Press release | bit.bio signs up to race to zero as part of COP26

Sustainability is being built into the business towards a carbon negative goal

CAMBRIDGE, UK, 10 November 2021 - today bit.bio announces they are joining the world’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis by joining the United Nations Race to Zero campaign and are committed to achieving net zero and beyond, ahead of the 2050 deadline. The commitment is part of the company’s mission to Code Cells for Health, where the business is built to do good and contribute to global sustainability from day one.

bit.bio are joining the SME Climate Hub and The Climate Pledge who are official Race to Zero partners.

 

“bit.bio has had sustainability on the agenda from day one, a deep commitment shared by all the founders. This may be pretty unique for a bio-tech startup, but it’s the only way to successfully build a global company that will last given the challenges the world is facing. By signing up to Race to Zero and pledging to become net zero and beyond – towards becoming a carbon negative company – they are building on their sustainability plans and taking action on climate change. ”

Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger

Chair of bit.bio’s Ethics and Future Board

bit.bio is committed to:

• Halve our greenhouse gas emissions before 2030
• Achieve net zero emissions before 2040
• Measure and report our progress on a yearly basis
• Implement decarbonisation strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies
• Neutralise any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially-beneficial offsets

The commitment to the UK COP26 Presidency and Race to Zero builds on bit.bio’s existing commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 on good health and well-being, 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure and 15 on life on land.

To achieve these goals, the company has integrated sustainable, low-carbon practices into its growth from the start. These include:

• An on-site fully vegetarian cafe where food waste is measured and offset. The initiative is used as a case study and pilot project by supplier Baxter Storey to show other companies vegetarian cafes can work for all staff.
• Choosing a state-of-the-art Green Building for air, green electric energy, water, and waste handling which has been enhanced with living walls and other eco-architectural features.
• Working to ensure Low-Emissions Labs and Operations, with sustainable suppliers for materials, including using suppliers with recyclable packaging, and an electric car salary sacrifice scheme for all staff.

In addition to the local and internal mitigation and resilience efforts, helping them to go carbon negative over time, the company is also investing in high impact and value international carbon reduction projects, chosen by all the staff together in a vote, with organisations such as:

• The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST)
• Gold Standard
• Carbon Footprint