The European Stability Mechanism (ESM), an international financial institution with a public mandate, continues to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) best practices into its operations. A message on the carbon footprint for 2024 represents The ESM's seventh annual report reaffirms its commitment to transparency in reporting ESG data.

In 2024, the ESM's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were equal to 994.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) on a gross basis and 911.5 tCO2e on a net basis. Compared to 2023, there was a slight decrease in net emissions by 6.5 % and gross emissions by 7.7 %. This decrease in emissions in 2024 is the first year to break the trend of sharp increases that followed the end of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite an increase in the number of employees by 28.5 % since the base year of 2018 (when 179 employees worked, while in 2024 there were 230), total emissions decreased by 15.9 % in net terms and 15.4 % in gross terms compared to 2018.

Main sources of emissions

The overall emission reduction in 2024 reflects the effectiveness of various strategies, with decreases recorded in all three key categories: mobility, buildings and teleworking.

Mobility remains the dominant source of emissions, accounting for 78 % of total gross emissions and 85.1 % of total net emissions in 2024. Within mobility, the largest contributor was air travel, which accounted for 77 % of ESM’s total net emissions (701.9 tCO2e) and 90.5 % of mobility-related emissions. Aviation emissions decreased by 6.3 % compared to 2023, resulting from a 15.3 % reduction in flight kilometres. ESM also saw a 25.7 % decrease in emissions from leased vehicles, driven by lower mileage and the predominant use of plug-in hybrid vehicles. A new category was added to the mobility category in 2024 business trips by car, which includes leased vehicles and personal cars used for business purposes.

Emissions related to buildings accounted for 17.4 % of total gross emissions. Because ESM obtains all its electricity from renewable sources covered by guarantees of origin (Guarantees of Origin), net emissions from electricity and cooling are zero (0 tCO2e). In net terms, the largest source of emissions was in buildings heating (gas), which accounted for 72.4 % of net building emissions. Although heating emissions increased slightly by 5.4 % in 2024 compared to 2023 (due to increased consumption), they decreased by 54.8 % compared to the base year 2018 thanks to implemented measures, such as reducing the temperature in offices to 20 °C during the winter.

Emissions related to teleworking accounted for 5 % of total net ESM emissions. These emissions are estimated using the EcoAct Whitepaper methodology, taking into account, for example, heating and electricity that would not be needed in a scenario without teleworking.

Environmental commitments and certifications

ESM uses a protocol for reporting GHG emissions International GHG Protocol and applies the approach operational control at its headquarters in Luxembourg. Deloitte Luxembourg plays a key role in quality assurance, having carried out an independent review of the calculations in accordance with the four-eyes principle.

ESM actively strengthens its environmental practices:

• In 2024, ESM received its first sustainable building certification BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology).
• Re-acquired the designation SuperDrecksKëscht® fir Betriber (Global Benchmark for Sustainability) for internal waste recycling practices for the eleventh time.
• As part of its support for sustainable mobility, ESM installed four additional charging stations for electric cars in 2024, bringing the total number to eight, as well as two wall sockets for electric bicycles.
• It continues to implement measures to replace single-use materials with reusable or recyclable alternatives, in line with the Zero Single-Use Plastics Manifesto commitment.
• In 2024, the “Making a Difference” employee group held two charity auctions of discarded IT equipment to promote reuse and reduce waste.

ESM has also committed to the construction of a new joint headquarters, to be completed by 2029, with the aim of achieving climate neutrality in construction and operation, guided by frameworks such as DGNB, EMAS and the WELL Building Standard. JRi