Protecting our planet
At Jacobs we’re invested in creating a more equitable society and a lasting legacy; we do things right, striving to leave our planet and our communities better than we found them.
Aligned with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), PlanBeyond® is our approach to integrating sustainability throughout our operations and client solutions — planning beyond today for a more sustainable future for everyone. We’ve invested in a portfolio focused on creating positive social and economic impacts, while protecting our environment and improving resilience.
Our climate response
Climate response is one of three core accelerators in our company strategy and our Climate Action Plan (updated in FY22) sets out our climate mitigation and adaptation commitments.
Our key ambitions focus on driving positive impact through our operations and client solutions — including achieving net zero across the value chain by 2040 and contributing to the UN SDGs across all of our solutions by 2025.
Our ESG Disclosures Report shares our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance, reported in accordance with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board framework and informed by Global Reporting Initiative standards.
Our net-zero target is approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, and our carbon neutrality status is in line with the international standard PAS 2060. Detailed in our Carbon Neutrality Commitment, we achieved 100% low-carbon electricity, and we became carbon neutral for our operations and business travel in 2020. We continue to maintain these commitments. Our suite of digital tools is enabling us to streamline our ESG data gathering, calculations and analytics.
In FY23, Jacobs launched our inaugural Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs) which further reflects our industry leadership and commitment to incorporating sustainability into the company’s financing strategy. The SLBs' interest rate is underpinned by two Key Performance Indicators, one that is linked to gender equality and reduced inequalities (UN SDG 5 and UN SDG 10) and the other to climate action (UN SDG 13).
In FY22, we saw a 61% reduction in total value chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 1, Scope 2 market-based and Scope 3) to 130,232 tCO₂e, from a proforma FY19 baseline that reflects our acquisitions. Our net GHG emissions for Scopes 1 and 2 and Scope 3 business travel after the application of energy attribute certificates (Scope 2 market-based) and carbon offsets for FY22 is zero. Third party verified data for FY23 will be issued in FY241.
We commit that 65% of our suppliers by spend, covering purchased goods and services, will have science-based targets by 2025.
Supporting efforts to catalyze a step-change in climate response ambitions for business, we joined The Climate Pledge, a commitment by companies to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 — a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement’s goal of 2050.
As our business shifts, so do our sustainability ambitions. In FY24, we’ll adapt and pivot our PlanBeyond approach to ensure we continue to drive positive impact by channeling our expansive capabilities in resilient, inclusive infrastructure, clean water, clean energy, social value and beyond.
1 All other Scope 3 emissions, including PA Consulting which is included in Scope 3 as an investment based on Jacobs' 65% ownership, are reported in our ESG Disclosures Reports.
Carbon neutral & 100% low carbon electricity
Fiscal 2019 and 2022 greenhouse gas emissions in tonnes
Scope 1 emissions are greenhouse gas emissions that a company directly creates at the source. For example, exhaust from vehicles or combustion of natural gas in a boiler for heating a building.
Scope 2 emissions are greenhouse gas emissions that are indirectly caused by the energy consumption of a company, but which are emitted from equipment or sources controlled by other parties.
Scope 3 emissions are the indirect greenhouse gas emissions that come from all the other activities a company engages in and are often referred to as emissions from the supply chain.
Amount of renewable electricity purchased by region in fiscal 2022
Note: Scope 2 emissions are location-based emissions. Scope 3 emissions include business travel only. Business travel emissions have been updated to reflect the full life cycle emissions which include well-to-tank emissions along with tank-to-wheel emissions. All other Scope 3 emissions are reported in our ESG Disclosures Reports.
Our global communities
Go Behind the Scenes of our 2023 Rwanda Bridge Build
In this video, #OurJacobs team share a sneak peek into daily life on site building a piece of critical infrastructure that will enable residents to safely access vital resources. Stationed in a local village for two weeks, our volunteers were immersed within the community, living and working alongside local community members while exchanging cultural and technical skills to build the Tigano footbridge. Discover more →
Consistent with our values, every year we invest in local communities not only where our employees live and work, but globally, collaborating with charities and not-for-profit organizations to make a positive impact.
Through Collectively℠, our approach to global giving and volunteering, employees are empowered to engage with charities and community organizations that align with our values and strategic causes. Jacobs provides employees benefits for donation matching, grant nomination, paid volunteer time and volunteer rewards.
In FY23, through Collectively, we supported communities devastated by the continuing war in Ukraine and events including the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. We also supported organizations including Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization serving global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises.
We joined companies around the world in signing the Ukraine Business Compact 2023 — a declarative statement of international business support for Ukraine’s recovery.
“I’m excited about this bridge because it means kids can safely access school during the rainy season and not have to drop out.”
Beatrice Local community worker, Rwanda Bridge Build
Twelve Jacobs employees participated in our 15th Bridges to Prosperity bridge build, constructing a footbridge in Rwanda, that now provides over 2,700 local community members with year-round safe passage.
Our annual Water for People campaign raised more than $230,000 in corporate and employee funds to create local water and sanitation utilities around the globe.
Around the world, our people deliver a science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education and engagement program that supports our commitment to equality, inclusion and diversity. The Butterfly Effect is designed to enable young people to develop the knowledge and understanding they need to put sustainability at the heart of everything they do
Gold Medal Award Reinforces Jacobs’ Sustainability Credentials
Jacobs won the World Environment Center’s prestigious 2023 Gold Medal Award recognizing our sustainability transformation. The Center’s annual Gold Medal Award recognizes one international company demonstrating a global vision and a commitment to sustainable development through innovative applications of policies, economic, environmental and social responsibilities. Discover more →
The Butterfly Effect, the Journey So Far
Since we launched The Butterfly Effect in 2021, elementary school pupils across the globe have been learning about climate change, and building the knowledge and understanding they need to put sustainability at the heart of everything they do as the consumers of the future. Discover more →
Delivering our Action Plan for Advancing Justice and Equality
Our Action Plan for Advancing Justice and Equality focuses on advancing Black and historically underrepresented employees and contributing to structural change in broader society. We continue to work toward our five-year target of investing $10 million by mid-2025 to support targeted charitable donations, further STEAM outreach efforts to historically underrepresented groups, increase our support of diverse suppliers, and strengthen our commitment to developing and hiring the best diverse talent. In FY23, we invested approximately $1.7 million toward this commitment.
We are supporting several Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs), including Howard University where the Jacobs Equity and Advancement Program, a scholarship program and student engagement plan, provides monetary supplement to STEAM education, as well as supporting opportunities for research, mentorship and continued STEAM outreach.
We have completed our $1M support to build and open SEED School of LA County, proudly serving 400 at risk students from one of the city’s most historically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
We’re supporting the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation’s mission to graduate 100 disadvantaged Black Britons through U.K. universities in the next decade. And, we’re working with 20/20 Levels to help racially underrepresented people to access career and business development opportunities. We’re partnering with Tent’s LGBTQ+ Refugee Mentorship Initiative, pairing Jacobs mentors with LGBTQ+ refugees fleeing persecution. While industry benchmarks for supplier diversity currently average around 7.2% of total spend, in FY23 we spent $2.18 billion on diverse, minority-owned and disadvantaged businesses, representing approximately 34.35% of our total supply chain spend.
