SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY
Building a Sustainability Strategy Designed for Execution
7 years
Duration of engagement supporting long-term SBT alignment
400+ GWh
Renewable energy procured supporting Scope 2 reduction goals
5+
On-site solar projects deployed
Industry
Manufacturing
Country
USA
Focus
Sustainability Advisory
Client Type
Publicly Traded Packaging Company
Sustainability commitments require more than targets
As customer expectations and sustainability requirements continue to evolve, organizations increasingly face pressure to demonstrate measurable progress rather than high-level ambition.
For many companies, setting targets is only the beginning. Translating commitments into operational programs often requires new governance structures, procurement strategies, and long-term implementation pathways.
Without execution frameworks, sustainability goals can quickly become difficult to operationalize.
The challenge
A leading publicly traded packaging company faced increasing pressure from major customers to establish meaningful decarbonization commitments and measurable emissions reduction pathways.
While the organization ultimately committed to near-term science-based targets, the company lacked a comprehensive sustainability strategy and supporting operational framework capable of delivering long-term outcomes.
The challenge extended beyond setting goals.
The organization needed a practical structure capable of connecting sustainability commitments with implementation activities across multiple workstreams.
Key considerations:
Customer-driven decarbonization requirements
Science-based target commitments
Long-term implementation planning
Renewable energy procurement pathways
Cross-functional sustainability coordination
Operational support through target realization
Polar's approach
Polar developed and delivered a comprehensive engagement designed to support sustainability and energy management activities across the organization.
Rather than focusing on isolated initiatives, the engagement established a broader structure capable of supporting long-term implementation and measurable progress.
The work extended across planning, strategy development, renewable procurement activities, and execution support.
From commitments to implementation
A clear and actionable renewable energy procurement roadmap became a central component of the engagement.
Polar supported multiple pathways designed to address Scope 2 reduction objectives, including:
- Utility-scale VPPA procurement
- Environmental attribute procurement
- On-site solar deployments
- Long-term renewable sourcing initiatives
The approach connected strategic objectives with practical implementation pathways.
Five-stage sustainability roadmap
Key elements of the solution:
Organization-wide sustainability support model
Long-term roadmap development
Utility-scale VPPA procurement support
Environmental attribute strategy
On-site renewable deployment planning
Sustainability implementation support through SBT realization
Results
7 years
Engagement structure designed to support long-term sustainability objectives through 2030.
400+ GWh
Renewable energy supply procured to support Scope 2 reduction pathways.
5+
On-site PV projects deployed across operational environments.
The engagement transformed sustainability commitments into a structured implementation pathway designed to support long-term organizational goals.
Outcomes achieved:
Established a comprehensive sustainability operating framework
Supported measurable Scope 2 reduction pathways
Expanded renewable procurement activities
Deployed on-site renewable generation projects
Connected sustainability strategy with execution planning
Built a roadmap aligned with long-term science-based targets
Turning sustainability goals into operational programs
Long-term emissions targets increasingly require organizations to rethink how sustainability activities are structured and executed.
Success often depends not only on defining goals, but on creating pathways capable of supporting implementation over time.
Key takeaway:
Sustainability targets create direction.
Execution frameworks create progress.
Organizations often face greater challenges translating commitments into operating models than establishing targets themselves.
Long-term outcomes depend on connecting strategy, procurement, and implementation into a single roadmap.
Building a sustainability roadmap designed for long-term impact?
Connect with our team to explore approaches supporting strategy development, renewable procurement, and implementation planning.
