Our Global Sustainability Report 2020: Innovating to meet net zero
Both society and business must adapt to the undeniable reality of climate change. What we do now and in the future must urgently be addressed to mitigate the human race’s impact on the planet.
Buro Happold is working towards an equitable and green recovery, adapting our business to mitigate climate change and the biodiversity crisis. Our Global Sustainability Report outlines how we are progressing with our sustainability journey, looking through the lenses of our projects and operations.
Our three commitments
1.
Reduce our own
operational carbon
emissions by 21% by
2025 and aim to be net
zero carbon from April
2021 by offsetting
residual emissions
2.
Design all new
build projects to be
net zero carbon in
operation by 2030
3.
Reduce embodied
carbon intensity of
all new buildings,
major retrofits
and infrastructure
projects by 50%
by 2030.
Our key achievements in 2020
- We have developed targets in line with Science Based Targets for our own business operations and will be net zero carbon by April 2021 in line with our WGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.
- We have established a global community of climate change consultants and launched our Net Zero Carbon and Climate Resilience consultancy services.
- Our in-house building performance dashboard has been created to report on modelled and measured energy consumption, operational carbon and embodied carbon for all projects. It is being rolled out in 2021.
- We are influencing international climate policy at COP26 through multiple industry bodies, national policy through Aldersgate Group, Green Building Councils and professional institutions, and at international and local levels through C40 Cities programmes and direct commissions with city authorities.
- We have contributed to multiple industry leadership groups including Green Building Council task groups on Net Zero Carbon and Social Value. We have committed internal funding and initiated a practice-wide Climate Knowledge Network.
- We have established a climate leadership group to embed our Climate Emergency Action Plan across each part of our business with SMART objectives, carbon budgets and review of progress at CEO/CFO and regional MD levels.
Download the report
We need to ensure that in our dealings with each other, our clients, collaborators and our work, we focus on equity at all levels — climate, social and racial justice — as they are inextricably linked.
— Neil Squibbs, CEO
