Decarbonisation & net zero
The built environment is responsible for 40% of global energy related to carbon emissions. Gleeds helps clients to make a difference to global emissions through measuring, reporting and reducing their carbon footprint.
Gathering accurate, reproducible data on where carbon is being emitted is a major challenge faced by many organisations.
Gleeds’ sustainability team helps clients to calculate and report their Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon footprints – collecting the necessary intelligence, and using it to develop targeted improvement plans.
We also establish systems and processes that make data capture easier, and provide support with developing and procuring suitable technology platforms and tools.
The transition to Net Zero
Gleeds assists both public and private sector clients in defining their targets for reducing greenhouse gases, and moving towards Net Zero carbon emissions.
Recognising that every organisation’s drivers are unique, we develop tailored carbon reduction strategies to achieve the targets set – developing a practical, deliverable, investable plan for minimising impact through building design, construction, and operation.
Our targeted plans and strategies enable our clients to increase their focus on energy efficiency and management. This supports them in meeting legal obligations, investor demands and corporate commitments.
Retrofitting roadmaps
Existing buildings represent a significant part of every organisation’s carbon footprint. Reducing their energy consumption and cost, along with eliminating the use of fossil fuels, is fundamental to increasing efficiency and resilience, and insulating the business against energy price shocks.
Retrofitting is complex, and needs careful planning to be practical, affordable and deliverable. Gleeds develops optimised decarbonisation roadmaps – combining our building surveying, engineering, project and cost management expertise with specialist operational energy and embodied carbon capabilities.
We’re adept at managing the constraints of working in occupied buildings, and securing stakeholder support.
CRREM: managing carbon risks among existing assets
Decarbonisation targets can only be achieved if significant retrofitting is undertaken to improve the efficiency of buildings. Gleeds applies the CRREM (carbon risk real estate monitor) tool to help clients avoid ‘stranded assets’: buildings that don’t meet future energy efficiency and CO2 emission standards, which can become non-compliant or suffer depreciation as a result.
The tool enables us to assess decarbonisation status and retrofit needs. We then identify opportunities for retrofit measures – for instance renewable energy, lighting upgrades, or fossil fuel replacement – using the CRREM decarbonisation pathways. Gleeds is on the accredited list of CRREM providers.
Whole life carbon assessment
Gleeds helps clients to understand the impacts of every decision they make on a project, so action can be taken to limit negative consequences. This means assessing the carbon emissions that derive from operating a building, alongside the embodied emissions from constructing, maintaining and ultimately decommissioning it.
Our consultants build comprehensive embodied carbon models based on robust life cycle assessments (LCAs). Using Gleeds’ bespoke in-house tools, in particular Decarbonise, alongside industry-leading software and databases, they forecast whole life carbon footprints, and review and test options to arrive at the optimal solution over the life of the building.
Sustainability & ESG Team
Dave Wakelin
Manchester, United Kingdom
Irene Torá Mouvet
Madrid, Spain
Lars Kruse
Singapore
Suzan Talley
Atlanta, United States
