Watershed

Everlane, a US-based apparel and footwear brand, was founded with a commitment to creating high-quality, ethically and sustainably sourced products. The company set ambitious Science-Based Targets to lower carbon emissions per product by 55% and emissions in stores and offices by 46% by 2030, with a goal of net zero emissions by 2050. However, achieving these targets was a challenge, especially considering the company's exponential growth and sourcing from over 40 factories in more than 10 countries. Previously, Everlane worked with consultants on carbon footprints, a process that took upwards of eight months. The company needed a way to accelerate its emissions measurement and shift from backward-looking analyses to forward-looking strategy.

Canva, a visual communication platform, has a mission to empower everyone in the world to design. However, with the increasing global concern about climate change, Canva recognized the need to incorporate sustainability into its operations. The company was motivated to take action after witnessing the devastating effects of the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, which destroyed around 18 million hectares of land and killed millions of animals. The challenge was to integrate sustainability into their everyday work and make a significant impact on the environment. As a global brand expanding into new markets, Canva also needed to be mindful of different international frameworks for measuring and reporting emissions.

Lucas Joppa, the Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Managing Director at Haveli Investments, faced the challenge of integrating sustainability into the core operations of the rapidly growing investment firm. Having previously served as the Chief Environmental Officer at Microsoft, Joppa had the experience of putting a company on a net zero trajectory. However, the challenge at Haveli was not only to achieve net zero for the firm itself but also to ensure that its portfolio companies were on the same trajectory. The world needed proof that it was possible for companies to operate as net zero entities, and Joppa was determined to provide that proof. Another challenge was to ensure transparency in the company's sustainability efforts and to communicate these efforts effectively to the public in a time when sustainability and net zero transitions were sensitive issues.

Braze, a comprehensive customer engagement platform, was faced with the challenge of integrating sustainability and climate action into its business operations. The company, with nearly 1,500 full-time employees across eight global offices, recognized the need to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to the fight against climate change. However, convincing stakeholders about the importance of climate work and its relevance to business success was a significant hurdle. There were concerns about potential disruptions to business operations, such as swapping out a reliable vendor for a 'greener' one that might not match the same level of stability and performance. Additionally, the company needed to navigate the complexities of sustainability reporting, ensuring transparency and accountability while focusing on what matters most.

Shopify, a global e-commerce platform, faced a significant challenge in accurately measuring its carbon footprint as it transitioned to a remote-first work model due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company's traditional carbon inventory, which focused on emissions from physical offices and commutes, became nearly obsolete. The shift to remote work raised several questions about the real-world impact on carbon emissions. For instance, while closing large offices seemed beneficial for reducing emissions, the addition of over 7,000 employee home offices could potentially offset these gains. Other factors such as increased flights for in-person offsites, employees moving to larger suburban homes, and changes in home heating and cooling practices also complicated the carbon emissions picture. Furthermore, Shopify's old measurement tools did not account for the company's Scope 3 emissions, which include indirect emissions across the value chain and often make up to 80% of a product or service’s total carbon profile.

Kroll, a leading independent provider of risk and financial advisory solutions, was facing challenges in reporting to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a leading voluntary environmental disclosure system. The 130-question disclosure was comprehensive and focused on material ESG factors, requiring significant time and effort from Kroll's Corporate Social Responsibility team. The process was new to Kroll in 2022, and the team found it difficult to understand the technical language of the questions, requiring additional research. The team also had to manage their footprint data across multiple spreadsheet tabs and set up calls with their GHG auditors to understand the methodology used to assure their footprint. This added to the time required to complete the disclosure. Furthermore, the team was constantly under pressure due to the continuous cycle of reporting, with one report due as soon as another was completed.

Samsara, a pioneer in the Connected Operations™ Cloud, is committed to increasing the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of operations that power the global economy. However, the company faced the challenge of aligning its diverse stakeholders on the corporate opportunity around sustainability. As a part of the supply chain and operational footprint of its customers, Samsara recognized the importance of minimizing its own environmental footprint. The company had set a goal to be net zero by 2040 and was preparing to submit to the Science-Based Targets initiative. However, the path to achieving these ambitious goals required a deep understanding of the business and impactful actions, particularly in the areas of operations and supply chain where the company could have the biggest impact on emissions.

Square, a company with a vision to create an inclusive global economy, recognized the threat of climate change, especially to underserved communities worldwide. Despite their efforts to build products sustainably and reduce packaging, they realized that their purpose of economic empowerment needed to extend to their climate program. They aimed to achieve net zero carbon by 2030 and accelerate the conversion to renewable energy for bitcoin mining. However, achieving this ambitious goal required a comprehensive approach that went beyond merely offsetting emissions from their offices. They needed to reduce carbon across all business aspects and fund verified carbon removal for remaining emissions. Furthermore, they faced the challenge of addressing the high energy consumption associated with bitcoin mining, which they viewed as a pathway to a more participatory global monetary system.

Kainos, a trusted partner for public sector organisations and brands, had initiated a climate action plan driven by employee interest and inquiries from customers and investors. However, they faced several challenges. They lacked visibility into how their carbon footprint was calculated and didn't know which actions would lead to significant reductions quickly. They were also aware that indirect 'Scope 3' emissions from suppliers often accounted for 90% or more of a software company's total emissions, but they didn't know which vendors to focus on. Additionally, they were unsatisfied with merely offsetting emissions and wanted to set an ambitious reduction plan that would keep global temperatures within the +1.5° C safe zone. In 2021, they were asked to provide a full carbon reduction plan with a pathway to net zero emissions in just sixty days, a task that would have been daunting without a clear plan.

Klarna, a leading provider of Buy Now, Pay Later shopping experiences, was faced with the challenge of making their operations more sustainable. With 147 million consumers and 400,000 merchants using their platform, the company had a significant carbon footprint. The challenge was to understand the extent of their carbon emissions and find ways to reduce them. The company needed to measure the carbon emissions from their operations and supply chain, and then take steps to reduce these emissions. They also wanted to align their everyday business decisions with the goal of reducing emissions.

Misfits Market, an online grocer, is committed to making high-quality food more affordable and reducing food waste. The company is aware that 35% of food produced in the United States is wasted, contributing to a carbon footprint larger than that of the global airline industry. The challenge lies in sourcing and selling products that align with Misfits Market’s mission to reduce climate impact. This includes buying 'off specification' produce that is rejected by standard grocers for cosmetic reasons, such as size or discoloration, and selling products that are at risk of not finding a home due to reasons like nearing their expiration date or misprinted packaging. The company also aims to source products that promote better food systems, such as items with upcycled ingredients or those produced using regenerative agriculture.

Monzo, a modern, smartphone-based bank, has gained over 5 million customers since receiving their banking license in 2017. Their success is largely due to their commitment to transparency and control over finances. However, both customers and employees expressed a desire for more transparency in another area: climate impact. The financial sector was filled with glossy pamphlets and strong promises, but there was a lack of real data. Questions about what was driving the most emissions, what actions would really make a difference, and how much carbon was hidden in the industry’s blind spots remained unanswered. Monzo realized that to truly address these concerns, they needed a detailed and accurate understanding of the carbon emissions across their full value chain.

Sophia Gluck, the ESG and Sustainability Lead at Okta, faced the challenge of integrating sustainability into the company's operations. Okta, an identity management company, was in the early stages of its journey towards ESG and sustainability. The company needed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its cloud service providers and engage its supply chain to set science-based targets. Additionally, Okta was facing increasing pressure from stakeholders, including investors, employees, and customers, to demonstrate its commitment to climate action. Investors were keen to understand Okta's ESG initiatives, employees wanted to work for a company taking action on climate change, and customers were increasingly inquiring about Okta's ESG programs.

The challenge faced by Watershed and its customers was to accelerate decarbonization and contribute to the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. The goal was to support new technologies like permanent carbon removal and have a significant impact on the climate economy. The challenge also involved broadening access to climate-critical permanent carbon removal technologies for Watershed customers. The customers aimed to remove 112,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere and store them permanently underground between 2024 and 2030. The challenge was to achieve these climate goals while building the next generation of climate technology.

Eventbrite, a leading global events marketplace, recognized the need to reduce its carbon footprint to ensure the long-term health of the communities it serves. Despite having a strong corporate governance and an active social impact team, the company realized in 2021 that it needed to prioritize the 'Environmental' aspect of its ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) strategic planning. The challenge was to set realistic climate goals and transform them into actionable steps. As a SaaS company, Eventbrite's most significant emissions were hidden in its supply chain, also known as indirect or Scope 3 emissions. The company needed a comprehensive climate program that could address both its direct and indirect emissions with accountable and high-impact reduction strategies.

GridPoint, under the leadership of CEO Mark Danzenbaker, is committed to accelerating the energy transition and decarbonizing the energy supply. The company's mission is not only to reduce its own Scope 1-3 emissions but also to drive the adoption of its products that result in emissions avoided as a result of companies using GridPoint products at scale. The challenge lies in convincing commercial businesses to adopt their energy optimization platform. While some businesses have a vested interest in sustainability, many are primarily interested in lowering their energy bills and reducing their carbon footprint. GridPoint's challenge is to provide a solution that meets these needs while also contributing to the broader goal of energy transition and decarbonization.

Kroll, a leading provider of risk and financial advisory solutions, was facing challenges in managing its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) credentials. The company was using a spreadsheet-based approach for its climate program, which was proving to be cumbersome and inefficient. The spreadsheet method was not sophisticated or secure enough to support the carbon footprint measurement of a growing, global organization like Kroll. Additionally, the company was struggling with ESG reporting, which was time-consuming and felt like a full-time job. Keeping up with the ever-changing regulatory landscape was essential for Kroll to remain compliant and avoid risk, but it was also a time-intensive task. The company needed a more efficient and effective solution to support its ESG initiatives.

Match Group, the parent company of several global dating services, was facing the challenge of integrating sustainability and climate change mitigation into its corporate strategy. The company, which includes brands like Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid, and others, had no dedicated function for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and was looking for ways to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute positively to the environment. The challenge was not only to measure and reduce the company's emissions but also to engage employees and users in sustainability initiatives. The company needed to set ambitious targets in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and ensure progress towards these goals.

New Relic, a leading observability platform, was at the beginning of its climate journey two years ago. The company was keen to understand its carbon footprint, a priority at the Board and executive level, due to increasing interest from stakeholders, investors, and employees. However, the company lacked the direct experience to tackle this challenge. New Relic needed a partner to help fast track a data-driven climate plan. The company wanted to measure its carbon footprint, which was critical to any future action, and desired a hands-on approach. New Relic was looking for a platform that provided access to dashboards and insights about its emissions throughout the year, rather than a one-time annual snapshot.

Okta, an identity management company, is committed to driving positive environmental impact. The company began conducting annual greenhouse gas inventories in 2019 and achieved its goal of 100 percent renewable electricity for global offices and work-from-home consumption in 2021. However, the initial inventory process was manual and reliant on spreadsheets, making it time-consuming and inefficient. When Okta committed to setting science-based targets (SBTs) in November 2021, it needed a platform for tracking and visualizing that progress, aligning with Okta’s core business value of transparency. The company also faced challenges in organizing internal stakeholders during its previous measurements.

TaskUs, a global provider of outsourced digital services and next-generation customer experience, faced a significant challenge when businesses began requiring their vendors to have a complete carbon footprint. TaskUs lacked a framework for carbon footprint measurement to organize and evaluate its in-house sustainability efforts. This lack of a structured approach to sustainability and carbon footprint measurement posed a threat to TaskUs's business relationships and its overall goal of having a positive impact on the brands it works with, its people, and the global community.

Matthew Eaton, the Senior Manager for Responsible Sourcing at VMware, faced a significant challenge in integrating Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into the company's supply chain. Prior to his transition into this role, VMware lacked programs that prioritized suppliers with diversity, accessibility, or climate initiatives. The ESG team was attempting to get suppliers to disclose their emissions through the CDP Supply Chain, but the response rate was disappointingly low. Eaton recognized the need for a more centralized approach to supplier-facing ESG requests and a stronger commitment to sustainability, equity, and trust within the company's sourcing practices.

Wise, a global technology company, was faced with the challenge of integrating climate action and sustainability into its operations. Despite the company's primary focus on helping people and businesses move and manage money around the world, there was a growing need to address environmental concerns. Phil Denington, the Global Creative Lead, had a personal interest in climate action and initiated a climate program at Wise. However, the climate work was far from his day-to-day remit and was more of a side hustle. On the other hand, Nick Catino, the Global Head of Policy, was tasked with leading the broader ESG strategy. The challenge was to measure the company's carbon footprint, set a net zero target, and ensure compliance with reporting requirements. Additionally, there was increasing pressure from partners, competitors, and regulators to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.