The Energy Digital Year in Stories: September

January 02, 2025

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Baker Hughes headquarters in Houston, Texas

We look at the articles that made the news across the energy space 2024. Today, it is September’s turn, featuring Baker Hughes, Microsoft, Gensler & Howden

How Baker Hughes Technology Advances the Path to Net Zero

Energy technology giant Baker Hughes sets ambitious net zero goals while developing innovative solutions for a low-carbon future.

This comes as the global energy landscape undergoes what is undoubtedly a profound transformation.

In a bid to tackle this head-on, Baker Hughes is positioning itself at the forefront of the industry’s transition towards a more sustainable future, leveraging more than a century of experience and deep-rooted operations in more than 120 countries.

Baker Hughes is walking the walk and not just talking the talk: by leveraging its expertise, it is driving innovation in clean energy technologies while simultaneously working to reduce its own carbon footprint.

This became more apparent when, in January 2019, Baker Hughes became one of the first companies in the oil and gas sector to commit to achieving net- zero carbon emissions from its operations by 2050.

This target includes a 50% reduction in CO2e emissions by 2030 compared to a 2012 baseline.

Baker Hughes said it is “committed to reducing our emissions by 50% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.

“We are bringing our core technology capabilities to lead in the energy transition and enable a decarbonisation path for energy and industry.

“We are taking energy forward by delivering the highest efficiency productivity outcomes for broader energy and industry.”

This sentiment is echoed by Baker Hughes’ CSO Allyson Anderson Book, who said off the back of the company’s 2023 corporate sustainability report released earlier this year: “At Baker Hughes, sustainability is directly tied to our corporate strategy and creates long-term value through improved ESG performance and better resilience against climate risks.

“Through our sustainability strategy — executed across our corporate framework of people, planet and principles — we have continued to operationalize sustainability, turning our net-zero ambitions into actions.

“Our people remain central contributors to taking energy forward.”

Climate Week NYC: Experts Tackle Climate Crisis Goals

During the opening ceremony of the 16th Climate Week in New York, a high-profile panel was assembled to delve into strategies for meeting the crucial 1.5°C global target.

Meteorologist Stephanie Abrams of The Weather Channel moderated the engaging discussion, with the panel made up by:

Prof Celeste Saulo, Secretary General, World Meteorological Organization
Ezgi Barcenas, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, L'Oréal Groupe
Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway
Eamon Ryan, Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Minister for Transport for Ireland.

Celeste kicked off the discussion with an emphasis on the critical role of climate data, highlighting its complex and overwhelming nature.

She said: “It’s not only about the aggregate temperature. Every single indicator has set a new record.

“That includes sea level rise, sea surface temperature, ocean acidification. The science is there – the question is what we do.

“We’ve heard already how these numbers translate to floods, droughts and wildfires.

“The cost of inaction by 2100 is estimated to be US$1,266tn.”

She said the World Meteorological Organization is “translating science numbers into action”.

Ezgi brought to the fore L'Oréal Groupe's science-based origins and its global cadre of 4,000 scientists. These experts are pioneering innovative products geared towards carbon footprint reduction.

She said: “The majority of emissions are Scope 3. It may seem outside our area and not in our control, but a high proportion of it comes from product design.

“Today a consumer buys their favourite perfume, then tosses the bottle away when it is finished and buys another.

“The work we are doing on primary packaging means they can go back and refill the bottle. It’s cheaper for the consumer and lowers emissions.