Multi-disciplinary engineering firm cutting its own emissions as well as those of its clients
Leading multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy Buro Happold already has a target in place to reduce carbon emissions in all the new buildings it designs by 30%, against standard regulations.
However, conscious of the fact that energy use in buildings now accounts for over 40% of carbon emissions in Europe (more than all forms of transport put together), Buro Happold is also committed to reducing its own energy use.
The company has therefore carried out a UK assessment, for each of the eight largest offices, breaking down its emissions into areas such as commuting (by train, bus, car or other means of transport), business travel, waste, and each building’s gas and electricity use. Calculations in 2006/2007 showed that the average emissions per Buro Happold employee were 2.76 tons of CO2 per year – this is considerably lower than the four-to-five tons a year produced per employee by the average office-based business, but nonetheless the challenge is on to reduce it still further.
Moreover, a typical Buro Happold office (naturally ventilated) currently emits about 70 kg CO2/m2, compared to emissions of 73kg CO2/m2 for a typical naturally ventilated office, and 130kg for a typical air-conditioned office (source: Energy Consumption Guide 19).
Buro Happold’s Bath HQ has cut commuting by car by 14% as part of green commuting commitment
Following the initial assessments, Buro Happold has created a green travel plan, with the aim of reducing both the need to travel and the associated costs, and with that, to make a positive difference to climate change and the depletion of natural resources. The plan proposes several paths towards greater energy efficiency, including smarter business travel – the need for air travel is being reduced by use of video-conferencing, and trains are recommended over planes wherever possible. This makes a considerable difference, as a train journey from London to Glasgow generates 36kg of CO2, compared to around 104kg by air (source: Transport Direct).
Green commuting plans have been prepared for some offices and others are following suit, incorporating staff surveys and focus groups to see how the daily commute can be made more environmentally-friendly. Buro Happold already provides a bicycle purchase scheme, offering a tax-free loan and a discount to its staff, and the Bath office, where the headquarters is located, is delighted to announce a 14% decrease in car use (from 44% to 30%) between 2004 and 2007. This has been matched by a corresponding rise in walking and cycling to work.
Buro Happold is switching to green electricity tariffs, off-setting flights and introducing composting
The company has been taking part in an ongoing campaign to save electricity too, towards its ISO 14001 environmental management system targets, and has recently used surveys from the Carbon Trust to assist in this process. All energy use data is being recorded via the energy management system, to identify areas where future improvements can be made, and a company carbon calculator and ‘reduce your footprint’ event will both be launched before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Bath headquarters has switched most of its electricity consumption to a green tariff, and it is planned that other offices will follow; all staff everywhere are advised to switch off lights and computers when not in use. In the Dublin office, which is naturally ventilated, the company is running a similar behavioural campaign, and has ensured that lighting is zoned so unused areas can be switched off. All offices carry out recycling and encourage cycling use – and one of our London offices is due to start composting biodegradable waste shortly.
Finally, unavoidable flights are off-set by PURE (the clean planet trust), one of the most credible providers in the field, and the offset credits are sourced from projects including the gold standard Malavalli biomass power plant in India, which generates energy through the burning of agricultural crop waste.
Aiming for continual improvement
“The journey to reduce our carbon footprint by 1,000 tons of CO2 begins with a single step – one extra person turning off their computer screen every night,” said Tim La Touche, chartered environmentalist and Systems Development Manager for Buro Happold. “We are 100% committed to treading more lightly on the earth, and are encouraging all our staff to think about things like food origin and packaging, as well as taking office-related measures such as automatic double-sided printing, and reducing corporate travel and commuting. In this way, with small steps, we hope to make a difference to our common future on the planet.”
The status and success of Buro Happold’s ‘greening’ progress will be reviewed three times a year, with the next review due in October. “We are aiming for continual improvement,” said LaTouche.
Ends
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Buro Happold is a multi-disciplinary international practice of consulting engineers established in 1976. We now employ over 1,700 staff in 21 offices worldwide, and our aim is to produce high quality engineering design in concept, in detail and in execution, on time, to programme and delivering excellent value for money. Our distinctive culture and ethos is still based on the same principles of care, value and elegance that were established when the practice was founded.
We offer structural, building services, civil, infrastructure and façade engineering, as well as a broad range of specialist consultancy services including sustainability, ground and environmental engineering, fire and security design, health and safety management, inclusive and urban design, project management, and specialist CAD and computer simulation provision.
