Barco’s 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction targets officially validated by SBTi

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We’re proud to announce that our new carbon reduction targets for 2030 (near-term) and 2050 (net-zero) have been officially validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) – a globally recognized authority on corporate climate action. This marks a major milestone in reconfirming Barco’s long-term commitment to sustainability.

This external validation confirms that our climate targets are aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, the most ambitious objective of the United Nations Paris Agreement of 2015. It also positions Barco among the industry’s frontrunners in environmental responsibility and product ecodesign.

This recognition builds on our strong track record. In 2020, we set our first SBTi-validated target: to reduce our absolute carbon emissions by 45% by 2025 (compared to 2015). We’ve already surpassed that goal, achieving a 62% reduction by 2024. With our new targets for 2030 and 2050, we reaffirm our commitment to driving meaningful climate action – now and in the future.

The validation by SBTi confirms that our carbon reduction targets are not just ambitious – they’re science-based, credible, and impactful.

Reaching our 2030 and 2050 targets will be challenging, but decarbonisation is increasingly embedded in our operations, product development, and sourcing, making it a core driver of innovation across Barco.

Dries Vanneste

Head of Sustainability at Barco

Our approved targets

Barco’s validated climate commitments include:

Near-term targets (by 2030)
- Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42% (from a 2024 baseline)
- Reduce absolute scope 3 emissions by 25%, covering areas such as use of sold products, transportation, business travel, employee commuting, and downstream leased assets
- Ensure 30% of suppliers by emissions have science-based targets
Long-term targets (by 2050)
- Reduce scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 90%

We commit to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our entire value chain by 2050. The SBTi Target Validation Team confirmed that our targets meet the criteria of the Corporate Net-Zero Standard.

A roadmap backed by data and teamwork

With this validation, Barco joins a select group of companies setting the benchmark for climate action in the technology and manufacturing industry – reinforcing our role as a sustainability leader and resilient innovator.

We’ve drafted a roadmap with concrete carbon reduction measures that will be rolled out in the coming years. These include, amongst others:

Scope 1 & 2: further electrification of our company fleet, a shift to renewable energy, and improved energy efficiency across our operations.
Scope 3: enhancing our eco-design program, shifting from hardware to software offerings, developing energy-efficient technologies, engaging with our suppliers, and exploring more circular offerings. In essence, this will require deeper collaboration and enhanced transparency across our entire value chain.

Barco’s impressive climate journey so far

Our 2025 target is to reduce scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 45% compared to the base year 2015. This target was approved by the Science Based Targets initiative in March 2021. By 2024, we had already reduced our absolute carbon emissions by 62% – or 492k tCO₂e – versus 2015, putting us well ahead of our 2025 goal.

In 2024, we expanded our carbon footprint calculation to include all scope 3 emission categories. This involved a gap analysis of missing categories and extensive data gathering, primarily through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) at the product level. This led to a thorough analysis of the embedded carbon in our purchased components and products (Category 1). Additionally, all other relevant scope 3 categories were calculated, giving us a comprehensive overview of our entire carbon footprint for both 2024 and 2023.

Check out our integrated annual report for an overview of our 2024 results.

This milestone demonstrates our commitment to protect earth by reducing our carbon footprint and developing solutions that contribute to tackling climate change.

About the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies’ targets.

By the end of 2024, companies with science-based targets or commitments represented 41% of the global economy by market capitalization. In 2024, 11,620 companies had approved targets or commitments.