Cbus announces a comprehensive plan to achieve net zero emissions for its investment portfolio by 2050.
Australia’s largest superannuation fund for the building, construction and allied industries has revealed a comprehensive plan to reduce its portfolio emissions, the material emissions source for investors.
In an announcement highlighted in today’s Guardian, Cbus has committed to a portfolio emissions target of net zero by 2050, an interim reduction target of 45% by the end of the decade, and to developing pathways to support these.
We have assessed the Cbus announcement as ‘fully aligned’ when measured against the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The Cbus commitment reinforces the Australian superannuation industry benchmark set by HESTA in June, when that fund announced the development of its Climate Change Transition Plan. The Tracker assessed the commitments underpinning this plan as ‘fully aligned’.
The Net Zero Momentum Tracker is a Climateworks and Monash Sustainable Development Institute joint initiative to assess organisational climate commitments against the global ambition to limit temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius.
This assessment finds that by setting a net zero by 2050 emissions target for its entire investment portfolio, supported by an interim target, Cbus has satisfied the Tracker’s fully aligned criteria.
We look forward to seeing further detail on the sector pathways which will inform the fund’s strategies to meet these targets, including the specific investment principles it will apply to decarbonise its portfolio.
Highlights:
- A portfolio target committing to net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050
- Targeting a portfolio reduction of 45% absolute emissions reduction by 2030
- Developing baseline, asset class and sector pathways to support these targets.
How we assess momentum to net zero:
Fully aligned: Net zero by 2050 target for all material emissions.
Closely aligned: Net zero by 2050 target for most, but not all material emissions.
Aligned aspiration/pathway: Net zero by 2050 aspiration, or an aligned interim target.
Partially aligned: Net zero by 2050 target for a small proportion of emissions.
Not aligned: Undertaking emissions reduction activities, but these are not sufficient to reach net zero by 2050.
No target: No emissions targets or activities have been disclosed.
Learn more about our assessment methodology
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