Environmental & Social Governance (ESG)
Environmental monitoring
As part of our commitment to embed sustainability throughout the business, Rock Townsend set the aim to achieve Net Zero in line with the science-based targets set out by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) i.e. to achieve Net Zero no later than 2050 and target a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030. We also made a pledge to “Race to Zero” via the Network Net Zero Community in June 2022. The record of the pledge can be found at www.futurenetzero.com/un-race-to-zero
We started measuring our greenhouse gas emissions in 2021. Given the unprecedented global pandemic and sudden change in working practices which begun in 2020, this was not expected to be a representative baseline, however we are keen to be transparent in our progress towards Net Zero. We are continuing to supply Net Zero International with the data required to capture and monitor our carbon emissions. The outcome of each year informs how we adjust our activities to meet the pledges of ‘Race to Zero’ and Architects Declare.
In March 2024 we began investing in a portfolio of carbon capture credits with Supercritical to address our scope 1, 2 & 3 carbon emissions making Rock Townsend Architects LLP carbon neutral from January 2023.
Intensity Ratio (CO2/employee; CO2/SqM)
Carbon Emissions Record (tCO2e)
Carbon Capture (£,000; CO2t)
Social value monitoring
As a socially responsible business, Rock Townsend has set a minimum target to spending 0.5days per £100,000 net turnover to support wider social value projects between Q2 2023 - Q1 2024 (incl).
We are committed to creating financial and non-financial value through our day-to-day activities. Our commitment is to individuals and communities local to our Waterloo studio, those that we work with, and the continual improvement of the wider construction industry. As we continue to invest and focus on our social responsibilities we will improve how we track our longstanding commitment to social value.
Work experience, mentoring, outreach workshops, voluntary work and pro bono consultancy work are all areas where we have been active over many years. This has been better captured in the past 2 years and is currently being translated in to a metric that can be better monitored below.
Social Value (Hours)