Sustainability in Action: Autodesk commits to 100% renewable energy

By Lynelle Cameron, Senior Director, Sustainability 

It’s time for action. 

Today marks the release of 2015 Sustainability in Action, our 7^th sustainability report.  However, today’s challenges require companies like Autodesk to do much more than report on steady progress. 

So today, we are committing to power our business with 100% renewable energy.

Here’s why it matters.  I am optimistic that 2015 will be the year of climate action – the year that individuals like me, corporations like Autodesk, investors, as well as local, national and international governments take bold and decisive action to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. Of all the challenges we face, none is more pressing and has greater implications for our global community than our climate.  And no challenge requires us all to work together across sector and party lines more than climate. Committing to 100% renewable energy today accelerates the bold action we can take together this year.

Our commitment builds on the success we’ve had this past year.  We:

• Brought several sustainability solutions to market, for buildings, infrastructure and manufacturing.
• Expanded our Cleantech Partner Program to China, among the fastest growing cleantech markets.
• Launched the Autodesk Foundation— the first foundation to invest people and organizations using design to tackle today’s most epic challenges.
• Earned our 19^th LEED certification – expanding coverage to 32% of our square footage.
• Achieved a 27% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2009, on-track with our science-based target set by C-FACT.

With each step of progress, we commit to bolder actions.  As with GHG reduction targets, 100% renewable commitments are not created equal.  We plan to work with conservation and business leaders to continue bringing renewable energy to scale in a way that benefits both people and the planet.

This December, the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties 21 (COP21) will be held in Paris with hopes of delivering a new climate change agreement that will put the world on track to a low-carbon, sustainable future.  Nonprofit organizations and for profit companies are more aligned than ever and forming global coalitions to advocate for an end to our reliance on fossil fuels to power the lifestyles of 7, going on 10, billion people.  We are excited to join RE100, a global initiative led by The Climate Group, as our third action with We Mean Business to encourage corporate climate action leading up to COP21. 

We also look to local governments, including our own in California, who are making notable progress incentivizing, supporting and developing sustainable solutions. When the City of San Francisco hosts the 83^rd annual Conference of Mayors meeting later this month, we look forward to collaborating with mayors to help in the design of sustainable cities, lasting and resilient infrastructure and clean transit. Our 100% renewable energy commitment supports the City of San Francisco’s 0 50 100 Roots Climate Action goals and hopefully many other forthcoming local goals, globally.

Lastly, we are humbled to be working alongside our customers who are leading the way designing high performance buildings, developing resilient cities and infrastructure, and creating more efficient products and services.   From WindPax’s clean affordable energy solutions in the developing world to QBotix’s robotic solar tracking system, the design-led revolution is full swing.

The future of making things is about designing within planetary limits; this is our future and this is why we are committed to 100% renewable energy. Join us.

Check out this infographic for more on our sustainability achievements last year.