Arup commits to whole lifecycle carbon assessments for all buildings work and withdrawal from fossil fuels from next year

Today, Arup has committed to undertaking whole lifecycle carbon assessments for all its buildings projects – new and retrofit – from next year. The firm has also announced it will not be taking on any new energy commissions involving the extraction, refinement, or transportation of hydrocarbon-based fuels.  

Arup’s commitment to whole lifecycle carbon assessments is significant because the global built environment sector is the source of almost 40% of global carbon emissions (1). Yet it has been estimated that less than 1% of buildings projects are currently evaluated in a way that quantifies the scale and source of carbon emissions generated during their lifespans – a step that is essential if the most effective decarbonisation actions are to be identified.