Bennetts Associates is the first architecture practice in the world to achieve approved Science Based Targets and commit to the UN’s Climate Neutral Now campaign. This commitment builds on the award-winning practice’s track record approaching thirty years as pioneers of sustainability within the built environment by taking a leadership position on climate change.
As a business leader in sustainability Bennetts Associates has committed to twenty sustainability targets for 2022 including ambitious science-based commitments to:
- reduce energy related GHG emissions by at least 21% by 2022 from a 2016 baseline-year
- procure all energy from 100% renewable sources
- reduce travel emissions by 7.5% by 2022 from a 2016 base-line
- identify ambitious sustainability agendas relevant to each of their projects
- continue to measure and improve conditions that relate to physical and mental wellbeing for staff across its three offices in London, Manchester and Edinburgh
Bennetts Associates will work towards being a single-use plastic-free office by 2022 and set policies that work towards incorporating the circular economy within their office practices as well as assist staff in switching their home energy to 100% renewable sources.
Miguel Naranjo, Relationship Management Team of United Nations Climate Change Secretariat, UNFCC said:
“Bennetts Associates is an example of integration of sustainability and climate action in business, through their commitment to set a science-based target, procure sustainable energy, and include sustainability considerations in their designs. Their work contributes to moving us closer, faster to global climate neutrality.”
Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive at UKGBC, said:
“It is fantastic to see Bennetts Associates showing international leadership by becoming the first architecture practice to set itself an approved science-based target, amongst several other ambitious goals to 2022. These ambitious targets will ensure the practice is playing its role in mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change as well as signalling to the whole industry that architects can and must be part of the solution. We commend our Gold Leaf founding member for visionary leadership and foresight, and for putting sustainability ambition at the heart of decision-making.”
Cynthia Cummis, Director of Private Sector Climate Mitigation at World Resources Institute, one of the Science Based Targets initiative partners, said:
“Congratulations to Bennetts Associates for becoming the first architecture firm to have their emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. By setting targets that align their business with global efforts to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, Bennetts Associates is positioning itself to thrive as the global economy transitions to a low-carbon future.”
Peter Fisher, Director at Bennetts Associates, said:
“Bennetts Associates has been at the vanguard of sustainable architecture for over 30 years. We were among the first architects to pioneer sustainability in large projects, bringing it to the mainstream. More recently projects such as 5 Pancras Square for the London Borough of Camden have acted as exemplars for urban and highly economical sustainability. Its BREEAM Rating of 97.6% being the highest ever achieved at the time of its completion. 11-21 Canal Reach, which is currently on site, continues in the same vein, pushing the boundaries of embodied energy and well-being. In addition to projects, we place a high level of importance on our long-term environmental, social and economic sustainability as a business. We are therefore pleased to announce that we are the first firm of architects in the world (and first SME in the UK) to commit to approved Science Based Targets and to sign up to the UN’s Climate Neutral Now campaign.”
“Agreeing Science Based Targets enables us to set greenhouse emissions reduction targets that are in line with the Paris Agreement.”