Climate Action
Case Study

All in on Earth

Background

Aquent is a global work solutions and staffing company that has been at the forefront of innovation since 1986. Operating across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Oceania region, we have taken a planetary approach in our commitment to sustainability and have doubled down on our initiatives to become the industry leader in climate action.

Challenge

Scaling from a small startup to a global corporation meant our carbon emissions had increased significantly over the last 35 years. While we've long had a sustainability policy, we felt that with the climate crises becoming the most existential issue of the modern era, it was time to take serious action. That's why we set the ambitious goal of becoming the first carbon-negative company in our industry and establishing ourselves as a leader in corporate environmental responsibility. Through bold action, strategic investment, and innovative technology, we set out to achieve our goal of becoming carbon-negative and to erase our entire carbon footprint past, present, and future.

Solution

To achieve our ambitious goal, we launched a comprehensive climate action strategy in 2020, concentrating on three key areas:

1. Reducing Current Emissions

• Transitioning to a Virtual-First Workplace: In 2020, we decided to go virtual-first, significantly reducing emissions from commuting and office operations. This move alone has cut our annual carbon emissions by approximately 3,380 tons of CO₂.

• Scaling Back Business Travel: We've embraced remote collaboration tools to minimize the need for in-person meetings, reducing our travel-related emissions by several hundred tons of CO₂ annually.
• Migrating Data Storage: We moved the hosting of our proprietary recruiting software to a facility powered by renewable hydroelectric energy, saving approximately two tons of carbon emissions each year.

2. Erasing Our Historical Footprint

• Investing in Solar Energy Projects: Instead of purchasing carbon credits, we invested directly in clean energy initiatives. Between 2022 and 2023, we deployed six solar arrays, with more projects planned for 2024. This approach has increased our carbon offsets by fivefold, helping us erase our entire historical carbon footprint.

3. Measuring Our Impact

• Developing the Solar Twin: We built a digital model that allows us to visualize and track our emissions alongside the clean energy output from our solar projects. This tool enables us to continuously monitor and optimize our sustainability efforts.

Results

We are proud to share that we reached our ambitious goal of becoming the first carbon-negative company in our industry in 2024. Through significant emissions reduction and our direct investment in renewable energy, we have achieved a 56% reduction in CO₂ emissions over five years and produced 1,061 MWh of clean energy. These significant results have set a new standard in the staffing solutions industry and corporate environmental standards.

At Aquent, we believe that companies must take real, measurable action against climate change. Our journey to carbon negativity proves that with innovative strategies and direct investment in renewable energy, businesses can reduce their impact and make a lasting, positive contribution to the planet.

The Work

Website Experience

Digital Twin / Carbon Tracker

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