What are sustainable engineering consultants and who do they help

As we face new environmental challenges, businesses are increasingly turning to sustainable engineering consultants for help to meet sustainability best practices.

ESG demands

Part of the pressure that organisations are currently feeling comes from stakeholders and investors who are focused on adopting ESG principles. ESG stands for environmental social, and governance and each of those three pillars require baseline reporting and recommendations on ways to effect positive change. It’s not without controversy as there are those that feel it can be politically motivated but ESG aside, society and businesses have become increasingly aware of practices that are harmful to the environment and not sustainable.

The desire to look at smart energy-saving solutions in terms of building designs and systems is not going away.

What is sustainable engineering consultancy?

The practice of sustainable engineering is conceiving processes, designs, and products, that not only cut costs through energy efficiency but consider materials and environmental impact. In the case of manufacturing and construction, there is no question that minimising waste improves the bottom line and reduces harm. 

Who does this help? 

Consultancy can aid anyone within an organisation in assessing where they are with their current practices and what potentially are the most beneficial changes to make. This could range from stakeholders and investors or the management team who will be accountable for implementation and spending.

Data and Reporting 

When we begin to work with any client, the very first action we take is to gather information through assessments, surveys, and analysis of their current data. For example, we may carry out a general building services condition appraisal report. This can often be the best course of action as a starting point because it gives an initial surface-level overview of the condition of a building, and any potential structural issues, defects, or maintenance needs. The purpose of this report is to give immediate visibility and flag important issues that should be addressed before tackling the larger long-term goals.

Net zero targets

When an organisation is concerned with emissions, our team of sustainability engineers may be charged with carrying out a net zero carbon assessment. There may be multiple stakeholders in a business who are concerned, with a company’s overall impact on the environment and a first step on their net zero journey can mean consultation with our team. We may also be called in at the start of a design project to compile an embodied carbon report or assessment. This would entail an examination and understanding of the whole picture of greenhouse gas emissions. The report would take into consideration not just the construction side of the design but would also look at transportation, manufacturing, installation, lifecycle and operation of buildings.

Using modelling and simulation

One approach we may take is to utilise building dynamics and modelling and simulation to demonstrate the internal conditions and energy demands of a particular design. The aim of this is to gain a picture of the energy consumption of a building, help with its environmental impact and reduce costs. 

What we have learned is that this is a collaborative approach and will always be a process developed with our clients that suits their needs and budget whilst maximising positive impact.