PA Consulting

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.

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PA purchases renewable energy credits to compensate for any non-renewable electricity sourcing across its global operations, which accounts for the majority of its Scope 2 market-based emissions reduction (3 tCO2e in 2024 vs 316 in 2023). The company has set a SBTi-validated target to source 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 against a 2019 baseline, achieving 99% in 2024 (up from 77% in 2023). PA also maintains ISO 50001 certification for its owned location (Global Innovation and Technology Centre) where it has more control over energy consumption.

PA invested in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Scope 3 Category 6 credits in 2024, providing a -50 tCO2e mitigation entry in its GHG inventory. The company explicitly states this is the beginning of a long-term partnership and hopes to seed the SAF industry for the future. This is distinct from avoided emissions or traditional carbon offsets and represents an insetting-style approach to supply-chain decarbonisation for business aviation travel. No durable removal technologies (DAC, BECCS, biochar) are mentioned.

• Business travel reduction via SAF credits and behavioural management

  Business travel (Scope 3 Category 6) is PA's single largest emissions source at 5,072 tCO2e in 2024 (down 5% from 5,358 in 2023 and significantly below the 2019 baseline of 9,217 tCO2e). In 2024 PA invested in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Scope 3 credits yielding a -50 tCO2e mitigation, with ambition to seed a long-term SAF industry partnership. PA's SBTi Scope 3 intensity target (per £m EBITDA) of -55% by 2030 covers travel. UK transportation energy fell 44% year-on-year to 2,296,143 kWh in 2024.

• Employee commuting emissions monitoring and reduction

  Employee commuting (Scope 3 Category 7) is PA's second largest emissions source at 4,155 tCO2e in 2024 (down 1% from 4,201 in 2023, and up from the 2019 baseline of 3,646 tCO2e reflecting expanded headcount since baseline). This is tracked as part of the SBTi Scope 3 intensity target. UK transportation (personal car) data showed a 44% reduction in 2024 to 2,296,143 kWh, contributing to commuting reduction efforts.

• Office energy decarbonisation at owned Global Innovation and Technology Centre

  PA has been actively decarbonising its Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Cambridgeshire, UK — its only owned site. It maintains ISO 14001 certification for its main UK sites and ISO 50001 for GITC where it has more control over energy consumption. The firm has also invested in a 'no mow' biodiversity area at GITC. UK net energy consumption was 3817 GWh in 2024 (+3.2% from 2023). Scope 1 emissions remain near-flat at 314 tCO2e for 2024.

• Employee commuting and EV transition support

  Employee commuting is one of the largest Scope 3 categories for PA, with global commuting emissions of 4,200.6 tCO2e in 2023 (up 54% from 2022). PA has introduced an EV salary sacrifice scheme and on-site EV chargers to support the transition to lower-carbon commuting, specifically targeting electric vehicles as a risk mitigation for its low-carbon technology risk identified under TCFD.

• Office energy efficiency improvements at GITC headquarters

  During 2023, PA continued improving efficiency at its Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC), its only owned building, completing internal refurbishment and further updates to its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. The £11m refurbishment project also included a complete roof upgrade and air handling unit replacement to improve thermal efficiency. PA has invested in upgraded submeters for electricity distribution. The firm is in planning stages for heating upgrades at GITC aimed at substantially reducing Scope 1 emissions.

• Business travel reduction via behaviour change

  PA identifies travel-related emissions as a key lever, noting that reducing travel emissions is likely achievable through changes in behaviour rather than substantial investment. Business air travel globally fell 19% year-on-year (from 14.7m km to 11.8m km in 2023), though business train and car travel increased, resulting in net higher overall travel emissions. Continued reduction in air travel supports the 75% Scope 1&2 and 55% Scope 3 intensity reduction targets.

• Hybrid working model to manage employee commuting emissions

  PA continued to develop and implement its hybrid working model in 2022, noting that as more people returned to the office, commuting emissions increased materially. The company is monitoring commuting data more robustly, having corrected a methodology error from 2021. Hybrid working is described as a structural approach to balancing office occupancy, with no plans to exit main office locations but continued review of lease requirements.

• Business travel reduction as post-pandemic normalisation

  Business travel returned towards pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and represented a significant cost and emissions increase (global business travel tCO2e rose from ~988 to ~4,727 tCO2e). PA has noted this as a key cost and emissions driver. The company acknowledges this still represents a reduction from the 2019 baseline and frames its hybrid working model as a structural lever to manage commuting and travel emissions going forward.

• Office energy efficiency and GITC refurbishment

  PA commenced refurbishment of its Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) near Cambridge in 2022, including replacing end-of-life air handling plant, re-insulating the roof, and completing replacement of fluorescent lighting with LEDs. A significant reduction in energy consumption is expected post-completion. PA also invested in improved submetering systems to enhance data quality, and maintains ISO 50001 energy management accreditation at GITC.

• Science Based Targets and net zero 2030 Carbon Reduction Plan

  In 2021, PA's board committed to setting Science Based Targets aligned to 1.5°C and to reaching net zero across all operations by 2030. This forms the basis of the firm's first formal Carbon Reduction Plan. GHG data is compiled and verified by an external consultancy under GHG Protocol and SECR, covering Scope 1 (gas, F-gas), Scope 2 (grid electricity), and Scope 3 (business travel, procurement, T&D losses, waste, commuting).

• Business travel reduction through hybrid working model

  COVID-19 accelerated adoption of remote and hybrid working at PA, which materially suppressed business travel emissions in 2020 and 2021 (global air travel down 55% year-on-year). Management is transitioning to a permanent hybrid model, balancing the expected recovery of global travel in 2022 against a structurally lower travel baseline as clients and staff move to hybrid ways of working.

• Office energy efficiency and facility upgrade at GITC

  PA is improving maintenance regimes and upgrading its Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Melbourn, UK — its only owned facility. Actions include replacing lighting with LEDs, upgrading the building management system for better analytics, and preparation for a major refurbishment expected to begin in 2022. The firm expects substantial energy savings from these measures on the path to net zero.

• Supply chain sustainability management improvement (Scope 3 Cat 1 purchased goods & services)

  Purchased goods and services (Cat 1) is PA's third largest Scope 3 category at 8,962 tCO2e in 2024 (down 8% from 9,744 in 2023), primarily driven by subcontractor and professional services spend. In 2024, PA worked on improving its supply chain sustainability management systems as part of its SBTi commitments. The Scope 3 Cat 1 intensity target forms part of the -55% per £m EBITDA reduction objective by 2030.

• Climate advisory services and supply chain sustainability engagement

  PA works with suppliers and customers to spread change across the value chain as part of its climate response. The firm has implemented a Social Value Community of Practice to monitor client requirements and respond to increasing customer expectations around climate change mitigation measures. PA's Sustainability and Circular Economy (S&CE) Proposition is resourced and aligned to capitalise on the growing sustainability market, and the firm is developing wider sustainability-related targets in line with WEF recommendations.

• Scope 3 data improvement and supply chain engagement

  PA improved data collection and allocation methodologies across Scope 3 categories in 2022 to ensure correct allocation per GHG Protocol guidance. The company collects more information from landlords on leased office energy and is working to improve robustness and granularity of Scope 3 data generally. The Scope 3 emissions intensity target of 55% reduction by 2030 forms part of the SBTi submission, focused on business travel and other indirect categories.

• Client sustainability and decarbonisation advisory work

  PA frames client sustainability work as a key growth area, including designing new EV chargepoint concepts unveiled at COP26, partnering with clients on sustainable packaging, assisting with the sustainability benefits of organisational agility, and helping clients think about water decarbonisation. The firm expects more business opportunities in these areas as clients accelerate their own sustainability transitions post-COVID.