Environment
Committed to conducting our business in an environmentally sustainable matter
Environment: Conducting business sustainably
At ICON, we recognise that protecting human health and protecting the environment are closely connected. As a leading global clinical research organisation, we are committed to reducing our environmental footprint, supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy and helping our customers develop innovative therapies through more sustainable clinical research practices.
Our environmental strategy is guided by our Global Environmental Management Policy, our science-based targets and our other targets to reduce energy use and carbon emissions throughout the business.
ICON's environmental goals
ICON’s GHG emissions reduction targets validated with SBTi
In 2024, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated ICON’s near- and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets and verified our net-zero science-based target by 2050.
Environmental management and targets
Two fundamental pillars shape our environmental initiatives: our Global Environmental Management Policy and Global Environmental Management Plan (together EMP). These pillars establish ICON’s goals and targets for reducing our carbon emissions and energy footprints.
To support analysis and reporting accuracy, ICON onboarded a new carbon emissions reporting platform, Watershed, in 2024. It played a key role in helping to calculate our Scope 3 emissions, providing our full environmental footprint, as we worked with SBTi to set and validate our targets. This platform allows ICON to capture Scope 3 data in a centralised portal.
Minimising our environmental footprint in our operations
ICON has adopted the mitigation hierarchy of avoid, reduce and purchasing renewable energy to better define the roadmap for attaining our targets. We will prioritise avoiding and reducing our negative impacts on the environment while only offsetting the impacts of those activities that we can neither eliminate nor curb.
New energy efficient offices
As ICON leases most of our offices and facilities, we work with our landlords and leasing agents to make our operations more environmentally sustainable. In 2025, we reduced the local footprints of our offices around the world while maintaining comfort, safety and productivity for employees. For example, our new Paris location fit-out met the BREEAM and HQE certification standards, reflecting the sustainability performance of the entire building. New offices in Reading and Sydney, along with the 7th floor of our Chennai site, were fitted with energy-efficient lighting throughout.
Reducing carbon emissions
To maintain maximum transparency around our environmental impact, we track, calculate and report our GHG footprint. We also apply the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard – the corporate accounting and reporting benchmark recognised worldwide for calculating carbon emissions. In 2025, EY provided limited assurance on ICON’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions data in accordance with the International Standard for Assurance Engagements Other Than Audits or Reviews of Historical Financial Information (ISAE3000 [Revised]) and International Standard for Assurance Engagements on Greenhouse Gas Statements (ISAE3410).
In 2025, we reduced our combined Scope 1 and 2 market-based GHG emissions by 73.6% compared to our 2019 base year.
This achievement surpasses our SBTi validated near-term target of a 61.2% absolute reduction by FY2028. This progress also aligns with our broader SBTi validated goal of achieving net-zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050.
With our software platform Watershed, we will continue to monitor our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and explore further opportunities to reduce our environmental impact.
Reducing energy consumption
As we continue to reduce our environmental impact, improving energy-efficiency remains a key priority. Our electricity goals include sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2025 and reducing our electricity consumption by 20% by 2030.
By the end of 2025, ICON achieved 97.05% renewable electricity across our global operations, narrowly missing our 100% target due to geopolitical disruptions and market limitations that restricted access to the procurement of credible Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) in five jurisdictions: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and Estonia. While this prevented full achievement of our renewable electricity target, we surpassed our electricity reduction goal ahead of schedule, reducing electricity consumption by 24% against our 2018 baseline and exceeding our 2030 target of 20%.
Reducing our environmental footprint in our value chain
The health of people and the planet are inextricably linked. That is why ICON works in partnership with employees, suppliers, customers and patients across our value chain to better manage emissions and limit our environmental impact.
ICON recognises that environmental responsibility extends beyond our own operations and includes emissions generated across our value chain. To support this effort, we use Watershed, our carbon accounting and emissions reporting platform, to track emissions data and calculate our Scope 3 GHG inventory. By centralising Scope 3 data within a single platform, Watershed enhances the accuracy, consistency and transparency of our emissions reporting.
We adopt strategies to reduce Scope 3 emissions across areas such as purchased goods and services, upstream transportation, business travel and employee commuting. To reduce business travel, we promote teleconferencing and virtual meetings whenever possible and have embraced new reduction solutions through remote patient monitoring and decentralised clinical trials. While ICON strives to provide alternative solutions to minimise business travel, some travel is necessary to meet customer needs.
Beyond business travel, our Sustainable Procurement program helps us to collaborate with suppliers to identify low-carbon products and services to address the remaining Scope 3 emissions categories. We have also teamed up with customers on collaborative efforts to reduce emissions from clinical trials.
Compared to our SBT base year, 2022, ICON has decreased Scope 3 emissions by 6.74%
Each year, ICON participates in CDP, a globally recognised non-profit organisation with an independent environmental disclosure system for companies to measure and manage their environmental impacts. ICON received a B rating for our 2025 Climate Change response against our 2024 activity, up from a B- in 2024. To view our response, visit the CDP website.
Engaging our supply chain
As part of our goal to reduce the environmental impact of our supply chain, ICON suppliers must adhere to our Global Supplier Code of Conduct, which requires them to comply with all applicable environmental regulations and laws.
When ICON onboards and reassesses suppliers, we share a sustainability guide outlining how to establish effective emissions monitoring and reduction programs. For all suppliers, our Sustainable Procurement Policy outlines our commitment to and expectations for supplier engagement, which we increased in 2025 by establishing more engagement plans. In parallel, we invited more suppliers to participate in EcoVadis. We provided detailed information about the program and its advantages.
Engaging employees on sustainability
ICON would be unable to reach our sustainability targets without the passion, partnership and engagement of our employees. Team members worldwide participate in our Green Champion Network (GCN), transforming our commitments into actions by finding opportunities for awareness, education and change at a local level.
A highlight of our GCN is Sustainability Month, which is celebrated in May each year. Throughout the month, employees globally take part in community-based educational activities and challenges, three key events included: fruit tree sapling distribution, educational presentations on municipal waste management and book and food drives. Additionally, we held an upcycling contest which had 150 participants globally. In 2025, 60 locations across 42 countries participated in the event.
Keeping beaches clean during sustainability month
As part of Sustainability Month 2025, ICON hosted numerous events across our global operations to help advance a culture of environmental stewardship among employees.
These events included a coastal clean-up in partnership with the Environmental Foundation of India (EFI), a wildlife conservation and habitat restoration group with projects in 19 states.
Thirty-five ICON volunteers helped collect 200 kg of plastic, glass and paper waste, which they gave to government officials to be further recycled, treated or disposed of safely.
ICON’s 2025 environmental photo contest highlighted the power of human action in tackling environmental challenges and inspiring a greener future. The photo contest’s theme, “Nature’s Palette”, encouraged photo submissions capturing the beauty that colour provides and the diverse functions it serves in the natural world.
Entries included more than 1,100 images of flora, fauna, land and seascapes in 39 countries from around the world.
