EnviroMail 149 Australia - Net Zero commitments and roadmap

ALS recognises that climate change is one of the defining issues of our time and we strive to make Impact through action in the areas of sustainability, linked to the ALS core value of caring. ALS intends to make the world a better place through innovation, science and commitment to best practice. This year the ALS board has signed off on a company commitment to Net Zero by 2050 as summarised on our annual sustainability report (hyperlinked below). ALS is pleased to share our milestones and targets with clients. 

Background 

In 2021, ALS developed a climate change strategy setting a target of 40% reduction in scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030. At end of FY23 (March 2023), ALS had achieved a 58% reduction, and achieved carbon neutrality for scope 1 & 2 emissions – well ahead of plan. In the same month, ALS recorded a key milestone with the ALS board approving our roadmap to reach Net Zero by 2050 (shared below), with milestones noted and completed actions shaded green.

Further detail

Key projects to date have included purchasing renewable electricity (RE) from the grid (we utilise greater than 90% RE across all operations), installing >1.8MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across 16 site locations, continued implementation of our ALS green building standards (which focus on HVAC systems, building insulation, LED lights, energy efficient plant and equipment), moving to electric vehicles (EVs) and staff engagement on adopting climate-friendly practices to reduce actual energy demand.

This ALS Net Zero commitment will involve reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 95% and scope 3 emissions by 90% by 2050, against a 2020 baseline year. This is a challenging task for laboratory operations given requirements for chemical, plastic, and glassware usage, and significant air heating and cooling due to fume hoods which cause frequent cycling of laboratory air. 

The ALS roadmap includes a near-term target to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2030 against a 2020 baseline year. 

Over the next two years ALS will measure our scope 3 greenhouse gas inventory to confirm the calculated scope 3 estimate completed in FY2023 and will develop action plans for freight, purchased goods/services, wastes and employee commutes. A near-term target for 2030 for scope 3 will then be set.

Priority actions over the next 5 years will include:

• purchasing renewable electricity for >95% of our operations
• installing further solar energy PV systems (seven more installed YTD for FY24 with a further nine systems to be completed in early FY25)
• converting gas ovens and furnaces to electric where possible
• selection of more energy-efficient vehicles; 30% of fleet to be hybrids and EVs by 2030
• upgrading to ALS green building guidelines for new laboratory developments and refurbishments (better insulation, more efficient HVAC, solar PV systems, upgraded building management systems).

We are pleased to share our commitments with our stakeholders. Please feel free to contact your local ALS representative for further information.