Qualcomm Incorporated – Henry Bart – 2016

Goals 

Upon graduating from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB, Henry Bart worked with the sustainability team at Qualcomm to identify the most relevant scope 3 GHG emissions categories for the company, calculate these emissions using globally-accepted methodologies, and identify opportunities for the company to improve data quality and collection in the future. 

Solutions

Henry reviewed the most recent CDP survey responses for nearly 40 Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) companies and leveraged resources available through organizations such as the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the United States EPA, and the GHG Protocol. Henry assessed the main categories of scope 3 GHG emissions that were most relevant for Qualcomm and the most widely recognized techniques for calculating those emissions.

For each of these categories, Henry calculated Qualcomm’s 2015 GHG emissions, comparing the results using different methodologies. One of his final deliverables to the company is a platform to replicate these GHG emissions calculations going forward. Finally, Henry identified opportunities to further improve its scope 3 GHG data collection and reporting in future years. 

Potential Impact

Qualcomm Incorporated is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. For more than 30 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. The results of this project will enable Qualcomm to better understand the environmental impact of its value chain in support of its 2030 Sustainability Vision.