Report results - SME Climate Hub

Mae Architects Ltd's Climate Report

Submitted on 2024-08-20

1.1 Reporting year*

2024

1.1.1 Reporting period*

from 5.2023 to 4.2024

1.2 Describe your business activities*

Architecture

1.4 Number of employees in the reporting year*

17.8

1.4.1 Full-time equivalent (FTE) or headcounts*

Full-time equivalent

1.5 Let us know if your company is a parent company or subsidiary*

Not applicable

2.1 Net zero target year*

2050

2.1.1 Base year*

2021

2.2 Near-term target*

50% of absolute total emission reduction from my base year by 2030

2.3 Provide any additional comments or context on your net zero and near term targets.*

As an architectural service provider, our commitment and target align with the RIBA Climate Challenge 2030 (achievable trajectory to realise the significant reductions necessary by 2030 in order to have a realistic prospect of achieving net zero carbon for the whole UK building stock by 2050). As a company, we have internal operation targets for Scopes 1-3 (as measured by Compare Your Footprint) and outlined in our Environmental Management System

3.1 To reduce emissions in line with my commitment, my company has a plan and is taking action*

Yes

Energy consumption

3.2 Total energy consumption*

8850 kwh

3.3 Renewable energy*

6637.50 kwh

Scope 1 emissions

3.4 Scope 1 emissions*

0 metric tons CO2e

Scope 2 emissions

3.5 Location based scope 2 emissions*

1.833 metric tons CO2e

3.6 Market based scope 2 emissions*

0 metric tons CO2e

3.7 Describe your plans and actions taken to reduce scope 1 & 2 emissions.*

Over the last few years we have changed a number of suppliers, services and collaborators to companies that are more aligned with our social and environmental ethics. As a practice we commit to purchase 50% of our products and services from local and independent suppliers. We have been ISO14001 accredited since 2017 and our Environmental Manaagement System (EMS) is managed by our sustainability group, Mæ Zero, focusing on our project objectives such as building materials and circular economy through research, education, knowledge sharing and collaborating with industry leaders in the environmental field. As a practice, our EMS is a framework for reducing our carbon emissions. Our objectives over the past five years have resulted in our company reducing paper usage by 90% and stationery and office supplies by 75% (measured through costs x FTE). Whilst we are working towards our net-zero commitments, we are off-setting our emissions with Gold Standard carbon credits, focusing on two of the UN Sustainable Development goals – resilient cities and communities, and climate action. We offset 30 tonnes of emissions in 2024. As an architecture practice we have signed up to the RIBA Climate Challenge 2030. The RIBA has developed the 2030 Climate Challenge to help architects design within a climate conscious trajectory and provides a stepped approach towards reaching net zero. The 2030 Climate Challenge sets a series of targets for practices to adopt to reduce operational energy, embodied carbon and potable water.Our Mæ Zero team have taken ownership of our environmental targets and timeline through our ISO14001 objectives. We choose the projects we work on based on the environmental brief and the openness of the client and/or local authority to use innovative sustainably methods and materials. We collaborate with many other architectural practices and independently research innovative materials and building methods, sharing knowledge and contributing to sustainable working groups. Each year, we donate 5% of our annual profits to selected environmental charities. In the 2024 year they are The Canals & Rivers Trust and The Woodland Trust.

3.8 Describe the calculation methodology and comment on the data accuracy, including any tools/methods used to calculate.*

We measure our scope emissions through annual submissions on Compare Your Footprint

Scope 3 emissions

4.1 Have you measured any of your scope 3 emissions?*

Yes

4.1.1 Total scope 3 emissions*

25.272 metric tons CO2e

Supply chain related - upstream emissions

4.1.2 Purchased goods and services*

17.74 metric tons CO2e

4.1.3 Capital goods*

4.1.4 Fuel and energy related activities*

4.1.5 Transportation and distribution (upstream)*

4.1.6 Waste in operations*

4.1.7 Business travel*

3.14 metric tons CO2e

4.1.8 Employee commuting*

4.39 metric tons CO2e

4.1.9 Leased assets (upstream)*

Customer related - downstream emissions

4.1.10 Transportation and distribution (downstream)*

4.1.11 Processing of sold products*

4.1.12 Use of sold products*

4.1.13 End-of-life treatment of products*

4.1.14 Leased assets (downstream)*

4.1.15 Franchises*

4.1.16 Investments*

4.1.17 Do you have a plan and are taking action to reduce emissions from your value chain?*

Yes

As part of our QMS, we have produced a series of checks and questionnaires when selecting suppliers and collaborators. These ask for supplier and collaborator environmental company information. As we do not actually purchase very many business 'products' the majority of our Scope 3 emissions are from our service providers who we rely on to function as a business (accountants, legal, etc.) However, we hope through our impact statement and ethos, we can encourage those we work with to make changes / reductions and eventually be able to answer yes to Q4.2

4.2 Have you asked any of your suppliers to set a net zero target (either voluntarily or as a requirement)?*

4.2.1 What percentage of your suppliers have you asked?*

4.3 Have you communicated your commitment and actions to any of your customers?*

Yes

4.4 Describe the calculation methodology and comment on the data accuracy and any tools used to calculate your scope 3 emissions.*

We measure and record our Scope 3 emissions on Compare Your Footprint

5.1 Do you classify any of your existing goods and/or services as a climate solution?*

5.2 What percentage of your total revenue comes from sales of climate solutions?*

5.3 Provide descriptions/names of your climate solutions:*

5.4 Methodology used to assess these as climate solutions, and third party which has validated the assessment, if any:*

6.1 What governance processes do you have in place for your climate strategy? Choose as many as are applicable.*

Governance process in place

6.1 Explain*

6.1.1 Please describe their position and responsibility.*

6.1.2 Is this person (or another at executive and board level) also responsible for climate risk?*

6.2 Have you started to identify and assess your companies climate risks and opportunities?*

Yes - we have identified both climate risks and opportunities

6.2.1 Where are the climate risks you've identified?*

Own operations

6.2.1 Explain*

6.2.2 How are you managing these climate risks? Choose as many as are applicable.*

We've started to prioritise climate risks, We've Identified plans for adaptation to mitigate these risks, We've Integrated these adaptation plans into business practices

6.2.2 Explain*

6.2.3 Provide any additional comments or context on your climate risks:*

6.3 Have you integrated climate and/or nature into your company mission statement or shareholder agreements? If yes, describe how.*

Yes

We certified as a B Corp company in March 2024. As part of this process we publish our Social & Environmental Impact Statement and Code of Ethics. We also changed our Articles of Association with Companies House (UK) to include our commitment to making business decisions that have social and environment impact.

6.4 Have you taken actions this year outside of your emissions to accelerate climate progress?*

Yes

Through our service - our sustainability team, Mae Zero, have outlined our 2024-2030 action plan to meet with RIBA Climate Challenge pledge and Architects Declare pledges

7.1 Provide any additional comments or context on your annual results and progress from previous years.*

Challenges - the scope 3 emissions through using other business services (and not always having a choice / ability to change). We are very focused on reducing travel, commuting (hybrid working), products (almost 100% paper-free), energy use (through smaller office, using B Corp local suppliers. However the business service impact is a huge and that can be quite daunting to think about we can reduce our emission by 50% by 2030 when we are 'absorbing' others emissions. Hope that makes sense!

7.2 Do you face any key challenges in reducing emissions?*

Reducing scope 3 emissions, Complexities in managing supply chain emissions, Limited influence over suppliers

Specify other challenges*

7.3 Has there been any third party validation of the data submitted in this report?*

Yes

The Scope 1-3 emissions are from our Compare Your Footprint 23-24 annual report calculations

1.1 Reporting year*

2024

1.1.1 Reporting period*

from 5.2023 to 4.2024

1.2 Describe your business activities*

Architecture

1.4 Number of employees in the reporting year*

17.8

1.4.1 Full-time equivalent (FTE) or headcounts*

Full-time equivalent

1.5 Let us know if your company is a parent company or subsidiary*

Not applicable

2.1 Net zero target year*

2050

2.1.1 Base year*

2021

2.2 Near-term target*

50% of absolute total emission reduction from my base year by 2030

2.3 Provide any additional comments or context on your net zero and near term targets.*

3.1 To reduce emissions in line with my commitment, my company has a plan and is taking action*

Yes

Energy consumption

3.2 Total energy consumption*

8850 kwh

3.3 Renewable energy*

6637.50 kwh

Scope 1 emissions

3.4 Scope 1 emissions*

0 metric tons CO2e

Scope 2 emissions

3.5 Location based scope 2 emissions*

1.833 metric tons CO2e

3.6 Market based scope 2 emissions*

0 metric tons CO2e

3.7 Describe your plans and actions taken to reduce scope 1 & 2 emissions.*

3.8 Describe the calculation methodology and comment on the data accuracy, including any tools/methods used to calculate.*

We measure our scope emissions through annual submissions on Compare Your Footprint

Scope 3 emissions

4.1 Have you measured any of your scope 3 emissions?*

Yes

4.1.1 Total scope 3 emissions*

25.272 metric tons CO2e

Supply chain related - upstream emissions

4.1.2 Purchased goods and services*

17.74 metric tons CO2e

4.1.3 Capital goods*

4.1.4 Fuel and energy related activities*

4.1.5 Transportation and distribution (upstream)*

4.1.6 Waste in operations*

4.1.7 Business travel*

3.14 metric tons CO2e

4.1.8 Employee commuting*

4.39 metric tons CO2e

4.1.9 Leased assets (upstream)*

Customer related - downstream emissions

4.1.10 Transportation and distribution (downstream)*

4.1.11 Processing of sold products*

4.1.12 Use of sold products*

4.1.13 End-of-life treatment of products*

4.1.14 Leased assets (downstream)*

4.1.15 Franchises*

4.1.16 Investments*

4.1.17 Do you have a plan and are taking action to reduce emissions from your value chain?*

Yes

4.2 Have you asked any of your suppliers to set a net zero target (either voluntarily or as a requirement)?*

4.2.1 What percentage of your suppliers have you asked?*

4.3 Have you communicated your commitment and actions to any of your customers?*

Yes

4.4 Describe the calculation methodology and comment on the data accuracy and any tools used to calculate your scope 3 emissions.*

We measure and record our Scope 3 emissions on Compare Your Footprint

5.1 Do you classify any of your existing goods and/or services as a climate solution?*

5.2 What percentage of your total revenue comes from sales of climate solutions?*

5.3 Provide descriptions/names of your climate solutions:*

5.4 Methodology used to assess these as climate solutions, and third party which has validated the assessment, if any:*

6.1 What governance processes do you have in place for your climate strategy? Choose as many as are applicable.*

Governance process in place

6.1 Explain*

6.1.1 Please describe their position and responsibility.*

6.1.2 Is this person (or another at executive and board level) also responsible for climate risk?*

6.2 Have you started to identify and assess your companies climate risks and opportunities?*

Yes - we have identified both climate risks and opportunities

6.2.1 Where are the climate risks you've identified?*

Own operations

6.2.1 Explain*

6.2.2 How are you managing these climate risks? Choose as many as are applicable.*

We've started to prioritise climate risks, We've Identified plans for adaptation to mitigate these risks, We've Integrated these adaptation plans into business practices

6.2.2 Explain*

6.2.3 Provide any additional comments or context on your climate risks:*

6.3 Have you integrated climate and/or nature into your company mission statement or shareholder agreements? If yes, describe how.*

Yes

6.4 Have you taken actions this year outside of your emissions to accelerate climate progress?*

Yes

Through our service - our sustainability team, Mae Zero, have outlined our 2024-2030 action plan to meet with RIBA Climate Challenge pledge and Architects Declare pledges

7.1 Provide any additional comments or context on your annual results and progress from previous years.*

7.2 Do you face any key challenges in reducing emissions?*

Reducing scope 3 emissions, Complexities in managing supply chain emissions, Limited influence over suppliers

Specify other challenges*

7.3 Has there been any third party validation of the data submitted in this report?*

Yes

The Scope 1-3 emissions are from our Compare Your Footprint 23-24 annual report calculations

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