Sopra Steria Fuels Green Innovation: €200,000 Investment in Climate Change Startups
Paris, France – December 11, 2024 – Sopra Steria, a leading European technology company, is doubling down on its commitment to combatting climate change. The company announced a significant investment of over €200,000 to support two groundbreaking startups pioneering innovative solutions for carbon elimination. These investments represent a tangible step toward a more sustainable future, demonstrating Sopra Steria’s dedication beyond internal emissions reduction.
The chosen projects represent the forefront of climate-focused innovation: one startup focuses on ocean alkalinization, a crucial method for mitigating the effects of ocean acidification, and the other on regenerative agriculture, a technique that restores degraded and arid lands, sequestering carbon in the process. These initiatives showcase Sopra Steria’s commitment to diverse approaches in the battle against climate change.
This investment is not an isolated act. It stems directly from Sopra Steria’s ambitious sustainability goals. In April 2022, the company announced the indexing of its €1.1 billion credit line to its ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85% per employee by 2040 – a target fully aligned with the Paris Agreement. This commitment was rigorously validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and underwent a thorough audit process. To ensure accountability, a bonus/malus mechanism was integrated into the credit contract, linking financial incentives directly to environmental performance.
The company’s impressive achievement of environmental performance targets in 2022 and 2023 resulted in the creation of the dedicated fund used for these investments. This demonstrates a clear link between strong environmental performance and financial success, showcasing the growing viability of sustainable business practices.
Axelle Lemaire, Executive Director in charge of Sustainable Performance and Corporate Social Responsibility at Sopra Steria, eloquently summarized the company’s vision: “The use of this line of credit concretely reflects Sopra Steria’s commitment to the ecological transition. It’s not enough to simply reduce our own carbon footprint; we must actively contribute to our clients’ emissions reduction trajectories. We believe that effective responses to the climate crisis will emerge from alliances between innovation, economic performance, and positive social impact. We are immensely proud to support these projects that explore novel and promising solutions.”
The rigorous selection process, overseen by an internal committee of experts and validated by Crédit Agricole CIB and Crédit Lyonnais (acting as ‘Sustainability Coordinators’ and ‘Sustainability Agent’), ensured that the chosen initiatives – PRONOE, focusing on ocean acidification, and Sand To Green, dedicated to regenerating arid lands – are truly impactful and align perfectly with Sopra Steria’s strategic goals.
This investment marks a significant milestone in corporate sustainability, demonstrating that ambitious environmental targets and substantial financial support can coexist and drive impactful change. Sopra Steria’s commitment serves as a compelling example for other businesses looking to integrate sustainability into their core strategies and contribute to a greener future. The success of this initiative highlights the potential for impactful collaborations between corporations and innovative startups in the fight against climate change.
Contact:
Aurélien Flaugnatti, [email protected]
