Case Studies

BT Group (BT), a global communications company based in the UK serving customers in over 170 countries, has incorporated “being a responsible and sustainable business leader” as one of six strategic priorities in the company’s business strategy. According to the company “Being a responsible and sustainable business leader remains at the heart of the company’s strategy and underpins BT’s purpose”. It supports the goal to deliver sustainable, profitable revenue growth, while ensuring it maximizes the contribution they make to society and the environment. This is achieved by the “Our Better Future” program that has a vision to help society live within the constraints of the planet’s resources through their products and people.

In developing the Better Future program BT determined that doing less environmental harm was no longer enough – they wanted to be a force for net good, generating net positive benefits for society. To realize this, BT created stretch goals, one of which included a net positive contribution to society and the environment. By 2020, BT’s goal is to help customers reduce carbon emissions by at least three times the end-to-end carbon impact of the company’s business (3:1).

As of 2013, total carbon emissions created by BT roughly equalled the emissions the company’s products and services helped customers to avoid. As of 2014, BT’s impact towards reaching this goal stands at 1.3:1, helping its customers to avoid emissions amounting to 1.3 times the end-to-end carbon impact of BT’s business. So far, the company has quantified 15 ways their products and services help customers to avoid carbon emissions.