Bechtle has signed a commitment letter for the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), pledging to pursue science-based climate protection targets and to undergo continuous audits by the globally recognised network. Once the IT service provider’s own targets have been submitted, they will be validated by the SBTi based on current scientific consent on climate issues. The SBTi is a partnership between the global non-profit Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), UN Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) established in 2015 to help businesses define emission reduction targets in line with the latest climate science and the objectives of the Paris Agreement, which strives to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
By signing the SBTi’s commitment letter, Bechtle is aiming to give more impetus to the objectives laid out in its Sustainability Strategy 2030, developing concrete targets and allowing these to be regularly reviewed on the basis of current scientific benchmarks. After signing, Bechtle now has 24 months to review its own targets and have them validated by the SBTi.
Guidelines for corporate responsibility
Bechtle began taking a systematic approach to sustainability as early as 2011, taking an initial stance through the Bechtle Sustainability Code—a set of principles published in 2013 to guide responsible and forward-thinking corporate management. The Bechtle Sustainability Strategy 2030 was then developed by August 2021 to serve as a benchmark for corporate responsibility across the Bechtle Group.
Four strategic areas of action
Introduced in its Sustainability Strategy, Bechtle has defined concrete objectives to be pursued from an ecological, economic and social point of view. It incorporates the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and comprises four strategic areas of action—ethical business practices, the environment, people and digital future. Each field of action is backed by a programme that includes goals, milestones and operational measures.
