Consolata, with her daughter Elizabeth, 7, carrying jerry cans from the watering hole back to their home in Kenya.

Reducing our carbon footprint

ActionAid UK is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2040.

To achieve this, we will be aiming to reduce emissions in line with the latest science-based targets (SBTs).

SBTs are greenhouse gas reduction goals set by organisations.

They are defined as “science-based” when they align with the scale of reductions required to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures.

SBTs provide organisations with pathways to sustainable transformational change to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy.

For us, this means that we will need to reduce our absolute carbon emissions by at least 90% from our baseline year, or achieve (and maintain) a carbon intensity metric of <1 tonne CO2e per employee, whichever comes soonest. You can view our latest carbon footprint measurement

To keep ourselves on track with these long-term targets, we have set certain near-term goals we are working towards and recorded these in our Carbon Reduction Plan.

Our carbon reduction plan

ActionAid UK is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2040.

To achieve this, we will be aiming to reduce emissions in line with the latest science-based targets (SBTs).

SBTs are greenhouse gas reduction goals set by organisations.

They are defined as “science-based” when they align with the scale of reductions required to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures.

SBTs provide organisations with pathways to sustainable transformational change to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy.

For us, this means that we will need to reduce our absolute carbon emissions by at least 90% from our baseline year, or achieve (and maintain) a carbon intensity metric of <1 tonne CO2e per employee, whichever comes soonest. You can view our latest carbon footprint measurement

To keep ourselves on track with these long-term targets, we have set certain near-term goals we are working towards and recorded these in our carbon reduction plan.

Download our carbon reduction plan

Our 'do-no-harm' tools

At ActionAid we have been working on preparedness, climate change adaptation, agroecology, and disaster risk reduction for years.

We have developed tools and risk assessments to ensure we are not harming the environment through our work programmes, by including considerations around environmentally-friendly procurement, transport and partnerships options in our project design process.

Green Champions Network

ActionAid UK is part of an ActionAid Federation-wide Green Champions Network.

To date, the Network has focused on advocating for and promoting sustainable practices across the organisation and raising awareness among staff on the environmental crisis.

The network also holds ActionAid to account for its objectives on minimising the environmental impact of the Federation.
 

Climate and Environmental Charter for Humanitarian Organisations

ActionAid UK, as part of ActionAid International, is a signatory of the Climate Charter.

This means that we have signed up to the seven commitments as laid out in the Charter to reduce the impacts of climate and environmental crises together with other local, national and international humanitarian organisations.

Find a full list of the signatories and details of the seven commitments.

Top image: Consolata, with her daughter Elizabeth, 7, carrying jerry cans from the watering hole back to their home in Kenya. Alice Oldenburg/ActionAid

Page updated 22 January 2024