PayPal

At a Glance

Industry

Internet, Software, Hardware and Technology Services

Project Types

Clean and Renewable Energy, Engagement and Behavior Change, Goals/Targets

Year

2024

Location

Austin, TX

Summary

During his Climate Corps fellowship at PayPal, Patricio supported the company's net-zero goals by enhancing CDP reporting, evaluating Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for compliance, and laying the groundwork for the next phase of PayPal's climate action plan. He also worked on defining operational control, from a facility and utility perspective, for better emissions allocation. His work improved sustainability reporting, ensured compliance with global standards, and strengthened PayPal's climate strategy to align with its net-zero commitment by 2040.

Goals

Patricio's fellowship at PayPal focused on advancing the company's climate strategy to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2040. He aimed to enhance the accuracy of the company's CDP reporting process, ensure that RECs met Scope 2 quality criteria, and define the workplan and scope for updating PayPal's GHG emission reduction targets and enhancing the climate transition plan. Additionally, he refined the operational control framework for more precise emissions allocation and created internal materials to share project updates with key stakeholders and secure leadership buy-in on progress toward PayPal's net-zero agenda.

Solutions

Patricio optimized the CDP reporting process by refining planning tools, setting timelines, and coordinating with subject matter experts to ensure thorough and timely responses. He supported the enhancement of PayPal's renewable energy procurement by identifying opportunities across its portfolio totaling 119,524 MWh in FY 2023 and recommending actions such as securing necessary documentation from REC providers and implementing an internal tracking system for continuous quality monitoring. For the Net-Zero Action Plan, Patricio developed the scope of work for updating PayPal's greenhouse gas reduction targets and crafting a cohesive internal and external climate narrative to guide the company's next steps in its climate transition. In the Operational Control project, he worked with facility managers to differentiate locations where PayPal had control over utility consumption, providing enhanced confidence in environmental reporting boundaries. Additionally, he developed internal communication materials to keep stakeholders informed, ensuring ongoing support for PayPal's net-zero initiatives.

Potential Impact

Patricio helped strengthen PayPal's climate strategy. His work on the CDP reporting process improved data accuracy and transparency, contributing to greater stakeholder awareness about PayPal?s management of climate risks, opportunities, and impacts. The REC assessment resulted in potential procurement enhancements across 119,524 MWh of electricity consumption annually, which PayPal plans to implement before year-end. The contributions to PayPal?s climate action plan advanced PayPal?s GHG target refresh efforts, while the Operational Control project ensured a more precise allocation of emissions across scopes. His efforts to engage stakeholders across multiple levels throughout the organization helped maintain leadership commitment to climate action, advancing PayPal's progress toward its net-zero by 2040 goal.

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