available in deregulated utility markets.

• Business travel reduction and Smart Working alternatives

  Business travel (Scope 3 Cat 6) is the dominant operational emissions source at 70,859 tCO2e in FY2023, up significantly from the 2019 base of 41,111 tCO2e as travel resumed post-COVID. Aon's Environmental Policy explicitly calls for 'thoughtfully approaching business travel and enabling Smart Working alternatives for colleagues.' Aon uses flight distance-based calculation (DEFRA EFs by haul class) and hotel nights for inventory. The SAF purchase in collaboration with Amex GBT and Shell represents a direct intervention in Scope 3 Cat 6.

• Employee commuting and remote work emissions management

  Employee commuting (Scope 3 Cat 7) totalled 41,528 tCO2e in FY2023, calculated using distance-based methods with government commute mix data. The methodology separately estimates commute emissions by transport mode and remote working home office energy use (electricity and natural gas per 150 sq ft home office). Aon has institutionalized 'Smart Working' alternatives to reduce commuting, consistent with its net-zero transition plan. Remote work electricity is tracked using market-based emission factors.

• Fleet electrification - Netherlands EV/hybrid conversion

  Aon has converted its Netherlands fleet to only hybrid or electrical vehicles and has several projected changes from fossil fuel to electric to minimize fleet emissions globally. Fleet combustion is captured as Scope 1 mobile combustion (15,490 tCO2e of the 22,583 tCO2e total Scope 1 in FY2023). Fleet electrification is a near-term lever to reduce this dominant Scope 1 source.

• Real estate footprint reduction & energy efficiency

  Aon is reducing the space it uses and improving energy efficiency across its real estate portfolio and technology, enabled by its Aon Business Services operational platform and its flexible Smart Working strategy (home/hybrid/office).

• Client ESG advisory through Professional Services Practice

  Aon positions itself as a partner to clients on ESG and climate transition, offering risk and insurance-based solutions including supply chain resilience, climate risk/catastrophe insight, and ESG value proposition support via its Professional Services Practice. Aon aims to mobilize private-sector capital and drive collaboration with governments, academia, and businesses on climate solutions.

• Power & energy industry risk solutions including renewables

  Aon's National Power & Energy Practice delivers specialist risk solutions to utility companies, independent power producers, renewable energy developers, grid and distribution operators, private equity and infrastructure groups across the energy mix — supporting SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).

• Responsible sourcing / supply chain engagement

  Continuing sustainable sourcing strategy, enabled by Aon Business Services platform, working closely with suppliers to understand and influence their existing carbon reduction commitments and strategies. Centralized purchasing through Aon Business Services seeks to engage and support suppliers on their own sustainability journey.

• Employee commuting via Smart Working

  Smart Working — offering home, office or hybrid working — is positioned as both an engagement lever and a way to manage commuting-related emissions. The firm cites commuting as one of the key drivers of its total footprint.

• Sustainable Procurement Programme targeting Scope 3 Cat 1 supply chain emissions

  Purchased goods and services (Cat 1) is the largest Scope 3 category at 235,406 tCO2e in FY2023. Aon has launched a Sustainable Procurement capability with Aon Business Services, deploying supplier sustainability assessments, requiring 76-99% of tier 1 suppliers by spend to set science-based emissions reduction targets (with only 1-25% currently compliant). Aon leverages the CDP Supply Chain module to engage its Top 180 suppliers by spend, collecting GHG data annually. Supplier-specific revenue intensity factors are used where available (15.28% of Cat 1 emissions calculated from supplier data).

• Supplier sustainability strategy (Scope 3)

  Aon manages Scope 3 emissions through its supplier sustainability strategy, with centralised purchasing through Aon Business Services enabling ESG goals. Aon also deploys a Supplier Risk Dashboard to help identify ESG-related supply chain risks.