Lower CO₂ emissions in the dpa group
dpa is working on becoming a carbon-neutral company in the long term. This commitment is laid down in the agency’s sustainability targets. However, figures from recent years show that this objective is unlikely to be achieved in a linear progression. Whether and where major sporting events are taking place determines the level of CO₂ emissions within a given reporting year. Major events require intensive on-site reporting and thus significantly more carbon-intensive air travel. This non-linear trend also applies to the figures for 2025.
Total emissions amounted to 2,737 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents – a decrease of 9.3 percent compared with the previous year (2024: 3,017 t CO₂e). Based on the group’s 1,320 employees, this equates to per capita emissions of 2.07 t CO₂e.
In general, the primary driver of emissions remains mobility. Emissions from business travel fell significantly – from 1,430 to 1,085 t CO₂e – due to the absence of major sporting events. Compared with 2023, another year without major events, emissions in 2025 have, however, risen slightly. At that time, emissions amounted to just 1,000.7 t CO₂e. The final phase of the COVID-19 pandemic was most likely the decisive factor. It can be assumed that dpa employees’ travel activity was reduced until the lifting of restrictions in April 2023. The fluctuations and impacts of events such as a pandemic show, that a reliable trend in the company’s carbon footprint can only be established and documented over a longer period of time.
Emissions from commuting rose from 615 to 818 t CO₂e (+33%) in a 2024/25 year-on-year comparison, due to a generally higher presence of staff in the offices.
A positive highlight is the district heating at the Hamburg and Frankfurt locations: The inclusion of actual emission factors provided by the suppliers made figures considerably more precise and helped us to reduce emissions.
dpa is continuing to work towards the long-term goal of making the company climate-neutral. Key levers for medium- and long-term emissions reduction include remote work, online meetings both internally and with external clients and partners, and the consistent use of rail travel, wherever possible.
(The CO₂e figures provided have rounded to the nearest full tonne.)
CO₂ emissions from business travel: When major events take place and dpa reports on site, this has a significant impact on total CO₂ emissions (shown here: a dpa photographer at the Winter Olympics).
