ESG & Net-Zero Strategy

Helping leaders and organizations rewrite the climate math equation

Several forces have pushed sustainability to the top of the agenda. Investors and financial markets are increasingly demanding a compelling environmental, social, and governance (ESG) plan and a path to net-zero carbon emissions. As expectations rise and global regulations expand, many organizations still don’t have a solution to the current climate math equation.

We help leaders identify the key actions that will get them closer to net zero. We work with them to solve for all key variables in the sustainability equation: carbon emissions, financial performance, capital investment, and societal impact. We diagnose their current sustainability positions, establish quantitative baselines, define clear aspirations, and design actionable sustainability plans.

Featured video

Leading on Business Sustainability

“You can’t outsource sustainability.” McKinsey Sustainability leaders Daniel Pacthod, Dickon Pinner, and Laura Corb, explain why businesses will need to embed sustainability in every part of the company

What we do

Net zero and portfolio strategy

We help clients assess the full potential of their sustainability efforts and analyze implications for portfolio, green growth, and decarbonization. We also help them communicate their strategies and the reasoning behind them to the capital markets.

Environment, Social, Governance (ESG)

We help ESG-focused organizations benchmark their own performance against peers, set ESG goals, quantify value at stake, and develop roadmaps for improving ESG performance.

Examples of our work

Clearing a path to net zero

We worked with a leading energy company to decrease its reliance on fossil fuels in line with Paris Agreement targets and meet expectations of investors and creditors calling for faster transition. We mapped out investor expectations, assessed the client’s emissions across three scopes, identified green growth options, and created a set of targets to communicate to the market.

Reviewing and rebuilding to improve sustainability

We helped a plastics producer perform an “ESG teardown” by re-examining its entire operating model and value chain through the lens of sustainability. We baselined the client’s footprint and governance against industry peers, identified and evaluated multiple business model options, and prioritized decarbonization initiatives.

Optimizing performance to eliminate carbon emissions

We assisted a leading auto manufacturer in developing a bold game plan to reduce CO₂ emissions across the vehicle lifecycle and regain its position as a sustainability leader. We benchmarked ESG performance against peers, defined and communicated a set of features to enhance safety, and developed a set of programs to promote skill building and employee wellness.