How McKinsey has Surpassed its Emission-Reduction Goals

As the world shifts toward a low-carbon economy, companies are having to move from broad promises to real, measurable action. 

After setting climate targets in 2020, global management consultancy McKinsey & Company has announced it has surpassed its 2025 emission-reduction goals. 

McKinsey has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 70% compared to 2019 levels, far beyond its 25% target. For Scope 3, meanwhile, McKinsey reduced its travel emissions per employee by 50% – compared to a 35% target.

These achievements are the starting point for McKinsey’s bigger goal of reaching net zero by 2050, the company says. The firm previously committed to shifting its offset strategy to 100% carbon removals by 2030, leveraging both nature-based and technology-driven solutions to address emissions that are more complex to mitigate.

Decarbonising the Professional Services Model

Since most of McKinsey’s emissions come from travel, the company had to change how it works. Instead of always travelling, the team now travels only when needed. By hiring more local staff and using more hybrid meetings, McKinsey reduced long trips while staying close to clients.

“Travel remains essential to our business model. The focus, therefore, is not on eliminating travel altogether, but on making it more intentional and sustainable,” says Isabelle Schuhmann, global director of environmental sustainability at McKinsey. 

“Finding the right balance between being with our clients and colleagues and sustainability considerations is essential for this change to stick.”

To support this change, McKinsey added a real-time carbon fee at the time of travel booking and encouraged greener travel options. Still, the company believes that being there in person is an important part of the business.

Investing in the Future

A key part of McKinsey’s plan is to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by making long-term commitments. The company also switched to 100% renewable electricity worldwide, reaching this goal earlier than planned. 

Today, 67% of McKinsey’s offices are LEED-certified or equivalent, with local teams working to reduce waste and increase solar power use. McKinsey was named in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 250 World’s Most Sustainable Companies in 2025.

McKinsey knows that cutting its own emissions is not enough to reach its 2050 goal. The company is also helping develop new climate solutions. This includes buying a mix of carbon credits, using both nature-based and new-technology options, and making long-term purchase commitments to demonstrate demand.

“As we support clients in their own net-zero journeys, it is critical for us to walk the talk and truly understand the complexities and nuances first hand,” says Hemant Ahlawat, a senior partner who co-leads McKinsey Sustainability.

“Our research shows that global net zero will rely on market-based mechanisms such as carbon removal and sustainable materials such as SAF, which is why we are investing today to support their scale-up.”

Lessons learned 

McKinsey highlighted key successes that could help other businesses on their own sustainability journey. It found that progress is cumulative – acknowledging near-term wins can build momentum toward long-term decarbonisation goals.

Sustainability measures should be tailored to industry-specific needs – in McKinsey’s case, balancing travel with aviation innovation.

Finally, uncertainty is inevitable. Sustainability leaders should move their businesses forward even if technologies or processes are yet to be fully established.