We're delighted to share our Carbon Impact report for 2024 - a document that reflects our belief that transparency, as well as comprehensive and honest reporting, are fundamental to driving real change in the construction industry. We're committed to sharing our journey as it unfolds, including the challenges and lessons learned along the way.

Since establishing our carbon baseline in 2019, we've worked systematically to reduce our environmental impact year on year. Through the Science Based Targets initiative, we've committed to achieving a 46% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, whilst actively measuring and reducing our Scope 3 emissions.

2024 proved a transformative year for the practice. We relocated to a new office-space, welcomed 26 new team members (growing from 65 to 91 people), and celebrated four decades of practice. Perhaps most significantly, we achieved B-Corp certification— a movement which aligns with our values and a step which we believe makes our business fit for purpose for the accelerated age we are living in.

Designing our own space differently

Our office move presented a unique opportunity for us to practice what we advocate for on projects. Our new home at 160 Old Street is in a building which we led the retrofit for and completed in 2018. The building uses minimal fossil fuels: largely electric with gas being used only for hot water in the shared sinks and heating in the main GF reception space. Our fit-out approach focused on circularity and reuse, working with suppliers who shared these values. The Whole Life Carbon Assessment of our office space achieved an upfront carbon figure of 88kgCO2e/m²—54% lower than Overbury's established benchmark of 190 kgCO2e/m² for Category B fit-outs.

Reflecting the office move and practice growth, our 2024 footprint is higher than in previous years. However, this move sets us up for larger reductions going forwards due to the move away from reliance on gas for the main space heating and the use of LED lighting. Despite significant team growth, our carbon footprint per person has actually decreased to 6.3 tCO2e, down from 7.8 tCO2e in our 2019 baseline year.

Investing in genuine carbon removal

Following the Oxford Principles, we've established a carbon fund based on our 24.1 tonnes of Scope 1&2 emissions, priced at £256 per tonne. This fund supports a carefully curated portfolio of durable carbon removal projects: 19 tonnes of biochar (a nature-based solution with medium durability) and 5 tonnes of enhanced weathering (a high-durability technology currently operating in Canada with significant scaling potential).

This reflects our commitment to regenerative practice—not just in our projects, but in how we operate as a collective.