Tencent Pursues Complete Carbon Neutrality by 2030
After launching a carbon neutrality plan in early 2021, Tencent announced on Thursday that it will start a “Net Zero Action,” promising to achieve comprehensive carbon neutrality in its own operations and supply chains no later than 2030. In addition, 100% green power in the company’s working areas will be realized no later than 2030.
In January 2021, Tencent announced the launch of its carbon neutrality plan, becoming one of the first leading internet companies in China to launch such an initiative. The company is promoting its achievement of “net zero emissions” by 2030 through a series of measures including technological and management innovation in data centers, company operations, industry assistance and public welfare education.
On April 19, 2021, Tencent put forward the strategy of “Sustainable Social Value Innovation,” and announced that it had invested 50 billion yuan ($7.9 billion) in the first phase to set up a “Sustainable Social Value Division” to promote the implementation of the strategy. This involved a “carbon neutrality laboratory,” which has been specifically set up for the realization of carbon neutrality, providing support for the long-term green transformation of society.
According to Tencent, its greenhouse gas emissions totaled 5.111 million tons in 2021. Accelerating the realization of carbon neutrality in its operations became the primary goal of the company’s carbon neutrality action. In this regard, it put forward the principle of “giving priority to emissions reduction and green power, supplemented by offsets” with specific means including energy conservation and efficiency improvement, renewable energy substitution and carbon offset measures.
In exploring and using low-carbon technologies, Tencent regards itself as an experiment in trying various new technologies in data centers, buildings and parks. On the other hand, it insists on an “open and sharing” approach, and exports low-carbon technologies and capability resources to society. The company also promotes the R&D of low-carbon technologies. In addition, it continues upgrading technologies, providing funds and pilot project support for emerging low-carbon technologies.
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For example, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is a key technical system in the low-carbon technology realm. It is also one of the core points to achieve carbon neutrality in fields such as industrial and coal-fired power. Tencent is cooperating with CarbFix of Iceland to promote the pilot project of CO2 mineralization and storage technology in China, which is also the first pilot project of this technology in Asia.
