Engineering specialist Cundall has pledged to make all of its projects net zero carbon in the next seven years.
The Newcastle-based firm, which delivers work across the world, said it was critical that buildings transitioned to net zero in order to combat global temperature rises. Announcing the move, Cundall described it as a "line in the sand" which had been two years in the making.
It said it engineers and designs across its 25 global offices would make zero carbon a "business as usual" approach. Managing partner Carole O'Neil described the Zero Carbon Design 2030 as an "investment in Cundall's future".
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She said: "Achieving net zero carbon isn’t just about the science, it’s about the people. This initiative has always had the support of the management board, but it is also very much driven from the bottom up. It has the passion of our people behind it. They are the ones driving this forward, defining the future of our business and the industry they want to work in for years to come.
"It was important that we let Zero Carbon Design 2030 develop in this way, because while net zero carbon requires technical solutions that engineers are best placed to provide, at its heart, it’s also a change initiative that involves shifting the design culture within our own organisation, as well as in the wider industry through our clients, partners and projects."
The commitment is the latest in Cundall's sustainability agenda, which led it to be a founding signatory of the World Green Building Council Climate Pledge and becoming carbon neutral certified by the Carbon Trust in 2020. The firm has also set out an interim goal of achieving net zero carbon on 25% of its projects by the end of next year.
One project already demonstrating those credentials is Eden in Salford, which is due to be completed this year. The 12-storey office property can run solely on renewable electricity and features Europe's largest green wall.
Phil Marsden, director of project management – North West of Muse, which has worked with Cundall on the scheme, said: "Cundall’s vision for a sustainable future closely aligns with the one we have at Muse. It’s all about building a brighter future, together, and that’s probably why we’ve been collaborating for over a decade to regenerate urban spaces in the most sustainable way possible.
"Zero Carbon Design 2030 is extremely ambitious. Very few others have been brave enough to set themselves such a stringent target. It’s clear to those of us that work alongside them, that Cundall’s project teams are enthusiastic creators of net zero carbon solutions, and we fully support their desire to inspire and empower people to rethink the way they design for our sustainable future."
