From ambition to action to impact: Delivering on McKinsey’s 2025 climate goals
In 2020, our firm set its first climate targets, focused on reducing emissions by 2025. Specifically, we aimed to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25 percent and Scope 3 travel emissions per full-time equivalent (FTE) by 35 percent, relative to our 2019 baseline. We have since expanded this ambition to include reaching net zero by 2050.
This Earth Month marks a major milestone in our journey. We have not only met but exceeded our 2025 emission reduction targets—cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 70 percent and reducing travel emissions per FTE by 50 percent.
Cutting emissions
Our first priority was to take a holistic look at how we operate as a global firm. Because we partner with clients in more than 65 countries, travel is foundational to our operations and accounts for most of our emissions.
To meet our targets, we continued to ensure that travel only occurred when it delivered clear value. We expanded hybrid and remote collaboration models, enabling teams to work effectively across geographies without immediately defaulting to travel. Local staffing models were strengthened, reducing the need for long-distance travel while maintaining proximity to clients and teams. These shifts were supported by greater transparency and operational changes, including an internal carbon fee applied at the point of booking and prompts toward greener travel options—making the impact of travel emissions visible in real time.
At the same time, the firm began investing in solutions critical to long-term decarbonization, including scaling the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through long-term procurement commitments.
“Travel remains essential to our business model. The focus, therefore, is not on eliminating travel altogether, but on making it more intentional and sustainable,” says Isabelle Schuhmann, global director of environmental sustainability. “Finding the right balance between being with our clients and colleagues and sustainability considerations is essential for this change to stick. That is why we are also embracing procurement of sustainable aviation fuels to help decarbonize aviation.”
In parallel, we transitioned to 100 percent renewable electricity globally, achieving this milestone ahead of schedule. Office spaces were selected and designed with sustainability in mind, with 67 percent having LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification or equivalent. We also expanded the use of electric and hybrid vehicles and supported local sustainability initiatives through office-level “Green Teams,” such as reducing waste and expanding solar power access.
Compensating for remaining emissions and catalyzing broader climate action
Early on, we realized that reducing emissions alone would not be sufficient to meet global 2050 climate targets, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation. This informed the second and third priorities of our approach: compensating for remaining emissions and catalyzing the development of future climate solutions.
To address remaining emissions, we purchase a diversified portfolio of carbon credits, balancing nature-based solutions with emerging technologies. We do this via in-year purchases as well as long-term purchase commitments. These latter forward-looking investments help create demand signals for new technologies critical to scaling and accessing financing.
In our client service, we continue to support our clients across industries in navigating decarbonization—identifying opportunities, redesigning value chains, and balancing emission reduction with operational performance. From reshaping supply chains to enabling circular business models, this work extends the firm’s impact well beyond its own footprint.
Continuing our commitments
Our work builds on a long-standing commitment to catalyzing climate action. In 2007, we introduced one of the first global greenhouse gas abatement cost curves, helping organizations prioritize emission reduction strategies. Today, that legacy continues through research and client impact, informing how companies navigate an increasingly complex transition.
Looking ahead to our 2030 targets, we will build on our efforts—from reducing emissions and spurring innovation for our firm and clients to scaling emerging technologies that can accelerate the path to decarbonization.
“As we support clients in their own net-zero journeys, it is critical for us to walk the talk and truly understand the complexities and nuances firsthand,” says Hemant Ahlawat, a senior partner who coleads McKinsey Sustainability. “Our research shows that global net zero will rely on market-based mechanisms such as carbon removal and sustainable materials such as SAF, which is why we are investing today to support their scale-up.”
