HTA have set ambitious goals to exceed a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 and removing all Scope 1 emissions by 2031.

As we progress reducing our environmental footprint, committing to maintain carbon neutrality by capturing our emissions through certified carbon offsetting programmes, we will shift towards carbon removal strategies as to a more sustainable long-term solution towards being carbon positive. In the meantime, we will continually seek to improve by helping our staff to understand waste reduction, sustainable travel, enhancing wellbeing, and drive initiatives towards a sustainable future.

HTA has a robust environmental management system as part of its ISO14001:2015 certification which, along with B Corp, provides accountability and areas for improvement. We believe in being open and transparent in our carbon reporting and publish our annual carbon reduction plans.

Since 2019, HTA has meticulously recorded its carbon emissions using the GHG Reporting Protocol, an industry-standard methodology for its London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Bristol studios. This tool enables us to quantify our emissions, including energy consumption, transportation, waste and other operational activities across Scopes 1, 2, and 3.

By applying DEFRA’s conversion factors, we ensure our measurements are both accurate and consistent. Our emissions for the financial year 2023/24 are:

• Scope 1 –  8Tco2e
• Scope 2 – 70.7 Tcoe
• Scope 3 – 14 Tco2e

We track our progress through monthly reporting, quarterly board reviews, and an annual carbon reduction plan. We set ambitious short and long-term targets for reducing our carbon emissions, including eliminating  all Scope 1 emissions by 2031. We are  on track to achieve this as we have reduced emissions under Scope 1 by 20% since 2019. This involves us lobbying our landlord for our Edinburgh studio to replace the gas heating system with Air-Source Heat Pumps, which is out-with our control, but not outside our sphere of influence.

Our Scope 3 emissions account for our largest proportion of our carbon footprint, including waste, business travel, staff commuting and provides the greatest opportunities for continuous improvement. Our short term commitment is to improve our data by capturing water usage and improving our supply chain, with a long-term target of reducing overall Scope 3 by at least 40%. We aim to use remote meetings for many of the design team meetings on our project to reduce transport emissions, and we will host face-to-face meetings in our offices for the wider team and provide lunch to reduce waste. Our London studio is powered by a combination of onsite and offsite renewable energy.

Our new London studio, 75 Wallis Road in Hackney Wick, is a strong indicator of the strength of our intentions to reduce HTA’s carbon footprint. The project was a refurbishment of an existing warehouse, dating to 1868, to create a 21^st Century workplace.

The practice’s in-house sustainability team prepared a comprehensive and holistic energy strategy which significantly reduces operational carbon. Air-source-heat-pumps and rooftop photovoltaic panels maximise renewable energy within an all-electric building. Passive design takes advantage of excellent natural light, ventilation through opening windows and rooflights, well-insulated roofs and floors, and the significant thermal mass of exposed brickwork.

Moreover, the expansion of our data capturing efforts has established a new baseline year, gaining a precise understanding of our current carbon footprint. Identifying key areas for improvement and setting clear targets for the future. As a result, after the first 18 months in our new studio, we have managed to improve the proportion energy provided by our rooftop PV panels from 8% to 25%, without the need for any more sun, but by reducing the amount of energy used in running the studio.