Climate Change

Climate change is the biggest challenge of our generation – with current projections on global warming on course for major and irreversible damage to our planet. We must adapt to the inevitable climate impacts to reduce and mitigate emissions.

As an engineering company that delivers critical services across the built environment and transport infrastructure, we have a huge role in supporting our collective transition to Net Zero. We support the UN Global Goals and call for action on climate change and share their ambition for investment in low carbon innovation and infrastructure. We place huge importance on investing in sectors that support sustainable growth, create fair employment, and accelerate a just transition.

Designing out carbon

Our Consulting teams have developed a comprehensive strategy to work towards zero carbon on all our projects. While carbon assessment is mandatory on all projects worth over £1 million, we still seek opportunities to reduce carbon as a matter on all our contracts, regardless of value.

Our designers and engineers are expected to go beyond basic environmental considerations and think about carbon reduction as an integral aspect of every project. They are trained to apply the PAS 2080 principles which provides structured guidance on carbon management and reducing emissions across the built environment and infrastructure. This starts with initial feasibility studies and advising clients on what infrastructure is needed to support a low carbon economy.

Low carbon transport

We utilise tools such as the Rail Carbon Tool – a web-based resource that provides information about embodied carbon associated with products and activities related to rail infrastructure projects. We are building our own product library containing detailed carbon calculations for use with the tool. By linking this information to our CAD models, we can make much more accurate carbon assessments of our designs. More data is added after each project, expanding the knowledge base and increasing our ability to make decisions that reduce our carbon footprint.

Our leading-edge innovation in this vital area includes designing the UK’s first carbon neutral road improvement project – an £8m Highways England carriageway reconstruction in Cumbria, pioneering the use of solar lighting towers on site at Brent Cross sidings in support Network Rail’s 2050 ambition for a low emissions railway, and introducing energy saving smart lighting solutions for school estates.

Here’s how we’re supporting our customers:

Creating property estates of the future

Successful decarbonisation of the UK’s building stock is central to meeting the four nations’ goal to become a Net Zero carbon emitter by 2050. According to recent estimates by the National Infrastructure Commission, heat for residential, public sector, and commercial buildings is responsible for around 17% of the UK’s carbon emissions – some 90 MtCO2e in 2019.

To meet this challenge, the property decarbonisation journey must change. We require a renewed focus on people, organisational culture and a thorough understanding of users’ needs to tackle the problems using a bottom-up approach. Only then, will begin to truly make strides towards the Energy Transition.

Here’s how we’re supporting our customers:

Supporting Green careers

We are proud partners of the Green Careers Hub. We recognise the need to support all people into green careers and help existing green careers to enable even more people to contribute.

To support this, we have introduced an Environmental Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship programme. This enables apprentices can gain an IEMA-accredited Environmental Management degree with Coventry University to aid their practical development at Amey.

Reducing our emissions at Amey

We are committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and reaching Net Zero by 2040. To do this, we have set ourselves two ambitious targets:

Achieve Scope 1 and 2 Net Zero by 2035, with a minimum of 80% absolute reduction on a 2019 baseline
Achieve Net Zero, including Scope 3, by 2040

Our targets are in-line with pathways that limit global warming to 1.5oC above pre-industrial levels. We have submitted our targets and roadmap to the Science Based Targets initiative.

Our carbon footprint is verified to ISO 14064-3, the international specification for the verification and validation of greenhouse gas statements. Our Roadmap to Net Zero is available here. Our detailed Carbon Reduction Plans, in accordance with ‘PPN 06/21: Taking account of Carbon Reduction Plans in the procurement of major government contracts, are available here.

Climate Change

ESG and Sustainability

Climate Change