Reporting Boundary: London Office (4 units)
Emission sources: electricity, T&D losses, water, fleet, business travel, paper
Reporting Period: 1 Aug 2018 –31 Jul 2019
*comparison based on normalised data
We engage our employees and wider stakeholders to unlock their talent and knowledge to drive year on year progress in sustainability.
We recognise that transparent communication is essential for transformational change and we quantifiably contribute to 5 SDG’s.
As part of the Planet Mark certification, Michael Sparks Associates has committed to making a year-on-year reduction.
Michael Sparks Associates, chartered architects formed in 1988 who are committed to producing buildings of quality, has achieved Planet Mark certification.
This is Michael Sparks Associates 9th year of business carbon footprint reporting and certification to Planet Mark. They first calculated the carbon footprint of their London office operations for the year ending July 2011 and set a target to reduce emissions by 5% annually.
Michael Spark Associates total carbon footprint for the year ending July 2019 was 29.6 tCO2e, a decrease of 13.3% from the year ending 2018. The relative carbon footprint was 0.9 tCO2e per employee, a decrease of 17.3% compared to the year ending 2018.
The carbon saved by Michael Spark Associates is equal to the carbon emitted by burning 2,200kg of coal.
“Michael Sparks Associates is one of the stalwarts of The Planet Mark. This year’s results are yet another success in the sustainability journey of the practice. Our philosophy is centred around continuous sustainable improvement, that’s why it’s so encouraging to see Michael Sparks Associates’ commitment to sustainability hasn’t faltered once. The practice is also commendable in taking its own carbon reduction skills and utilising them with its client base – creating change well beyond its own walls.”
Michael Sparks Associates has a long established and robust record of sustainable architecture and master-planning, with an impressive portfolio to complement this. As well as a long record of carbon reduction, the practice has done much work with its clients to help green its supply chain. Michael Spark Associates has had experience of a number of low energy and energy efficient technologies, such as solar and wind power, combined heat and power (CHP), grey water recycling and biomass. The practice has also achieved BREEAM ‘Outstanding’, ‘Excellent’, or ‘Very Good’ ratings on a number of its projects.
Architects have an important role to play in the transition to a climate-friendly future. The built environment is responsible for at least 20% of the UK’s current carbon emissions, and the design of buildings is integral to its operational emissions. Keeping up with the minimum environmental requirements is no longer enough – clients are increasingly demanding that their buildings go beyond these standards for increased efficiency. Architects must rise to the challenge, developing techniques to reduce the carbon emissions from their buildings, and reduce their own emissions while working.
