Mediahuis — annual report — 2022 > IMPACT: Green transition

 

In 2021, Mediahuis committed to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a project involving more than 4,000 companies worldwide. Based on scientifically formulated targets, companies are given a clear path to reduce their emissions in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

The main objective from the Paris accord is well known: drastically limiting global warming to well below 2°C, with a clear aim of 1.5°. This is a target that can only be met if, in addition to governments and households, businesses also make great efforts. Mediahuis wants to do its bit here and ensure the success of our organisation in a responsible and sustainable way.

Setting science-based targets makes us think about reducing our CO2 emissions. In doing so, we look critically at our buildings, our vehicle fleet, our energy consumption and the procurement of goods and services such as paper, distribution and ICT. Within the SBTi, these can be divided into three areas or scopes.

Scope 1 represents around 10% of Mediahuis’ total emission

These are the direct CO2 emissions caused by our own sources within our organisation. It includes emissions from our own buildings and transport- and production-related activities, such as gas and fuel consumption of anything leased or owned. In this area, Mediahuis’ focus is on investments to make buildings climate-neutral and to electrify its own vehicle fleet.

Critically looking at ourCO2 emissions has already meant that some entities have moved to new buildings. Mediahuis Luxembourg, Medienhaus Aachen and Mediahuis Limburg have moved into smaller offices that are more energy efficient. Mediahuis Nederland has gone back to a single office where we have invested in a climate-control system that has been running entirely on heat pumps since October. At Mediahuis Ireland, the complete refurbishment of the Dublin office and move to new Reach premises improved the energy rating and the closure of the Newry print site reduced our carbon footprint.

Mediahuis’ fleets have been further electrified. At Mediahuis België, as many as 90% of the new cars ordered in 2022 were fully electric. Mediahuis NRC has had a lease arrangement since 2022 that is 100% based on electric driving.

Scope 2 represents about 9% of our total emissions

This includes the indirect CO2 emissions that arise from the generation of electricity, heat and cooling not belonging to our own business but used by us. The focus in this scope is on buying as much green energy as possible.

Several energy scans have been carried out within the Mediahuis entities, with potential energy savings identified. Where possible, we have made the switch to green energy and turned down the thermostat. From 2023, Mediahuis België’s power will be green, generated entirely from renewable energy and therefore without emissions.

Scope 3 has the largest impact on our total emissions at around 81%

This refers to emissions that arise as a result of the organisation’s activities but that originate from sources that are neither owned nor managed by us. These are emissions over which we as an organisation have no direct influence. Examples include emissions from paper procurement, distribution, TPS/data centre, commuting, business air travel, waste disposal, etc.

In this scope, we consider entering partnerships or buying materials that have the lowest CO2 footprint, to the greatest extent possible. 90% of all the paper we use to print our newspapers is recycled, with the remaining 10% coming from sustainably managed forests. Wherever we can, we’ve switched to distribution using electric vehicles. We have also taken a critical look at the efficiency of our distribution routes. So, among other things, the morning and afternoon distribution of NRC has been reduced to a single morning distribution. This cut the number of kilometres driven and thus CO2 emissions in the Dutch distribution network by 20%.