In conversation with Duncan Price on Buro Happold’s net zero routemap

The Buro Happold routemap to net zero carbon formalises our processes of carbon reduction, demonstrating our commitment to the impact we can have on environments around us.

The fundamental basis of the net zero routemap is: by 2030, our goal is to design all new build projects to be net zero carbon in operation. Also by 2030, our goal is to reduce the embodied carbon intensity of all new buildings, major retrofits and infrastructure projects by 50% from a 2020 baseline.

The routemap is the journey of how we – and our clients – get there.

Duncan Price is sustainability/climate global lead at Buro Happold and has played a key role in the development of the net zero carbon routemap. Here, he looks further into the details of the routemap, what has driven its creation, and how a collaborative working relationship with our clients is key to delivering success.

What is the Buro Happold net zero routemap?

The routemap is the way we will get from where we are now, to where we are going to be in 2030. It is split into advisory, design and operations.

The routemap is a critical and credible pathway to achieving our 2030 goals. Our goals are founded in science, and a clear need for action. Our net zero routemap shows that we have not only looked at what needs to be done, but exactly how that will be achieved. We have clear targets, and the routemap is about how we deliver them.

In the built environment, we need strong leadership from city regulation, investors who are committed, and developers that can make it happen. Our role at Buro Happold, as built environment professionals, is to support them in delivering that – and that is what the routemap will provide.

What has been the driving force behind the delivery of the net zero routemap? Why are we doing this?

There is a consensus in the industry about the speed and pace of change required to reduce carbon in the built environment. Buro Happold has already been working with many cities who are now enacting policies, programmes and regulations that drive decarbonisation. We urgently need to decarbonise buildings and the energy systems that towns and cities are using.

The IPCC report on climate change makes it abundantly clear that we have to halve emissions from construction by 2030. This has been recognised and is now increasingly built into policies and regulations around the world, in line with a 1.5°C climate scenario.

We have clear targets, and the routemap is about how we deliver them.

Duncan Price, sustainability/climate global lead

There is now an alignment of national and international city policy, investor requirements, developer aspirations and demand from occupiers, all of which is creating a tipping point in the demand for net zero buildings and decarbonised infrastructure.

All stakeholders and organisations are trying to turn their ambitious commitments into real action and outcomes. At Buro Happold, we have the ability to apply both strategic thinking with deep technical expertise to support their commitments. When we bring these two things together, we can move everybody forward.

Can you tell us more about the three action areas you have identified (advisory, design and operations)?

Advisory covers all the strategic work with clients across cities, sectors and portfolios. We will contribute to net zero actions and policies, providing strategic advice across our client portfolios. This will include supporting the development of net zero certification, delivering city and region level net zero strategies, and continuously supporting clients in their net zero work by sharing and implementing net zero knowledge, data and insights.

Design is about infrastructure, buildings and data. It defines how we will work with our collaborators to shift the dial on creating inspiring designs that deliver real world outcomes.

We will target next zero for every building project by identifying appropriate targets and presenting a net zero design option, support the clean energy transition and prioritise system-wide decarbonisation, and deploy the power of data through the collection of energy-use and embodied carbon intensity information.

Operations covers knowledge, skills and communications, as well as the way we plan to govern ourselves and hold ourselves to account. It is about our systems and everyone in Buro Happold having the skills, capability and motivation to enable us to deliver positive outcomes for our clients. This includes setting sustainability objectives for everyone, ensuring carbon management underpins all work, and continuing to transparently share our progress through communications such as our Global Sustainability Report.

To what degree are we in a collaborative relationship with our clients to achieve this?

We know that our clients value long-term partnering, and this extends to work around decarbonisation and net zero. This is a challenge, but we want to overcome it by working together. Clients can work with us to figure out strategy and actions together. We are embracing this, not shying away – and we want to work alongside our clients to achieve it.

We are embracing this, not shying away – and we want to work alongside our clients to achieve it.

Duncan Price, sustainability/climate global lead

Everything we do at Buro Happold is underpinned by 45 years of experience in the built environment and the work of brilliant people, with a raft of technical skills and expertise. All of that means we are in a perfect position to work alongside our clients accelerate their journey towards net zero.

What power do we have in effecting real change?

This work requires strategic thinking and a depth of expertise to deliver what are – we recognise – stretching goals. Buro Happold has the necessary expertise and is part of a system that can deliver. If we harness the power of relationships with clients and collaborators, and bring together our deep technical expertise and strategic thinking, then we can create the solutions our clients require.

We can help city authorities bring forward their policies and programmes to deliver the jobs, skills and benefits their citizens deserve. We can help investors plan and deploy their capital to deliver ambitious ESG goals, and help developers respond to regulatory and investor pressures by planning, designing and delivering exceptional buildings and environments.

Because we have a broad base of experience and expertise, we are in a unique and special position to work with our clients to deliver all of this. If we do this together, we have a really strong chance of meeting those ambitious goals set by the IPCC.

In the development of the routemap, we reached into the practice to identify things that we are already doing that we can scale up and accelerate, recognising that we need to make some changes but also that we already have some of the solutions in our back pocket.