Centrica commits to be net zero by 2045

25 February 2021

Sustainability

Bieneosa Ebite

Recognising the urgent need to make net zero a reality, Centrica is today announcing that it will accelerate its commitment to be net zero by 2045, five years ahead of its previous target and the UK deadline. The company is also announcing a new commitment to helping its customers be net zero by 2050.

The reduction in Centrica’s own emissions (scope 1 and 2) and those of its customers (scope 3) align with science-based targets and the actions required to limit warming to 1.5°C.

With the heating of homes and businesses being the single largest contributor to carbon emissions in the UK, Centrica is already taking action to support customers with a range of solutions and services to reduce their emissions. The company is set to launch a hybrid heat pump trial in the coming months with customers, an opportunity to prove the role hybrid heat pumps can play in decarbonising homes and is developing a paid-for proposition for air source heat pumps.

The company is also working with customers to accelerate electric vehicle adoption and has upskilled many of its Smart Energy Experts to fit EV charging points. Centrica’s ambition is to install 23,000 EV charging points this year across its residential, small and large business customer base.

As part of its commitment to be a net zero business by 2045, the company has brought forward its commitment to electrifying its 12,000-strong fleet of vehicles from 2030 to 2025 and last week made the largest commercial battery electric vehicle order in the UK to date.

Centrica will share more details on plans to deliver against its new climate goals when it publishes a Climate Transition Plan later this year.

"Climate change is one of the biggest global challenges facing society today and the energy sector is at the forefront of the need to respond. Our new and accelerated climate goals, which are in line with science, underpin the clear role and responsibility Centrica has in supporting customers on their journey to be net zero, and in decarbonising the energy system and our business."

Scott Wheway, Chairman

Centrica is committed to providing robust and transparent disclosure on climate change and aligning with best practice as it evolves. The company is A rated by the CDP for its action on climate change and is a signatory to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

NOTES

About Centrica:

Centrica is a leading international energy services and solutions provider, founded on a 200-year heritage of serving people. We serve around 10 million customers across the UK, Ireland and Continental Europe through brands such as British Gas, supported by around 9,000 highly trained engineers and technicians. We are focused on satisfying the changing needs of our customers, enabling them to transition to a lower carbon future.

Centrica’s carbon emissions:

Our direct carbon emissions under scope 1 include those from sources we own or control, such as power generation, gas production and storage, as well as emissions arising from our property, fleet and travel.

Indirect carbon emissions under scope 2 arise from electricity purchased and consumed across our offices and assets. Scope 3 emissions are those we do not produce but are the result of products and services we provide, such as electricity and gas sold to customers from wholesale markets alongside products and services purchased to run our business.