Focus area: Climate and the environment
Atlas Copco Group is committed to continuously improving our environmental performance and believes in conducting business in a manner that preserves the planet for future generations. We improve the energy efficiency of our products and in our operations and have adopted science-based targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, throughout our whole value chain.
Our climate and environment targets
In 2021, we raised our ambitions by committing to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions throughout our value chain in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. For the Group’s own operations (scope 1 and 2), this means that we aim to reduce emissions in line with keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees.
We will also reduce the indirect emissions from our value chain (scope 3), including the emissions that occur when our products are in use, in line with keeping the temperature rise well below 2 degrees. Our targets up to year 2030 have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative and were implemented in 2022. The work to identify additional opportunities for reducing emissions continues and we acknowledge the need to further develop our roadmaps and targets beyond year 2030.
Following up our progress
Reducing emissions in our own operations
In 2023, the CO2 emissions from our own operations were 38% lower than in the baseline year, 2019. An increased share of renewable electricity was the main driver and some larger facilities switched to renewable energy during the year.
Reducing emissions in our value chain
In 2023, the absolute emissions in scope 3 were 28% higher than in the baseline year. The main reason for this is increased sales, but the customers’ access to renewable electricity continues to be a major challenge to our ability to reach our scope 3 emissions reduction target.
Waste management
Reducing waste is important to decrease the total environmental impact from our production and increase circularity. Most of our waste is constituted by scrap metal and the vast majority is reused or recycled. This share has been consistently high for many years. Our target is that by 2030, we shall reuse, recycle, or recover 100% of our waste. This target is closely related to circularity, keeping materials in a loop of re-use.
Our sustainability performance
| Waste and water 1) | 2023 | 2022 |
| Total waste in ’000 kg | 57,598 | 54,855 |
| Waste (in kg)/COS 2) | 641 | 739 |
| Reused, recycled or recovered waste, % | 91 | 92 |
| Water consumption in ’000 m3 | 671 | 624 |
| Water consumption (m3)/COS 2) | 7.5 | 8.4 |
| Energy in own operations 1) 2) | 2023 | 2022 |
| Direct energy use in GWh 3) | 153 | 159 |
| Indirect energy use in GWh 4) | 378 | 359 |
| Total energy use in GWh | 531 | 518 |
| Total energy use in MWh/COS 5) | 5.9 | 7.0 |
| Renewable energy, % of total energy use | 63.6 | 58.0 |
GHG emissions (restated values) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (CO2e) ‘000 tonnes | 2023 | 2022 | Retrospective base year 2019 | % change 2023 vs. 2022 | % change vs. base year | Milestones and target years 2030 |
Scope 1 GHG emissions |
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| Gross Scope 1 | 86 | 84 | 86 | +2 | 0 | |
Scope 2 GHG emissions |
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Gross location-based Scope 2 |
142 | 140 | _ | +1 | _ | |
Gross market-based Scope 2 |
26 | 33 | 94 | -21 | -72 | |
Scope 1 + 2 GHG emissions |
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Scope 1 + 2 (market based) |
112 | 117 | 180 | -4 | -38 | -46% |
Scope 3 GHG emissions |
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Total Gross indirect (Scope 3)
|
250,528 | 233,197 | 195,236 | +7 | +28 | -28% |
Purchased goods and services (CO2e) ‘000 tonnes |
3,764 | 4,250 | 3,276 | -11 | +15 | |
Use of sold products (CO2e) ‘000 tonnes |
244,618 | 226,902 | 190,381 | +8 | +28 | |
Leased assets downstream (CO2e) ‘000 tonnes |
1,668 | 1,541 | 1,086 | +8 | +54 | |
Other Categories (CO2e) ‘000 tonnes |
478 | 504 | 493 | -5 | -3 | |
Total GHG emissions, (CO2e) ‘000 tonnes |
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| Total GHG emissions (location based) | 250,756 | 233,421 | _ | +7 | _ | |
| Total GHG emissions (market based) | 250,640 |
233,314 | 195,416 | +7 | +28 | |
GHG emissions* / revenue (MSEK) |
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| (CO2e) tonnes | 2023 | 2022 | Retrospective base year 2019 | % change 2023 vs. 2022 | % change vs. base year | Milestones and target years 2030 |
| Scope 1+2 (market based) GHG emissions / revenue | 0.65 | 0.79 | 1.61 | -18 | -60 | |
| Scope 3 GHG emissions (CO2e) tonnes / revenue | 1,451 | 1,624 | 1,843 | -11 | -21 | |
| Total GHG emissions (market based) / revenue | 1,452 | 1,625 | 1,844 | -11 | -21 | |
| Total GHG emissions (location based) / revenue | 1,452 | 1,626 | _ | -11 | _ | |
GHG emissions restatement specification |
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| (CO2e) ‘000 tonnes | 2022 | Base Year 2019 |
Scope 1+2 GHG emissions |
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| Initial reported Scope 1+2 | 108 | 162 |
| Adjustment to Scope 1+2 | 9 | 18 |
| Restated Scope 1+2 | 117 | 180 |
Scope 3 GHG emissions |
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| Initial reported Scope 3 | 219,822 | 170,634 |
| Adjustment to Scope 3 | 13,375 | 24,602 |
| Restated Scope 3 | 233,197 | 195,236 |
