xWave Technologies Carbon Reduction Plan
Introduction
xWave Technologies completed its first organisational greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment in September 2023 with support from Enterprise Ireland’s Green Transition Fund.
The assessment established a 2022 baseline carbon footprint of 6,255.62 kg CO2e, or 6.256 tCO2e. This included emissions associated with facilities, home working, business travel, accommodation, waste, water and available information from third-party contractors.
Our plan is to reduce our organisational carbon footprint by 39% over five years, from September 2023 to September 2028, measured against this baseline.
Methodology
Our baseline assessment used a structured data-capture process aligned with the principles of the GHG Protocol and adapted to xWave’s cloud-based, internationally distributed operating model.
The assessment included:
Mapping employees and the locations of home-based team members.
Reviewing our technology stack and digital infrastructure.
Identifying relevant emission sources across Scopes 1, 2 and 3.
Engaging contractors and service providers to obtain emissions information.
Collecting, calculating and validating the available data.
Some information from digital service providers and other third parties was unavailable. The baseline should therefore be considered the best available estimate for the defined organisational boundary rather than a complete value-chain inventory.
Carbon Reduction Roadmap
Our carbon reduction roadmap focuses on three priority areas that are expected to contribute to our overall 39% reduction target:
Encouraging employees to move to renewable electricity plans, with an estimated contribution of 10%.
Reducing air travel by 25% through virtual-first meetings and using rail where practical, with an estimated contribution of 17%.
Choosing accommodation providers with credible sustainability certification or published environmental programmes, with an estimated contribution of 12%.
The 39% target remains active through September 2028. We are refreshing our organisational footprint to measure progress against the 2022 baseline and strengthen the quality of our Scope 3 data.
Current Reduction Programme
Our current programme includes:
Promoting renewable electricity and practical energy-efficiency measures for employees working remotely.
Applying a virtual-first approach to business meetings.
Monitoring air journeys and travel-related emissions.
Selecting more sustainable accommodation where practical.
Engaging hosting, software and other suppliers on renewable energy, efficiency and emissions reporting.
Including proportionate environmental considerations in supplier selection and review.
Progress is reviewed quarterly, with the organisational footprint and Carbon Reduction Plan reviewed at least annually. We distinguish clearly between measured reductions, estimates, avoided emissions and carbon offsets.
Carbon Offsetting and Wider Impact
Alongside reducing our direct emissions, xWave has supported environmental and community initiatives. These are reported separately and are not deducted from our gross organisational footprint.
Eternal Flame Tanzania
This programme uses ecological cook bags made from coconut-shell waste. Reported benefits include reduced demand for harvested wood, lower smoke exposure, time savings for women and wider community development. xWave’s original programme documentation recorded 10 tCO2e of offset impact.
Dunsany Rewilding Project
xWave supported the planting of 100 native Irish trees at Dunsany Nature Reserve in County Meath. The project supports long-term carbon capture, biodiversity, youth education and community engagement.
Avoided Emissions Enabled by xWave Solutions
We have also assessed potential avoided emissions associated with our clinical decision support technology.
A study of 830 imaging requests found that 28.55% were cancelled or replaced, avoiding 237 imaging examinations. Using an assumed minimum footprint of 18 kg CO2e per scan, this represented estimated avoided emissions of 4.266 tCO2e.
These potential avoided emissions sit outside xWave’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 organisational footprint and are therefore reported separately.
Sustainable Development Goals
Our Enterprise Ireland Green Transition Fund assessment considered xWave’s alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Good Health and Wellbeing, and Partnerships for the Goals.
We will continue to connect our environmental commitments with responsible business practices across our workforce, customers and supply chain.