Positive addition (5 million and over) category: Tower Hamlets Town Hall by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Source:&nbsp Tim SoarAllford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) has become one of the first major UK practices to release its emissions data in full including from the buildings it has designed Data shared with the AJ and published by the AJ100 practice in September outlines both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with its work, with Scope 3 emissions, from completed projects, included for the first time.Publication of the firms Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions comes after the companys annual financial report for April 2022 to March 2023, published at the end of last year, identified IT as contributing a third of all its greenhouse gas emissions.That report stated that total operational emissions were 1,410 tCO2e for the April 2022 to March 2023 period.AdvertisementControversially, the practice did not include upfront embodied carbon from completed projects in its reported Scope 3 emissions at the time of that report. But now, AHMM is thought to be one of the first of the major UK practices to make its full Scope 3 emissions public.The data shows that AHMMs emissions resulting from the upfront embodied carbon of completed projects in 2023 rose from 80,400 tCO2e in 2022 to 102,000 tCO2e in 2023.However, retrofit schemes and buildings with larger footprints but greater carbon efficiency mean the carbon intensity of those completed projects reduced from 628 kgCO2e/m2 GIA to 553 kgCO2e/m2 GIA, the practice said.Meanwhile, AHMMs operational emissions have reduced from 1,410 tCO2e to 1,010 tCO2e between 2022 and 2023 a decline of 400 tCO2e. That was despite an increasing number of staff returning to its office post-pandemic, which resulted in a rise in direct Scope 1 and 2 emissions. These derive from the gas boilers at AHMMs London headquarters and purchased electricity across all locations.The practice said its biggest operational carbon savings were made through changes to IT equipment and in-house events programmes, where 513 tCO2e has been saved compared to 2022.AdvertisementAHMMs head of sustainability, Craig Robertson, said: These figures show that AHMM is on track to deliver against our operational and project carbon reduction commitments. However, we cannot be complacent.The balance of our operational emissions needs to be carefully monitored, particularly as our studio events programme is re-established. Similarly, our design decisions will continue to be closely reviewed and interrogated using our in-house tools to ensure that we are driving robust low-carbon decisions.According to the National Grid Group, Scope 3 encompasses emissions that are not produced by the company itself and are not the result of activities from assets owned or controlled by them.Typically, practices do not include Scope 3 when calculating their emissions. Instead, Scope 1 and 2 are used to cover direct emissions associated with running an office.Many practices do not include the embodied carbon from projects they design in their reported Scope 3 emissions. This is the subject of disagreement in the industry. A leading group of property developers has called on architects to join them in counting and declaring such project emissions, partly in order to transform the professions environmental approach and climate literacy.AHMM says it is committed to reducing its emissions by 42 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2040.2024-11-14Gino Spocchiacomment and share