Boston Consulting Group

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.

• · Puro.earth Registry
• · berkeley_voluntary_registry
• · CarbonPlan OffsetsDB

BCG offices have used 100% renewable electricity since 2019. The firm transitions direct electricity supply to renewable tariffs wherever feasible and procures unbundled energy attribute certificates (EACs) for the remainder, aligning EACs as closely as possible to the country and year of electricity consumption. This shift drove approximately 82% of the firm's Scope 1+2 emissions reduction. Additionally, hybrid and electric vehicles now represent 49% of the leased car fleet (up from 7% in 2018).

In 2023, 52% of BCG's 425 KtCO2e retired carbon credits were carbon dioxide removals (up from 48% in 2022), targeting 100% CDR by 2030. Portfolio includes nature-based removals (afforestation, mangroves, soil carbon — 48%), biochar (3%, including partnerships with NetZero Biochar in Brazil and Exomad Green in Bolivia), and durable engineered DAC via 15-year partnership with Climeworks plus new deals with 1PointFive, CarbonCapture Inc., and NextGen (CarboCulture, Summit Carbon Solutions). Committed to purchase 100,000+ tons of durable removals by 2030 via First Movers Coalition. Uses Sylvera ratings (100% of rated projects ranked in top 25% quality).

• Office energy efficiency and sustainable office selection

  45+ offices hold green building certifications (LEED Platinum, BREEAM, etc.). BCG partnered with a specialist sustainability firm to develop green office selection and fit-out standards. 2023 Paris office relocation to L1ve building exemplifies the approach: HQE Excellent, LEED Gold, WELL Gold certifications; avoided 394 metric tons CO2 by reusing 81+ tonnes of existing materials; rooftop solar and geothermal system. Natural gas use in offices reduced.

• Business travel reduction (largest emissions source ~80%)

  Business travel is BCG's largest emissions source (~80% of total). SBTi-validated target: cut Scope 3 business travel emissions by 48.5% per FTE by 2025 vs 2018 baseline; achieved 62% reduction by 2023. Levers include cascading carbon budgets to regions/practices/functions with named owners, purposeful co-location teaming models with clients, weekend stays at client sites, evolved internal meeting formats (40-50% emissions reduction per attendee via CO2 optimizer tool), case emissions calculator dashboards visible to MDPs, and promoting train over air where viable.

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) procurement

  BCG has been an early mover in adopting SAF as a key component of its net zero strategy, recognizing SAF can reduce jet fuel life-cycle emissions by up to 100%. In 2023, focused on strengthening partnerships and contributing to an efficient SAF emissions reductions market, including involvement in the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance and partnerships with accounting standards and registries. Did not retire SAF certificates in 2023's reported inventory.

• Business travel reduction via hybrid teaming and travel norms

  Business travel is BCG's largest emissions source. Target: cut 48.5% per FTE by 2025 vs 2018. Achieved 60% reduction per FTE in 2022 (50% from changing travel behaviors, 9% aviation efficiency, 1% SAF). Levers: hybrid co-location plans with clients, weekend stay-overs to reduce trips, defaulting train over plane for viable European routes, and reformatted global meetings reducing emissions per attendee ~40%.

• Office energy efficiency and green building certifications

  More than 40 BCG offices hold formal green building certification (LEED Platinum, BREEAM). New offices follow BCG green office standards developed with a specialist sustainability firm, covering energy, water, lighting density, EnergyStar appliances, climate-neutral furniture, and accessibility. Flagship Washington DC office targets 38% water reduction and 20% lighting power density reduction vs average office.

• Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) procurement partnerships

  BCG signed new SAF partnerships with Qantas and Air Canada (Leave Less Travel Program) and deepened existing partnerships with SkyNRG, Neste, and United Airlines. Helped develop WEF's SAFc Emissions Accounting Guidelines and SABA Sustainability Framework for SAF. Requires SAF verified against RSB CORSIA / ISCC CORSIA standards. SAF accounted for ~1% of 2022 business travel reductions—small but a deliberate early-adopter signal.

• Fleet electrification of leased cars

  Hybrid and electric vehicles now represent ~40% of BCG's leased car fleet, with fully electric vehicle count up 400% since 2018. Several BCG offices have committed to renewing only electric leases from 2022 onward, contributing ~12% of the Scope 1+2 reductions alongside natural gas reductions.

• Client decarbonisation enablement (1+ Gt avoided by 2030)

  BCG estimates it is supporting clients to implement reductions of more than 1 gigaton of CO2 emissions by 2030 — equivalent to the combined annual emissions of Germany and the UK. Delivered 1,500+ climate and sustainability projects in 2023 (up 56% YoY) for 700+ clients. ~70% of top 100 Energy and Industrial Goods clients engaged on climate/sustainability cases. Committed $2 billion through 2030; $750 million invested since 2020.

• Supply chain (purchased goods & capital goods) decarbonisation

  Other Scope 3 sources (purchased goods, capital goods, employee commuting, fuel/energy, waste) totaled 120 KtCO2e in 2023 (up from 106 KtCO2e in 2018). BCG embeds sustainability questionnaires in 100% of supplier RFP templates, requires Supplier Code of Conduct adherence in 100% of supplier contracts, and is collecting supplier-specific emissions data to enable Scope 3 decarbonisation tracking. Achieved EcoVadis Platinum rating in 2023.

• Supply chain decarbonisation via supplier sustainability questionnaires

  All BCG supplier RFP templates include a sustainability questionnaire (enhanced in 2022 for energy efficiency assessment), and 100% of supplier contracts require adherence to the Supplier Code of Conduct. BCG is quantifying Scope 3 purchased goods/services emissions to inform supplier engagement, and 100% of category managers attended sustainable procurement training.