Sage sets goals to tackle climate change and help disadvantaged

Software group Sage has announced a raft of targets to help tackle climate change and economic inequality, including plans to improve children’s skills and support disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

The Newcastle-based group’s new strategy, called Knocking Down Barriers, will see the group pledge to reach net zero by 2040, with an interim target to slash its carbon emissions by 2030.

Its wide-ranging goals will also see it provide advice and support to more than 1.2 million disadvantaged and under-represented people, to help them start up their own businesses.

The FTSE 100-listed group, which serves millions of small firms worldwide, will also help break down the barriers to digital equality and diversity in the technology sector.

Its commitments include providing 10,000 children in the most deprived areas of North of Tyne with access to science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) skills education.

Steve Hare, chief executive of Sage, said: “Sage is standing with the millions of small and medium size businesses (SMEs) we serve around the world by tackling the big challenges of our time.

“We want to knock down the barriers that hinder access to opportunity, equality and sustainability.

“We are upping our commitments to our environmental impact with an ambitious net zero carbon target across our entire value chain, and our social impact, using our technology, time and experience to support a new generation of diverse and sustainable businesses.”

Its climate change commitments include moves to slash air travel and hotel stays across the group, and switch to electric vehicles across its fleet and renewable energy in all Sage offices.

The group added that it will offer an online advice hub to help small firms worldwide address their climate impact, building on its existing platform, called Sage Advice.