Read Skidmore, Owings and Merrills’s (SOM) Commitment profile here.
SOM has announced it is now a net zero emissions business, achieved through a series of measures to reduce emissions across every area of the global practice, together with carbon offsets. As they continue tor educe the carbon emissions associated with business operations each year, they aim to become a net zero business without offsets by 2030.
At COP27, SOM presented an innovative concept of carbon-absorbing buildings that can be constructed now. The flagship project would see a 100% reduction in whole life carbon in just five years. At the conclusion of the conference, SOM announced that they are now a net zero emissions business globally, which is supported by offsets.
SOM is committed to a zero-carbon future with a 2030 target of net zero operational carbon for 100% of their active work and net zero whole life carbon (without offsets) for the firm’s global operations. The business has also set a 2040 target of net zero whole life carbon for 100% of their active work.
Read Quo Vadis Capital’s Commitment profile here.
Since Quo Vadis Capital’s inception, the company has strived to build responsible business communities through sustainable real estate development, and this project to revitalise the Complexe Canal Lachine building in Montreal, Canada aims to do just that.
The loan is aligned with Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Standard certification process and will be designated for technological upgrades to create a net zero building in operation.
Quo Vadis Capital is also committed to offering advantageous financing terms and conditions to minority groups such as artists and green SMEs to support these key groups that are integral for the communities collective cultural and economic well-being.
Read Grosvenor’s Commitment profile here.
Aligning with UKGBC’s net zero carbon buildings framework, Grosvenor is redeveloping Holbein Gardens to create a 25,000 sq ft modern workplace. Grosvenor plans to deliver a net zero carbon development, with zero waste and a significant biodiversity gain.
Grosvenor ensured upfront embodied carbon was minimised by carrying out a whole life carbon assessment early on in the project. The business is trialling low embodied carbon products such as cross-laminated timber and CEMFREE Concrete. There will be a significant biodiversity gain through greening and landscaping across 11% of the building’s gross sq ft.
This project will act as an industry example for delivering low carbon buildings, aligning to NABERS and acting as a LETI Pioneer Project.
Read Grosvenor’s Commitment profile here.
Grosvenor understands that collaboration is key to unlocking climate action and without it, the business won’t achieve it’s ambitious sustainability goals and reduction of operational emissions. That’s why the business has partnered with Pulbrook & Gould. Tor Burrows, Director of Sustainability & Innovation at Grosvenor, acknowledges the importance of partnerships between tenants and landlords in accelerating faster action in creating healthier, more sustainable places.
Pulbrook & Gould have become the first retailer to sign a “green” lease with their landlord which aims to minimise carbon emissions and improve air quality.
This partnership will allow for the collection and analysis of tenant energy and water consumption data, procurement of 100% green energy for highly competitive and less volatile prices and the opportunity for training and knowledge sharing and more. This new lease structure will be the benchmark for all new office and retails tenants owned by Grosvenor in Mayfair and Belgravia, and existing tenants will adopt them over time.
Read Hibernia’s Commitment profile here.
Hibernia has made it a goal to continuously work towards lowering its carbon emissions and the business has gone above and beyond! Hibernia was awarded the Five Green Star GRESB award in the 2022 GRESB Real Estate Assessment for both standing assets and developments.
The business placed in the top 10 of all responding companies with an office portfolio in Europe -the only Irish company in the mid-rise office category. In 2021, Hibernia won the four Green Star Rating and earlier this year reported that the business had reduced carbon emissions across its portfolio by 28%, achieving a reduction in scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions of 50% from its 2019 baseline. The Irish Government recently gave a target of a 45% reduction in emissions from commercial buildings, which is part of the Sectoral Emissions Ceilings under the Climate Action Plan.
It’s frontrunner action like this, between the private sector and government, that will drive the change we need to see.
Read Arup’s Commitment profile here.
The 24/7 Carbon Free Energy Compact is a global group of companies, policymakers, investors and organisations on a mission to ensure every kilowatt-hour of electricity demand is met with Carbon-Free Energy sources, every hour, every day, everywhere.
In collaboration with C40 Cities and the Greater London Authority, and with support from Google, Arup is spearheading a Climate Action Strategy for London and will apply the approach and specific methodology of Carbon Free Energy to the city. This project will provide strategic and technical expertise to develop an implementation roadmap and the flagship London pilot will test the approach.
As signatories to The Compact, Arup is committing to supporting the advancement of carbon-free energy technology to aid energy system decarbonisation.
Read Deloitte’s Commitment profile here.
Financial firms are facing pressure from regulators and other stakeholders to address their climate impacts and put their net zero plans to action. Deloitte and climate management and accounting platform provider Persefoni announced a partnership to develop solutions for the banking and insurance companies to quantify and account for their operational and portfolio carbon footprints.
Generally speaking, the majority of financial institutions’ climate impact is due to their financing and investing activities, with financed emissions often hundreds of times higher than operational emissions.
Earlier this year Persefoni released its Analytcs Suite, a new toolset of solutions and dashboards aimed at enabling financial institutions to track, manage and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their investment portfolios and financing activities.
This partnership will enable Deloitte and Persefoni to guide their clients along their decarbonisation journey. This frontrunner industry action is a necessity to tackle our current climate change challenges.
Deloitte is also a signatory of The Climate Pledge.
Read Max Fordham’s Commitment profile here.
Max Fordham believes that flexible retrofitting strategies are needed to preserve historic buildings while improving their energy efficiency and unlocking a valuable contribution to meet the UK’s net zero carbon targets.
Examples of these strategies are demonstrated through the renovation of the Entopia building where the firm carried out extensive moisture modelling to reduce the heating footprint.
The National Portrait Gallery is another example where repurposing existing features allowed for increased natural lighting.
Max Fordham believe that collaboration between engineers and client’s is imperative, drawing on detailed site investigations and a deep understanding of the client’s buildings to allow for suitable, sustainable retrofitting solutions. This type of care and passion will enable us to build for a better future without destroying what we already have.
