Company
We are dedicated to Ramboll’s legacy and long-term success through top-tier performance, sound business principles, and adherence to our values.
We are committed to acting responsibly towards clients, employees, society, and our company.
We strive to develop and deliver services and solutions that contribute to sustainable development, while mitigating and avoiding negative impacts on nature or people.
Driving climate action
Committed to reduce our carbon footprint and strengthen our corporate climate action, we have set science-based carbon reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Our near-term targets were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in October 2021, and in 2023 we submitted our long-term targets to the SBTi. In 2023, we set net-zero* emissions targets across scopes 1, 2, and 3 to be achieved by 2040, ten years earlier than the 2050 deadline, to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
We transparently report on our own emissions and take action to reduce our climate impact. In 2023, we included additional scope 3 categories to our GHG reporting, aligning with the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard, with leading guidelines for climate-related disclosure, and with the upcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
In this process, we included a new source of scope 3 emissions, Category 11, Use of sold products, related to industrial furnaces produced by the Advanced Manufactory Operation in our Americas geography, an operation which was part of an engineering services and equipment company, acquired in 2018 in the US.
In 2023, Ramboll’s total GHG emissions were 134,536 tCO2e across scopes 1, 2, and 3, which is an increase of 12.2% compared to last year.
Despite this increase, we reduced our GHG footprint by 4.2% across scopes 1, 2, and 3 from a 2019 baseline. Benchmarked against our science-based targets until 2030, we are tracking ahead for all scopes as of 2023.
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Recognised for our efforts in sustainability
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EcoVadis gold medal
We were awarded a gold medal by the EcoVadis Business Sustainability Rating in recognition of our corporate social responsibility, environmental impacts, and sustainable procurement level. We rank among the top 5% of companies assessed by EcoVadis.
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A- score for CDP disclosure
We advanced from a B score to an A- in 2023, recognising that we implement best practice to advance environmental stewardship and mitigate climate change risks. The score places us at “Leadership Level” in the ranking, above average of the specialised professional services sector, and the Europe and Global average, and placing us amongst the 17% of companies within our segment to reach this level.
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Environment Analyst
We were ranked nine out of the top 10 global environmental and sustainability consultancy firms according to a report by Environment Analyst released in February 2024.
Ramboll’s journey towards a net-zero future
We have ambitious targets to reduce our carbon footprint, while improving impacts on our value chain and the environment.
In 2023, we took a bolder step on our journey to reduce emissions and submitted new net-zero targets to the Science Based Targets initiative, which are pending final validation in 2024.
With the commitment to reach net-zero* GHG emissions across scopes 1, 2, and 3 by 2040 from a 2019 baseline, Ramboll joins a select group of eight companies within the Professional Services sector worldwide that have set the same goal and target year.
Our science-based action on climate was formalised in 2020 when we first committed to the Science Based Targets initiative to reduce GHG emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.
Since then, we have defined and executed on a decarbonisation roadmap and cascaded targets across our business units, mobilising the entire organisation.
Key activities include electrifying our vehicle fleet, increasing energy efficiency and use of renewable electricity across our offices, encouraging responsible and low-carbon travel, and setting climate-related requirements to suppliers.
In preparation of the 2040 net-zero submission to SBTi, we collaborated across our organisation, including input from Group functions and business units.
We also improved emissions data quality and tracking mechanisms, updated methodologies and accounting policies, of which we obtained third-party assurance, and defined a clear carbon removal strategy to fulfil our net-zero commitment.
“Since our founding, Ramboll has become a frontrunner and a role model in our industry. This includes accelerating sustainability from several angles, and climate action is one of them. With the submission of our net-zero targets, we take responsibility for emissions across our full value chain to help close the climate gap.”
*The SBTi Net-Zero Standard defines corporate net-zero as: 1) reducing scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions to zero or a residual level consistent with reaching global net-zero emissions or at a sector level in eligible 1.5°C-aligned pathways, and 2) permanently neutralizing any residual emissions at the net-zero target year and any GHG emissions released into the atmosphere thereafter. Source: Science Based Targets initiative, SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard, Version 1.1, April 2023.
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Human rights
As a global company, Ramboll can potentially cause, contribute to, or be linked to adverse human rights impacts through our business relations and across our value chain. Conscious of these potential impacts, we work to ensure that human rights are respected within our organisation and when working on our clients’ projects.
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Business integrity
We are committed to expanding our business globally while adhering to responsible and ethical business practices.
Our Business Integrity Programme plays a key part in providing our colleagues and managers with knowledge and guidance required to navigate increasingly complex operational risks and rapidly evolving legal environments, and to ensure that our commitments to sustainability and responsible business are upheld globally.
The programme covers anti-corruption laws, sanctions and export controls laws, speak up and Whistleblower systems, data privacy laws, and human rights third party and project due diligence.
With an increasing focus on anti-corruption and human rights as part of ESG reporting requirements (e.g. CSRD), we are preparing for enhanced data requirements to be embedded into our business integrity systems and processes. This will be a key focus area for 2024.
During the year, we integrated sanctions ownership screenings of all new clients into Ramboll’s CRM system, enabling automated workflows for our tender managers.Furthermore, we developed screening processes within our responsibility areas for all vendors globally, as part of our global vendor onboarding system, to be rolled out in 2024.
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Tax policy and compliance
We view tax as a positive consequence of our business activities and acknowledge that a responsible approach to taxes is necessary to sustain our business in the countries and societies in which we operate
We are committed to acting with integrity and transparency, complying with all related taxation requirements, laws, and regulations in accordance with our Tax Policy, which is publicly accessible on our website.
We pay corporate income taxes and other business taxes in the countries in which we have profitable business activities. We also collect and remit employee income taxes, social security taxes, VAT, sales tax, and other indirect taxes.
Ramboll’s 2023 financial statements result in a corporate income tax charge of DKK 212.2 million. This tax charge is allocated between the following main regions:
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Denmark | 78.1 | 68.8 | 57.8 |
| Finland | 17.4 | 26.4 | 24.7 |
| India | 18.5 | 13.5 | 5.7 |
| Norway | 18.1 | 27.4 | 17.4 |
| Sweden | -2.7 | 3.1 | 10.7 |
| US | 68.1 | 62.6 | 29.4 |
| Other Countries | 14.7 | 46.1 | 23.0 |
| Total | 212.2 | 247.9 | 168.7 |
Corporate income tax charges mean the corporate income tax amounts calculated for Ramboll Group companies in accordance with the laws of the concerned jurisdictions relating to taxation.