The urgent need to act on climate change pushes many organizations (including businesses, governments and nonprofits) to set net-zero emissions goals. The purpose of achieving net-zero emissions is to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases, or GHG, that are released into the atmosphere, particularly CO2. This can be achieved through reducing emissions through changes in energy use, transportation and land use, as well as increasing carbon removal through natural or technological means.

Businesses, in particular, set net-zero emissions goals as part of their sustainability strategies. Microsoft (News - Alert), Amazon and Walmart, for example, are tasked with achieving net-zero emissions by a certain date, typically by around 2040 or 2050. Governments are also setting net-zero goals as part of their climate action plans, with many countries committing to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.

New Relic, the all-in-one observability platform for every engineer, set its goal to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2030 and a commitment to set near-term science based GHG emissions targets.

With 2030 as the target, New Relic is allowing for rigorous work around achieving and maintaining its goals through operational reductions and high-quality carbon removals. This target aligns with guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that warned that global warming must not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures by 2040 to avoid catastrophic impacts of climate change.

Focus areas for reductions include:

• Vendor engagement on climate: Work with vendors across their operations to understand and reduce their emissions.
• Internal efficiencies and tracking: Continue to improve GHG emissions calculation with Watershed Climate to have a fine-grained understanding of the company’s footprint worldwide.
• Reduced operational footprint: Continually assess the operational footprint and ensure climate is part of its business criteria when it comes to operations.
• Internal policy setting: Introduce and update internal policies across the business to ensure climate is a shared responsibility.

Focusing on the reduction of emissions is not a new task for New Relic. The company is responsible for purchasing reforestation credits from Trees for Global Benefits in Uganda to remove 100% of the carbon dioxide associated with New Relic global offices’ natural gas usage.

The company is also responsible for purchasing renewable energy certificates representing 100% clean energy for New Relic global offices and employee WFH footprints. These include U.S. Green-E certified renewable energy certificates from the Lindahl Wind Project and international energy attribute certificates from locally sited projects aligned with New Relic’s international footprint.

“We have spent the past three years transforming our product and business model,” said New Relic CEO Bill Staples (News - Alert). “Establishing science-based climate goals is the right decision and next step as we continue to future-proof our business. This also allows us to evolve alongside our global customers who are making similar strides toward a net-zero future and consider it a must-have when choosing their technology providers.”

New Relic believes that adhering to science-backed emissions targets makes it well-positioned for long-term growth and competitive differentiation in the market (while doing its part to slow climate change and pave the path toward decarbonization). Doing so, the observability company wants to be an inspiration for its peers in the industry.

New Relic’s GHG emissions targets, submitted to the Science Based Target initiative, joins more than 2,200 companies worldwide that are leading the transition to a net-zero economy through emissions targets grounded in climate science.