Institute commits additional $9 million to internal sustainability investments to reduce GHG emissions
RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, has released the 2023 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) Report. The report reflects the organization’s commitment to transparency and provides details about program priorities and progress during FY22 and FY23, including a new $9 million investment in solar and energy efficiency projects, to reduce the environmental footprint of RTI’s operations.
“At RTI, our mission is our calling, and we are committed to living it every day, in our work and in our actions,” said RTI President and CEO Tim J. Gabel. “As the climate crisis is both a social and scientific problem, we are evolving to address sustainability on all levels of our work on behalf of clients and the operations of our organization. As many of the negative impacts caused by climate change disproportionately affect the most marginalized communities across the globe, our mission to improve the human condition deeply connects RTI to sustainability.”
The 2023 CRS report builds on the institute’s longtime work in sustainability and publicly shares its climate commitment to take actionable steps to reduce RTI’s total GHG emissions 60% by 2030 from 2019 levels and advance toward net zero emissions by 2050. RTI’s science-based targets are aligned with climate science and developed using industry-leading tools and resources from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP).
As a continuation of ongoing GHG reduction efforts, this spring, RTI will start construction of its first-ever solar energy system, a 13,700 square foot solar parking canopy atop a parking deck at the Research Triangle Park campus in North Carolina. This project will pave the way for a series of rooftop solar arrays throughout the campus and a one-megawatt solar field providing clean, renewable electricity to the institute’s Energy Technology Development Facility.
The report also highlights ongoing commitments to practicing the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging; to supporting and enabling the success of our staff, clients, and communities; and to operating as an ethical and responsible organization.