Our commitment to environmental social governance (ESG) and sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Itron. It reaches every corner of our business – ranging from investments and acquisitions to day-to-day operations and community engagement. As we release our 2021 ESG Report and take a moment to pause and reflect - we are filled with hope and feeling inspired that we can restore the vitality of our planet for generations to come.

This year, we are acting on our commitment to ESG and long-term sustainability by establishing objectives and initiatives that align with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Every year when we publish the ESG report, we revisit these goals and ensure they embody who we are at Itron and where we aspire to go. Our revamped goals include:

• Fifty percent reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2028 (over the 2019 baseline)
• Carbon-neutral operations by 2035
• Net zero by 2050 or sooner
• Committed to join the Science-Based Target Initiative with alignment to the 1.5 degrees Celsius standard
• Pledge to assist and enhance consumers and utilities to improve their sustainability through advanced solutions and services

Our dedication to these goals directly informs our actions and our impact across the globe. Internally, this looks like creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce, identifying ways we can reduce our consumption and emissions and unlocking the resourcefulness of our employees to better serve our customers. Externally, it requires us to continue leading with innovation and to deliver solutions that help our customers optimize energy management systems, equip utilities with information that empowers their consumers and help our global communities become better stewards of our planet’s precious energy and water resources. 

Since we first laid the foundation for a reinvigorated approach to our ESG strategy in 2019, we continue to take strides toward reaching our goals. As Itron helps our industry shift to a decarbonized economy, many of our solutions directly aid our utility and city customers in that effort. In 2021, Itron estimates that our electricity AMI solutions helped customers in the U.S. and Canada avoid over 3.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. This is just one example of the many tangible results we are already beginning to see as a result of our ESG efforts.

As we continue to evaluate our goals, we’ve also worked over the past year to enhance, refine and develop key performance indicators to ensure we are accurately measuring and communicating our ESG progress. Throughout 2021, we took several steps to do exactly that – and ultimately refine our carbon model. Itron’s revamped ESG reporting framework and methodology were developed in alignment with several key ESG reporting methodologies, which help us to effectively measure, organize and communicate both our commitments and our progress as we drive these initiatives forward.

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made toward our ESG goals and in fulfilling our purpose, but we know this is just the beginning. Itron will continue to support utilities and cities as they navigate a variety of challenges related to the pandemic, supply chain constraints, natural disasters and more. Through our ESG efforts, we have charted a path forward and are excited for the journey ahead as we create a more resourceful world.