At Harris Associates, we recognise that the property and construction sectors are a huge source of carbon emissions globally and acknowledge our responsibility as property professionals to play an important role in tackling climate change through the work that we do and the ways in which we deliver our services.
Annually the UK construction industry is responsible for over 30% of landfill waste. Around 420 million tonnes of materials are used by the industry each year, with 120 tonnes becoming waste.
We understand the need for sustainable business and are always looking for ways to take our efforts to the next level. Our impact on the environment is important and we work hard as a team to ensure that every decision we make is conscious and careful. As an advisory industry, we must ensure that we don’t just recommend the ‘easiest’ option or the ‘way it has always been’ and take a detailed consideration of all the possibilities available.
We are also now considering good quality sustainable materials, which are long-lasting and can be recycled, renewed, or responsibly disposed of at the end of their lifecycle.
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has set out a framework last year as a first step to helping deliver net zero carbon across the whole life of a building for the construction and property industry.
The Harris Associates Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Approach
We recognise the need for urgent action in addressing the climate crisis and rapidly transitioning to a greener, safer and more resilient economy. We have witnessed an unprecedented year that emphasised global connectivity and the importance of governments, businesses and communities around the world working together in tackling global challenges. Inspired by this, Harris Associates have taken a significant step forward, committing to being a net-zero carbon emissions company by 2030.
The challenge is how to be more efficient in real terms whilst continuing to reduce our emissions. Our road map to net-zero is helping us break down this target into practical and trackable steps. We have created a Harris Associates Sustainability Working Group which meets weekly to bring together our expertise and provide the services necessary to support and advise clients on their sustainability and carbon reduction strategies.
We also apply this principle to our own offices with Harris Associates staff being encouraged to be responsible regarding all sustainability matters.
Our team are all educated internally to learn about the true benefits of recycling, we emphasise good office practices such as only printing when needed, (which has dramatically reduced our printing by 80% since 2019) and have a no single-use plastic policy throughout our offices. We aim to continue to make these incremental changes which will produce a more sustainable, mindful way of working.
