Scope 1 Emissions
2022 Communication on Progress
Abt Global LLC
Published date
May 30, 2022
No. of questions
64
Supplemental files
AbtSCoC_Oct2021.pdfCEO Statement
Signed
Governance
Policies and Responsibilities
1. Does the Board / highest governance body or most senior executive of the company:
Optional commentAbt Associates is committed to zero tolerance of corruption as stated in our Code of Conduct and as incorporated into regular employee trainings.2. Does the company have a publicly stated commitment regarding the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentAbt Associates Code of Conduct: https://www.abtassociates.com/node/301824 ; Abt Associates Supplier Code of Conduct: https://www.abtassociates.com/files/Work%20With%20Us/supplier-resources/2021/abtscoc_oct2021.pdf3. Does the company have in place a code of conduct regarding each of the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentAbt Associates Code of Conduct: https://www.abtassociates.com/node/301824; Abt Associates Supplier Code of Conduct: https://www.abtassociates.com/files/Work%20With%20Us/supplier-resources/2021/abtscoc_oct2021.pdf4. Has the company appointed an individual or group responsible for each of the following sustainability topics?
5. Does the company have a formal structure(s) (such as a cross-functional committee) to address each of the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentAbt Associates has formal structures to ensure labor rights and decent work for our staff, environmental sustainability, and anti-corruption. The formal structure includes accountable individuals responsible for outcomes with access to information and cross-functional input. Additionally, Abt Associates' Board of Directors Finance and Audit Committee has direct oversight on our anti-corruption work.Prevention
6. Does the company have a process or processes to assess risk?
Optional commentAbt Associates is working to enhance our enterprise risk management strategy related to human rights, labor, and the environment.6.1. During the assessment of risk, which business relationships are reviewed?
7. Does the company have a due diligence process through which it identifies, prevents, mitigates, and accounts for actual and potential negative impacts on sustainability topics?
7.1. During the due diligence process, which business relationships are reviewed?
Concerns and grievance mechanisms
8. Are there any processes through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct related to human rights, labour rights, environment, or anti-corruption?
Optional commentAbt Associates has both formal and informal mechanisms. Our formal process includes our confidential ethics helpline.8.1. Please provide additional detail regarding the process(es) the company has through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct.
Optional commentAbt's concern mechanisms and processes are currently communicated in ten languages.9. Does the company provide or enable access to effective remedy to right holders / stakeholders where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact?
Optional commentAbt Associates established a Supplier Code of Conduct in October 2021. As a supplier to Abt, the supplier’s role begins, but does not end, with understanding the Code. Should any compliance issues arise, the supplier has the responsibility to immediately make them known to Abt.Lessons
10. How does the company capture lessons regarding each of the following sustainability topics?
Executive Pay
11. Is executive pay linked to performance on one or more of the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentAbt Associates will never be against change, should change be aligned to supporting our business strategies and further our mission impact. We currently have a heavy emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion performance indicators and are working towards this fulfillment before considering other topics, of which would likely fall outside the scope of two years.Board Composition
12. Percentage of individuals within the company’s Board / highest governance body by:
Optional commentAbt's Board of Directors is comprised of twelve members, including the Chairman of the Board and Abt's CEO.13. Do you produce sustainability reporting according to:
Optional commentAbt is committed to transparency and reports sustainability progress against international frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Abt's annual Mission Impact Report is prepared in reference to the GRI Standards but makes no claims to certification. https://www.abtassociates.com/mission-impact/mission-impact-report-2022Data Assurance
14. Is the information disclosed in this questionnaire assured by a third-party?
Human Rights
Materiality / Saliency
1. Which of the following has the company identified as material human rights issues connected with its operations and/or value chain, whether based on their salience (i.e., the most severe potential negative impacts on people) or another basis?
Optional commentAbt Associates has identified the following selected topics as the most material to our business. However, all topics listed are important for consideration in our activities with our employees, our clients, and their beneficiaries.Commitment
2. Does the company have a policy commitment in relation to the following human rights issues?
Optional commentThe rights of indigenous people, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Australia, is a critical matter for Abt Associates' Australia entity. Abt's Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan has been recently approved by the Government of Australia, indicating our commitment to long-term action.2.1. For each human rights policy, is it:
Optional commentAbt Associates Innovate Reconciliation Plan: https://www.abtassociates.com/innovate-reconciliation-action-plan-2021-2023#:~:text=Our%20Reconciliation%20Action%20Plan,to%20make%20a%20social%20impactPrevention
3. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following human rights issues?
4. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with this human rights issue?
5. Who receives training for the following human rights issues?
6. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following human rights issues?
Response
7. During the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy where it has caused or contributed to adverse impact associated with the following human rights issue(s)?
8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the human rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Abt Associates remains committed to supporting and respecting the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights and ensuring we are not complicit in human rights abuses. Across the reporting period, Abt expanded our global advocacy program for preventing and responding to incidences of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse, released a modern slavery statement with actions that the company will take to prevent the abuses of human rights, and are in the process of developing safeguarding plans for each of our client projects around the world. One specific example is the recently expanded Peer Advocacy Network, which is now available at over 20 international project sites (up from eight in 2020). Abt Australia and Britain’s equivalent Peer Support Networks are now available across all international programs established through these entities. These field-based employees share an active commitment to preserving an inclusive environment free from harassment, exploitation, and abuse. Acting in a regional capacity, they offer guidance, remediation, and support to their colleagues, such as advising on how to report incidents, modelling workplace behaviors, and addressing mediation. We additionally finalized our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) for 2021-2023. Guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which sets out the minimum standards for the continued survival of and level of respect and wellbeing for Indigenous peoples, we aim to be an active participant in Australia’s reconciliation journey as well as a role model for other mission-driven organizations. Our vision for the future of Australia is a nation that is actively anti-racist, promotes equality and equity, celebrates diversity, and embraces unity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader Australian community. Abt’s RAP confirms our long-term commitment to reconciliation and identifies areas we believe we can have a positive impact and achieve the best outcomes.Labour
Commitment
1. Does the company have a policy commitment in relation to the following labour rights principles?
1.1. For each labour rights policy, is it:
Prevention
2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following labour rights issues?
3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with this labour rights issue?
4. Who receives training for the following labour rights issues?
5. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following labour rights issues?
Performance
6. What is the percentage of employees covered under collective bargaining agreements?
Optional commentCollective bargaining is not applicable to Abt Associates.7. What is the percentage of employees in a trade union or other workers' organization?
8. In the course of the reporting period, what was the percentage of women in:
Optional commentAbt Associates uses taxonomies that are consistent with the Evidence and Data for Gender Equality (EDGE) project. Senior leadership is considered as Abt's top management and upper management classifications.9. What was the average ratio of the basic salary and remuneration of women to men (comparing jobs of equal value) during the reporting period?
10. In the course of the reporting period, how frequently were workers injured (injuries per hour worked)?
Optional commentPer ISAR C.3.2, the frequency of injury rate is calculated as the number of new injury cases divided by the total number of hours worked by the workers across CY2021.11. In the course of the reporting period, what was the company’s incident rate?
Optional commentAbt Associates had 90 injuries across a global staff of over 3,600 people in CY2021. The information on number of hours lost due to injury is not currently available in a centralized manner.Response and Reporting
12. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact associated with the following labour rights issues?
Optional commentAbt Associates remedies everything. We have an investigation policy if ever an issue were to be brought forward, following a process to evaluate the severity of the claims.13. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the labour rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Abt Associates is committed to upholding the UN Global Compact’s labor principles, covering the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor, the effective abolition of child labor, and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. In 2021, Abt advanced our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We rolled out a global all staff education on bias, discrimination, and prejudice, with a required two-hour training series and supplemental voluntary education opportunities. We strengthened this commitment by hiring Abt’s first ever Chief Global Equity Officer, responsible for leading our Global Equity Team and developing a comprehensive global equity strategy. Our Australia entity established a Respect at Work Policy to strengthen safeguarding protections and to prevent harm and abuse to individuals we work for and who work for us. Two years ago, Abt made a firm commitment to gender equality with the pursuit of certification under Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE), the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality. As of June 2021, Abt progressed to the second level of EDGE’s three-tier system—Move—for expanding flexible work and organizational culture policies and initiatives that foster greater gender equality. We will continue to be vigilant and proactively address gender pay gaps to ensure equal pay for equal work. As we remain active in advancing our commitments, we are challenged with bandwidth and resource availability constraints needed to fully and robustly build staff capacity to address bias, discrimination, and prejudice. Given this constraint, we have pivoted our approach and are now pursuing multiple pathways for engagement and education, including new policies, employee performance evaluation prompts, employee affinity groups, and other approaches.Environment
Commitment
1. Does the company have a formal policy on the following environmental topics?
1.1. For each environmental policy, is it:
Optional commentAbt Associates released a comprehensive Supplier Code of Conduct in October 2021, which includes environmental criteria, such as climate action, air pollution, waste, water, energy, and resource use. This Code applies to all Abt Associates suppliers, contractors, grantees, subcontractors, subgrantees, subawardees, subrecipients, and their related entities (“suppliers”) delivering goods or services to Abt and our clients worldwide.Prevention
2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following environmental issues?
3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with these environmental topics?
4. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following environmental topics?
Optional commentNearly 100 percent of Abt Associates' workforce transitioned to remote work in 2020, and remained as such for the majority of 2021. Therefore tracking and target-setting was suspended for this timeframe across waste generation.4.1. For each environmental topic in which the company sets timebound goals / targets, what kind of targets has the company set?
4.2. For each environmental topic in which the company sets timebound goals / targets, how is progress against target / goal tracked?
5. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy for any actual impacts associated with the following environmental issue(s)?
Climate Action
6. What were the company’s gross global greenhouse gas emissions for the reporting period?
Scope 2 Emissions
Scope 3 Emissions
Optional commentAbt Associates externally verifies our emissions inventory biennially. At the time of this report, Abt's CY2021 emissions have not been externally verified by a third party and are scheduled for verification in CY2023. Notably, Abt's Scope 1 emissions are lower than our historical average due to a lack of refrigerant installation and replacement activities needed across the CY2021 reporting year.7. What percentage of the company's revenue was invested in R&D of low-carbon products/services during this reporting period?
8. Has the organization acted to support climate change adaptation and resilience?
Optional commentWhile Abt Associates advances climate change adaptation and resilience in communities around the world through our client-funded work, we are responding to this question from the perspective of Abt's direct operations. Examples of ways in which we supported climate change adaptation and resilience include incorporation of climate change risk assessment language in our newly released Supplier Code of Conduct, and a comprehensive climate change vulnerability analyses of our physical office space locations.Energy / Resource Use
9. Please report the company's renewable energy consumption as a percentage of total energy consumption in the reporting period.
Optional commentIn CY2021, 68.6 percent of Abt Associates' total Scope 2 purchased electricity came from renewable energy sources.Technology
10. What percent of the company's revenue came from environmentally friendly products / services during this reporting period?
Sector-specific Questions
11. Which sector(s) does the company operate in? If diversified, choose top 3 by revenue.
Optional commentAbt Associates is a professional services firm and therefore does not fall into any of the categories listed above. Alternatively, "Other" would have been the most appropriate and accurate selection for our organization.Overall Environment
21. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the environment principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Abt Associates remains steadfast in our commitment to the environment. In 2021, we made significant progress in this commitment through promoting greater environmental responsibility, linked to the UN Global Compact’s Principle 8. Abt has tracked our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 2012 and achieved a 44.6 percent reduction in our U.S.-based emissions as of 2019, nearly doubling our first GHG reduction target—25 percent reduction by 2021 over 2012 levels. In meeting this target early, Abt worked across 2020 and 2021 to expand our GHG inventory to encompass our global operations, including Abt Australia and Britain, as well as additional sources of emissions such as telecommuting and international project sites. In 2021, Abt joined the global Business Ambition for 1.5°C and Race to Zero campaigns, making the commitment to align our climate mitigation targets with the goal of keeping global warming to 1.5°C and reaching science-based net-zero emissions by 2050. Abt’s newest target, to reduce global emissions 38.6 percent by 2027 over 2019 levels—including an interim reduction of 33 percent by 2025—was submitted to the Science Based Targets initiative and completed validation in June 2022. How we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how we define the “next normal” at Abt, will make or break our ability to meet our 2027 target. The lynch pin to success for our organization is to ensure that air travel does not rebound to pre-COVID-19 levels. We are continuing to explore strategies to manage air travel, such as the implementation of an annual air travel emissions budget that will encourage further intentionally around air travel. We will seek to reinforce digital connectivity behaviors adopted during the pandemic, provide climate literacy training to staff, and develop air travel decision support tools for supervisors and managers.Anti-corruption
Commitment
1. Does the company have an anti-corruption compliance programme?
2. Does your company have policies and recommendations for employees on how to act in case of doubt and/or in situations that may represent a conflict of interest, e.g. with regard to gifts and hospitality, donations, sponsorship, or interactions with public officials?
Prevention
3. Who receives training on anti-corruption and integrity?
3.1. How often is such training provided?
Optional commentAbt Associate's managers receive annual training, while all staff receive training biennially.4. Does the company monitor its anti-corruption compliance programme?
Response and Reporting
5. Please report the company's total number and nature of incidents of corruption during the reporting year.
6. Within the reporting period, what measures has the company taken to address suspected incidents of corruption independently or in response to a dispute or investigation by a government regulator?
7. Does your company engage in Collective Action against corruption?
8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the anti-corruption principle, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Abt Associates complies with all anti-corruption laws of the countries in which we do business. To prevent and reduce the risk of corruption, we recently increased staff awareness initiatives, including developing communications on how to report concerns. We conducted Code of Conduct training for senior managers, which includes robust anti-corruption content. Additionally, we provided enhanced training around anti-corruption for staff in high-risk countries. Abt continues to prioritize in-person training for international project site-office staff to reinforce awareness of our compliance program.