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Purpose and Sustainability

SAP’s purpose is to help the world run better and improve people's lives with sustainability at the core.
Explore our sustainability solutions

Zero emissions. Zero waste. Zero inequality.

Our responsibility

We must act now to achieve the goal of zero waste, zero emissions, and zero inequality.

In line with our purpose, SAP's objective is to create positive economic, environmental, and social impact within planetary boundaries with special focus on climate action, circular economy, social responsibility, and holistic steering and reporting.

In addition to pursuing our own targets, we want to help our customers become more sustainable. We have a portfolio of sustainability solutions to help businesses embed operational, experiential, and financial data and insights to drive sustainability at scale. 

Our accelerated journey to net-zero

SAP commits to achieve net-zero along our value chain in line with a 1.5°C future in 2030, 20 years earlier than originally targeted. 

Our contribution to the UN SDGs

We share examples of how we contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how we help our customers advance them, too.

Our transparent reporting

Since 2012, SAP has reported our progression from a holistic perspective, covering financial and pre-financial performance as well as social and environmental impact. 

Luka Mucic
Chief Financial Officer, SAP

We remain firmly committed to leading by example in our efforts to run our business sustainably and report our progress. Equally important is that we share our knowledge with our customers and enable them to achieve their own sustainability goals with our growing portfolio of solutions.

Holistic Steering and ESG Reporting

Explore how we embed economic, social, and environmental impacts into our business decisions and practices.

Transparency builds trust

Integrating environmental, social, and financial performance measurement – positive and negative – is critical to all stakeholders inside and outside SAP.

Energy and environmental management

Discover our environmental and energy management approach for achieving our targets. 

Social responsibility

Learn about our extended sustainability initiatives, including how we drive socially responsible value chains, promote respect for human rights, and create positive societal impacts.

Ethics and compliance

Find out how we strive to undertake business with integrity by doing the right thing and following both the spirit and the letter of the law in all markets where we operate. 

Policies, codes, and commitments

Explore our policies and commitments to employing and safeguarding responsible business practices, based on respecting the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact.

Zero emissions

SAP is committed to reducing the world's carbon footprint.

Net-Zero

by 2030

SAP is committed to achieve net-zero along our value chain in line with a 1.5°C future in 2030, 20 years earlier than originally targeted. Building on its carbon reduction journey since 2009, SAP became a member of the Science Based Targets initiative and was the first German company with a science-based carbon reduction target for 2050 back in 2017. In 2019, SAP raised its commitment and adopted a 1.5° C science-based emissions reduction target. 

On our pathway towards net-zero, the next intermediate milestone is 2023, when SAP aims to be carbon neutral in its own operations – two years earlier than originally targeted.

-55% kt

Reduced carbon emissions

Our reporting shows that in 2020, SAP was able to overachieve by 43% on its target for net carbon emissions in 2020, generating 135 kilotons instead of the anticipated 238 kilotons. This trend continued in the first half of 2021, during which SAP’s carbon emissions totaled 45 kilotons compared to 90 kilotons in the first half of 2020 (-37%).


The low emissions level is a consequence of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the introduction of Pledge to Flex, which enables a more flexible mix of remote and onsite work. SAP believes this trend will continue and has just announced in its 2021 half-year report that it has lowered its 2021 carbon emissions outlook from 145 kilotons to a range of 90-110 kilotons.

Our potential for decarbonization can be amplified considerably if we enhance our efforts along the entire value chain. In 2020, carbon emissions amounted to 12.300 kt along SAP’s entire value chain (including upstream and downstream emissions) compared to 135 kt net emissions for SAP’s own operations. We have started setting up a cross-company program involving experts from different lines of business to prepare for our net-zero transformation.


On our pathway towards net-zero, the next intermediate milestone is 2023, when SAP aims to be carbon neutral in its own operations. This includes all direct (Scope 1), indirect (Scope 2), and selected categories of value chain (Scope 3) carbon emissions, such as business flights, employee commuting, and external data centres (co-locations and hyperscalers). 

To become carbon neutral in its own operations by 2023, SAP is following a three-pillar approach: 

  • Avoid: Whenever possible, SAP aims to avoid the creation of greenhouse gases. 
  • Reduce: If greenhouse gas emissions cannot be avoided, SAP aims to drive efficiency and reduce all types of emissions; for example, building efficiency, data centre operations, carpooling and car sharing, and e-mobility.
  • Compensate: SAP has extended its compensation models for travel. If greenhouse gas emissions cannot be eliminated altogether, SAP aims to reduce them through innovations in the areas of building efficiency, data centre operations, carpooling, and car sharing, as well as e-mobility. 

Integrating Climate Action End to End

Learn how SAP is tackling climate action by embedding sustainability into its portfolio and across its purpose, strategy, and operations.

SAP Activity at COP26, a Turning Point in History

Get the details on SAP activity at COP26, where SAP made several announcements over the period, communicating the company’s commitment to sustainability.

SAP Accelerates Its Move to an Emission-Free Car Fleet

SAP is accelerating its move to an emission-free car fleet in 2025, doubling down on its sustainability efforts.

Enhancing Sustainability with People and Technology

As part of its commitment to climate protection, SAP has added the goal of planting 21 million trees by the end of 2025.

Manage your carbon footprint

Find solutions to help you understand and reduce your greenhouse gas footprint.

Explore our solutions

Zero waste

Rethinking business processes across the entire supply and value chain will protect our planet, its species, and our collective prosperity.​

A Cleaner Ocean

by 2030

Our waste and water strategy aims to continuously reduce SAP’s impact on the environment. By promoting company-wide initiatives, we strive to generate less waste and reduce the amount of water we use in locations worldwide. A global approach combined with local targets and initiatives allow for optimising our environmental performance. Taking steps to recycle our waste and save water also contributes to our business performance. Through ongoing initiatives at SAP sites, we reduce our operational costs while engaging our employees in our efforts.


SAP has committed itself to address plastic pollution, both as enabler and exemplar. We made a commitment with our customers to strive for a dramatically cleaner ocean by 2030 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, alongside the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, and Global Plastic Action Partnership.

-46% tons

Reduced e-waste

Our electrical and electronic waste comes from data centre servers and from IT equipment including PCs, peripherals, and mobile devices. In multiple SAP locations, we cooperate with international and local e-waste disposal partners to refurbish and recycle our e-waste. 

This close collaboration helps us to establish a more distinguished reporting that enables us to see more precisely what type of end-of-life treatment was applied to our disposed IT assets and devices.

80%

Reduced paper usage

We reduced our paper usage by 80% (over 66 million pages) since 2009, despite a 115.3% increase in employee headcount over the same period. 

We also continued our approach of paperless contracting. By using the SAP Signature Management application by DocuSign, which enables electronic signatures, we were able to cut down the printing of paper-based contracts by more than 224,000 pages in 2020 (2019: about 205,000 pages – considering the same procurement contract types as in 2020).

36%

Reduced plastics consumption

Single-use plastic is one of the greatest contributors to waste on the planet. To minimise its everyday use, SAP has dramatically changed its buying habits and practices over the last two years. A global pandemic, manufacturers’ packaging that was beyond SAP’s control, and varying recycling regulations from local governments were just some of the challenges the project faced.

  • SAP rolled-out a digital reusable food packaging system for takeout, delivery, and convenience in all SAP locations with a canteen in Germany and piloted the first two single-use plastic-free cafeteria kiosks at SAP’s headquarters in Walldorf.
  • At SAP locations in the United States and Canada, “Sustainability on the Go” kits with reusable utensils were distributed among the employees.
  • SAP introduced the ‘Too Good to Go’ app in Germany. For a small fee, employees can pick up leftover lunches from the cafeterias to fight food waste.
  • At SAP Mexico, the amount of waste segregation stations was further expanded: a QR code on each waste bin helps employees separate their waste in a correct manner.
  • SAP Philippines implemented hazardous waste management practices to ensure the correct handling and disposal of hazardous materials included in batteries, broken light bulbs, electronics, etc.
  • In the data centres of our headquarters, we use adiabatic cooling as well as a closed water circuit to minimise water consumption for cooling our server racks. At our headquarters and other office locations, we use rain and run-off water for irrigation and toilets.
  • SAP chose a strong disposal service provider: SIMS Lifecycle Service (SLS), who is managing e-waste safely and sustainably, taking care of data medium destruction, and maximising all efforts on reuse, resale, and recycling. 

Transition to Reconnection: What Would You Change with a Sustainability Power?

Hear Emily Penn, ocean advocate and co-founder of eXXpedition, share with SAP CEO Christian Klein why plastics are accumulating in our oceans and how SAP technology helps pinpoint their origin, educate the public, and find solutions that drive lasting and sustainable change. 

Create value from waste

Find solutions to help you turn circular economy strategies into action.

Explore our solutions

Zero inequality

As humans responsible for social progress, we must not only embrace – but also connect and intersect – our diverse experiences to build an inclusive society where everyone thrives.

Human Rights

SAP is committed to respecting and promoting human rights across our operations, extended supply chain, and product lifecycle. 

Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurship is the fabric of economic growth, and the engine of sustainable impact.

Skilled Workforce

Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn skills that will allow them to thrive in a digital world.

Health and Well-Being

Best-run businesses start with healthy people and a caring culture.

Diversity and Inclusion

Creating a diverse and inclusive culture makes us a better company, fueling our innovation, enhancing our work experience, and enabling our success in a changing world. 

Corporate Social Responsibility

SAP is powering opportunity for all people through digital inclusion with the help of our talent, technology, and strategic partnerships.

SAP and University of the People: Educate the Leaders of Tomorrow

SAP is partnering with University of the People to provide 100 scholarships to refugees and displaced youth, around the world. 

Getting Human Rights Right in Business

For Human Rights Day, learn how SAP plays its part to promote human rights across operations, the supply chain, and product life cycles.

Extend your sustainability initiatives

Build ethical & environmentally responsible practices into end-to-end processes.

Explore our solutions

Awards and Recognition

Top Scores in DJSI and Carbon Disclosure Project

SAP received a spot on the prestigious CDP A list, which announces the over 300 companies leading the way to a more sustainable future. This rating comes only weeks after SAP was named the software industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the 15th consecutive year.

Acknowledging SAP’s Steps to Tackle Climate and Social Challenges

In this article, learn why SAP’s efforts to tackle climate and social challenges have been recognised by many of the most trusted business sustainability organisations.

Awarded Terra Carta Seal for Commitment to Sustainability

SAP is one of an inaugural group of 44 companies awarded the Terra Carta Seal. The seal is given to industry-leading companies that have credible transition road maps to achieve net zero by 2050 or earlier underpinned by globally recognised scientific metrics.

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Sustainable Development Goals

SAP is committed to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Find out which goals we focus on and how we're making an impact.

Sustainability News

Get the latest SAP news and information related to sustainability. More than just press releases, you'll find in-depth feature articles on business and technology trends, blogs from SAP experts and thought leaders, and more.

SAP for Sustainability Community

Join the conversation about creating a more equitable and sustainable world.

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