SHI achieves validation for our science-based climate targets

Published on : 4/29/2025

SHI International Corp. (SHI) is proud to announce that the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) — an organization that helps businesses set milestones and track progress towards meeting environmental goals — has validated our science-based climate targets. These targets are designed to enhance the efficiency of our operations, mitigate risks within our supply chain, and support our customers in making more sustainable procurement decisions.

SHI’s near-term climate targets

By setting climate targets, SHI fosters a culture of sustainability that extends beyond our operations, engaging and encouraging both upstream and downstream partners on climate.

Our near-term targets are to halve direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from our operations (scope 1 and 2) and reduce our indirect emissions (scope 3) from waste generated in operations and business travel, by 2030 (as compared to the 2023 level).

Additionally, SHI aims to ensure that our key suppliers, accountable for 70% of expenditure, will have science-based targets by 2029. This commitment extends to customers generating 13% of our revenue, particularly those purchasing hardware from SHI.

"Climate change presents a substantial challenge that calls for outstanding collaboration, said James Prior, Chief Financial Officer at SHI. "By establishing and delivering on science-based climate targets, we can improve the efficiency and resilience of our operations while also working with vendors and customers to achieve shared goals that benefit our business, society, and the planet."

SHI’s role in climate action

Enterprise technology as a sector contributes 1% of all global GHG emissions, which is comparable to the emissions of the U.K. or Australia. While considerable focus is on the growing emissions associated with data centers and AI, end-user devices are a significant emissions source due to their volume.

SHI serves as a global IT solutions provider, connecting thousands of IT vendors with business customers. A significant 94% of SHI’s total emissions (scopes 1, 2, and 3) stem from the lifecycles of the hardware products we purchase and sell. While we work on decarbonizing our operations through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, we can maximize our impact by working with our suppliers and customers on shared climate commitments.

Influencing the value chain

On the supplier side, we partner with manufacturers who are improving the carbon intensity and circularity of hardware. SHI provides over 700,000 products covered by energy efficiency certifications like ENERGY STAR, EPEAT, or TCO. We are also launching a digital platform to perform sustainability due diligence on our extensive supplier base, focusing on climate and other critical factors. We will be engaging select suppliers to help them understand the benefits and process of setting climate targets.

As for our customers, we support and guide them in considering sustainability in their procurement and IT asset management decisions. For example, we provide customers with insights into the carbon footprint of IT hardware and offer services to reduce the environmental impact of IT, such as energy efficiency assessments and ITAD services.

Broader sustainability efforts

By working on climate and sustainability, SHI seeks to minimize risks, enhance resilience, and provide added value to customers. In 2024, SHI successfully retained our Silver EcoVadis badge, significantly increasing our score from 62 to 73. This accomplishment places SHI in the 93rd percentile, demonstrating that the company outperformed 93% of all assessed organizations (approximately 150,000). SHI continues to lead in the IT hardware and software wholesale sector in line with our sustainability strategy.