8.2. Avoided Emissions and Added Value(s)
However, this is just the beginning - Saul D Humphrey LLP aims to go far beyond ‘net zero.’ The consultancy’s true focus is on reducing the negative impacts of construction and the built environment by measuring the emissions saved through its projects. These emissions, which fall outside the consultancy’s direct value chain, can be referred to as Scope 4 (or Scope 0 or Scope X) emissions. While Scope 1 covers a business’ direct emissions from its owned vehicles and facilities and Scope 2 addresses the indirect emissions from purchased electricity, Scope 3 is far more significant. Scope 3 includes all other GHG emissions throughout the supply chain and from the use of products. The UK’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard ³⁰ is helping to bring consistency, transparency and a universally accepted metric to the net zero conversation. However, Scope 3 is mainly relevant for construction companies, developers and house-builders who purchase concrete, bricks and steel. Even among those with targets to decarbonise their portfolios, less than a quarter include these Scope 3 emissions in their net-zero strategies ³¹ . Many limit the Scope 3 categories to those that fit their corporate narrative, ignoring the most significant impacts. For companies that primarily own existing real estate, more than 85% of their emissions come from tenant-occupied spaces. If the company is both an owner and developer, embodied carbon emissions push that figure to 90%. For development and construction firms like Lendlease or Skanska, Scope 3 emissions account for 99% of their greenhouse gas output ³² . For architects, engineers, or project managers like those at Saul D Humphrey LLP, the situation is more complex. These professionals purchase very little directly, but they specify, design and promote the materials that form buildings. This role goes far beyond soft influence - it’s critical to the actual emissions that follow. Many construction professionals have signed up for commitments like ‘Architects Declare’ and ‘Project Managers Declare’ ³³ to affirm their dedication to sustainable practices. But is a declaration enough?
Saul D Humphrey LLP has taken this commitment further, moving away from exploitative growth towards sustainable development with a triple-bottom-line approach. This approach is balanced, inclusive and aligned with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and B Corp certification. Scope 4 emissions - sometimes called Scope X or Scope - represent a new voluntary metric for “avoided emissions.” While the concept isn’t new, it’s gaining traction, as even the Financial Times has recognised its growing importance ³⁴ . Scope 4 emissions refer to efforts that go beyond reducing harm ³⁵ - they aim to restore and regenerate, rebuild the foundations of healthy ecosystems and create thriving communities by addressing system-level emissions. This concept involves a theoretical calculation, typically
comparing a product to the average market solution, a previously implemented solution, or an earlier generation of the product ³⁶ . It’s similar to conducting a whole life carbon assessment for construction projects, which should be used to drive carbon reductions and demonstrate CO2 savings ³⁷ . The term “Scope 4” was first introduced by the World Resources Institute ³⁸ , the organisation behind the GHG Protocol ³⁹ . As early as 2013, the GHG Protocol identified “avoided emissions” as those reductions that occur outside a product’s lifecycle or value chain but are a direct result of the product’s use. There are currently no mandatory requirements or universally recognised standards for reporting Scope 4 emissions in carbon accounting. Identifying emission reduction opportunities through Scope 4 is also not officially required
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