Carbon Reduction Plan

CARBON REDUCTION PLAN

The Climate Emergency demands urgent action and leadership by architects and the wider construction industry. As a responsible Practice, Triangle Architects recognise the UK government’s commitment to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

The challenge for the Practice and profession as a whole is to extend good practice to all our future work and follow the recommendations of the World Green Building Council report on zero embodied carbon.

Triangle Architects is working towards the environmental targets set out in the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge. Meeting this challenge is vital if the Practice is to play our role in mitigating climate change and limiting the rise of global temperature to below 1.5 ̊C

Triangle Architects are committed to becoming net zero by 2050 or sooner.

BASELINE FIGURES: 2023

Baseline figures are a record of past emissions and a reference point against which emissions reduction can be measured.

CARBON REDUCTION TARGETS

We already operate a Cycle to Work scheme for all staff and do not own any company vehicles.

The following environmental management measures are being implemented or planned to reduce emissions since our 2023 baseline:

• We are currently awaiting certification for ISO14001 which once achieved will be audited annually. It focuses on objectives and actions that will have the most significant environmental impact both in the short and long term.
• Reduce in-person meetings to limit work mileage and encourage use of public transport where practical if travel to meetings are unavoidable.
• Greater allowance for flexible working by providing all employees with laptops.
• Switch office to renewable energy tariff.
• Reduce paper/ink usage through greater use of digital methods to issue and store documents.
• Reduce office waste by recycling as many materials as possible.
• Engage with our supply chain to minimize our Scope 3 carbon emissions
• Make all staff aware of requirement to reduce waste and emissions in all office/work activities.

We are a signatory of Architects Declare, an industry recognised initiative which aims to drive effective change in combatting climate change through shared best practice and a coordinated response.

Our approach to designing sustainable buildings will aim for the following targets:

 Whole life carbon

• Target net zero whole life carbon for new and retrofitted buildings, where feasible relative to Client’s brief and budget. Seek to educate our Clients at briefing stage on project potential.

 Existing Building Stock

• Assist new and existing Clients with carrying out post occupancy evaluation and suggest strategies for fine tuning existing buildings to reduce energy use and operational carbon emissions.

 Operational Energy and Carbon Emissions

• Use low carbon heating, for example heat pumps or connections to district heat networks, where available, and target no new connections to the gas grid or use of fossil fuel boilers, where feasible.
• Design using realistic predictions of the operational energy target to avoid the performance gap and report the energy use by fuel type and include the full breakdown of regulated and unregulated energy use.
• Offset remaining carbon emissions by contributing to UK renewable energy projects that work towards decarbonising the national and/or local grid.

We will provide staff training, via in house and external CPD, to maintain our environmental commitment to our network of clients and consultants. 

The Directors shall ensure that this policy statement is implemented, maintained and communicated throughout the Practice.

This Carbon Reduction Plan has been completed in accordance with PPN 06/21 and associated guidance.  It has been reviewed and signed off by the Directors.

Barry Murphy: Director

Date: 01/03/24