FOCUS ON ESG
Buro Happold
Buro Happold which is headquartered in Bath is one of the world ' s leading engineering consultancies . It is also one of the city ' s largest employers with over 400 people working in the Bath office alone . It operates in 26 locations worldwide with offices in Asia , the USA and Europe . We spoke to Bianca Laura Latini , Senior Sustainability Engineer at Buro Happold to find out more about the firm ' s commitment to ESG .
How does your business embrace ESG ? At Buro Happold , we believe collective action is the best way to address the climate and biodiversity crisis . It is our responsibility to design and create environments that are sustainable and fair , but we also know we need to walk the talk – there is no credibility in what we preach if we don ’ t believe it feasible ourselves .
Tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis , and the complex network of influences that impact them in the built environment , is something we are constantly researching and developing to make sure that we embody what best practice looks like and to allow us to encourage our clients and collaborators to do so as well .
Do you measure your impact ? We reached our first net zero goal for 2020 / 21 by setting Science Based Targets to reduce carbon emissions and by offsetting residual emissions . Our Global Sustainability Report 2021 was recently published , outlining what our sustainability targets are . It ’ s not just carbon , but also other important themes like biodiversity , water and materials . It also includes how we are measuring our impact , our progress and how we plan to achieve our targets .
Keeping track of where we ’ ve been able to make a difference , learning through our projects and their outcomes , is full of invaluable lessons . For example , we have developed a Building Performance Dashboard that helps us track and assess the environmental impact and success stories of our myriad of projects .
Wessex Water
Wessex Water supplies water to over 2.8 million customers across the South West , focusing on the environment , sustainability and the local community .
Dan Green , Head of Sustainability gives an insight into Wessex Water ' s approach to ESG .
How does your business embrace ESG ? For Wessex Water , ESG is a new way of framing the concept of sustainability . We have always seen sustainability as multifaceted , encompassing environmental , social and economic responsibility . As a large employer which provides an essential service , along with significant economic presence in our region , we see sustainability as a significant part of our purpose .
Do you measure your impact ? We have a large number of performance commitments that are agreed with our regulators and provide detailed annual reports accordingly . Alongside this , there are several indicators that are not related to our regulatory requirements but are equally crucial for monitoring progress .
Has embracing ESG helped to nurture relationships with employees and the wider community ? ESG is about a company ’ s business model ; how we tackle environmental and social challenges affects the respect that clients , collaborators and employees have for the company . To be able to deliver meaningful change can feel like an uphill battle when facing the complexity of tackling the climate crisis and everything it entails , but it has given a lot of us a common goal which nurtures collaboration across the industry .
What are your plans for future improvement ? On the back of reaching our first net zero goal , we aim to : ( 1 ) Reduce our own operational carbon emissions by 21 per cent by 2025 , ( 2 ) Design all new build projects to be net zero carbon in operation by 2030 , and ( 3 ) Reduce embodied carbon intensity of all new buildings , major retrofits and infrastructure projects by 50 per cent by 2030 .
In terms of what we are embedding in our projects as an extension of what we believe in , we will continue to invest in nature-based solutions , the circular economy and the importance of social value in our projects . Personally , I ’ ve been working with industry bodies like the UKGBC , BREEAM , and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to learn from and inform policy , determine what good practice looks like , and feed that back into what we do as a practice and how we consult our clients . Small decisions around a design team table can have a big impact , so we want to make them count .
Has embracing ESG helped to nurture relationships with employees and the wider community ? We do these things because it is good business to do so . Serving customers and communities and improving the environment is a strong motivation for many who work at Wessex Water , and having colleagues fully involved in these aims is of huge importance . Similarly , we want to give back to the communities we serve , and take seriously the interests , concerns and aspirations of all who live in our region . There is also a connection between the two , as most of our colleagues are also our customers .
What are your plans for future improvement ? We have a £ 1.4 billion investment programme during 2020- 25 in areas such as tackling leakage , ensuring customers have reliable services by renewing ageing pipes , protecting homes from flooding , improving the water environment , and working toward net zero operational carbon emissions by 2030 . Continual improvement of our day-to-day work is also important , and we are always looking to bring in innovative ways of working and technologies . Just continuing as we have done in the past will not be enough to meet the increasing expectations of our customers and stakeholders .
What advice would you give to others embarking on the ESG journey ? We know business as usual isn ’ t enough to get us living within planetary boundaries , so I personally believe that one of the most meaningful things we can do is first and foremost assess what business as usual actually looks like in terms of impact : establish the baseline . Only then can you understand what ‘ better ’ looks like . I think another important aspect is to look beyond finance and monetary measurement of success . ESG , particularly the S as in ‘ Social ’, should be measured through meaningful KPIs – how do you measure the happiness of those you ’ re impacting ? Their sense of belonging ? I don ’ t personally believe the answer has a £ sign next to it , and although answering these questions is trickier and less straightforward , I think it ’ s a challenge worth undertaking .
Lastly , best practice is constantly changing , so building resiliency and flexibility in our strategies is imperative . ESG goals need to have reviews and target revisits embedded in them , as well as transparency , so that they remain relevant and consequential in the journey towards reaching our ultimate goals .
For more info : www . burohappold . com
What advice would you give to others embarking on the ESG journey ?
• Identify your core purpose – why do you do what you do ?
• Prioritise what matters the most – the issues that represent the biggest risks and opportunities , that are also closely related to your purpose .
• Start measuring and reporting – explain what you are trying to achieve and hold yourselves accountable .
• Develop an action plan , including the people you ’ ll need to work with to make it happen .
For more info : www . wessexwater . co . uk
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2022 13