Aquila Group plans to avoid 1.5 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over its portfolio's lifetime by 2035. Its 2023 Sustainability Report outlines how it aims to do this as it feels investors need more information to understand which solutions contribute the most to global decarbonisation efforts.

Aquila Group is attempting to address, what it sees as, a lack of mainstream attention to scope 4 emissions, or lifetime avoided emissions (LAE), which are emissions that are avoided due to an innovation, policy or action. It has spent years developing a reporting framework to measure how much GHG emissions are avoided by its assets, investment funds and portfolio.

Creating and sharing the methodology behind measuring its LAE had three objectives. Firstly, to provide a measurement and disclosure framework to measure Aquila's lifetime avoided emissions goal with actionable insights and progress updates. Secondly to be transparent on methodology, specifically the challenges and its limitations. Finally, to provide investors with information on what technologies bring the biggest results to incentivise investment in clean energy and climate solutions more broadly.

"The power of our Scope 4 measurement and reporting framework is that it provides a 360-degree view of our impact on climate mitigation," said Angela Wiebeck, chief sustainability officer at Aquila Group. By quantifying CO2e avoidance from a variety of perspectives we enhance investor decision making and mobilise more capital to Net Zero."

To ensure a robust, credible and transparent offering Aquila Group partnered with an independent research institute, Forschungsstelle für Energiewirtschaft e.V (FfE), specialised in climate science, energy system analysis and life cycle assessments, and had the approach reviewed and certified by TÜV Rhineland.

"Well articulated, with track record and progress," commented one Sustainable Company Awards judge. "Commitment to measurement and development in methods and transparency in processes and articulated internal and external stakeholder engagement measures."

"Innovative reporting with clear examples and explanation why it is necessary," added another. "The LAE framework is applied at the fund level, reporting avoided emissions to investors, which encourages further investment in clean energy and supports the energy transition."