This way, the company aims to further align its impact strategy with their financial strategy. The proceeds from the sustainability bond will fund existing and future projects. These should be in alignment with Autodesk’s impact strategy. This aims to advance positive environmental and social outcomes in areas most important to the company’s business and the needs of customers and other stakeholders. Autodesk’s Chief Financial Officer Debbie Clifford, wrote a blog on the subject. There, she says: “I am acutely aware that our impact starts with us. I believe it’s imperative for us to set a good example. I’m passionate about the powerful role finance can play in driving sustainability issues forward. I’m proud that, as of our 2021 fiscal year, Autodesk is net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our business and value chain. This is enabled through the introduction of the Autodesk Carbon Fund and an updated price on carbon.”

Focus on social & environment

Autodesk intends to focus on projects related to both environmental and social initiatives, including:

• Eco-Efficient Products, Production Technologies, and Processes – Developing and improving software capabilities to deliver insights that optimize the energy, waste, and water efficiencies and resilience of building, infrastructure, and industrial projects.
• Sustainable Water and Wastewater Management – Providing technology to enable more cost‑effective and sustainably designed water distribution networks, water collection systems, water and wastewater treatment plants, and flood protection systems.
• Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency – Advancing initiatives to build on our achievement of net-zero GHG emissions across our business and value chain, continuing to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations through efficiency and renewables.
• Green Buildings – Developing and improving technology to support the design, construction, maintenance or refurbishment of buildings to tackle total carbon impacts of the building lifecycle.
• Pollution Prevention and Control – Supporting carbon mitigation and removal projects. These fall in the areas of GHG mitigation technologies, products, and projects focused on the build environment, GHG capture and sequestration technology projects, and carbon removal and avoidance projects.
• Socioeconomic Advancement and Empowerment – Activating initiatives to advance economic opportunity and equity for underrepresented communities, promote greater diversity and inclusion, and improve access to quality education.

Autodesk’s Sustainability Financing Framework