Ontario Construction News staff writer
Stantec, an Edmonton-headquartered global design firm, says it has pledged to carbon neutrality by 2022 as a first step in achieving net-zero operations by 2030 across its entire global footprint.
In doing so, โStantec continues to demonstrate leadership in aligning itself to the most ambitious aim of the Paris Agreementโto limit global temperature rise to 1.5ยฐC above pre-industrial levels,โ the architectural and engineering design firm said in a Feb. 11 statement.
Specifically, Stantec has committed to set science-based emissions reduction targets, for all three scopes, in line with 1.5ยฐC emissions scenarios. โFurthermore, Stantec has committed to a long-term target to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2030 in line with the criteria and recommendations of the Science Based Targets initiative,โ the statement said.
โWe are making this commitment to do our part in protecting communities from the worst impacts of climate change,โ said president and CEO Gord Johnston. โOur team members apply sustainable best practices to projects around the world daily. By making this pledge we demonstrate that Stantec applies the same passion to address our own impact.โ
The organization anticipates achieving carbon neutrality โ beginning with reported 2022 emissions โ by meeting emission-reduction targets and addressing remaining emissions through the purchase of renewable energy certificates (or the country-level equivalent) and certified carbon offsets.
Carbon neutrality is recognized as an interim step towards the net-zero goal. To meet its net-zero commitment,ย plans to transition offset purchases to options that directly produce renewable energy or reduce carbon. โThat transition is anticipated to rely on a combination of traditional and innovative pathways that connect directly to Stantecโs client work and technical expertise,โ the statement said.
Besides addressing Stantecโs operational carbon impact, net-zero also represents a significant business opportunity for engineering and design firms, which have the unique ability to lead in defining new innovative solutions for the market.
Stantec says its Innovation Officeย will fund employee-driven research and business solutions that will not only serve as a strategic resource in reducing Stantecโs carbon emissions, but also those of its clients.
In addition to Stantecโs carbon emission targets, the company says in the statement that its distributed teams are currently supporting clients on widely recognized sustainable projects in a variety of locales:
- Ontarioโ Company practitioners in Ontario, Canada, are helping communities navigate the energy transition by delivering projects like theย Gull Bayย microgrid which reduces the reliance on diesel fuel for local First Nations communities.
- Brusselsย โย Stantec is currently managing theย European Unionโs largest external aid consultancy contract for sustainable energy.
- Ethiopiaโ Stantec recently designed the 254 MWย Genale Dawa III Hydropowerย project to provide a vital renewable energy source for the region.
- Kentuckyโ Stantec designed and built an extension to Kentucky’sย Hatchery Creek, successfully restoring a wildlife ecosystem where fluctuating water levels had once destroyed important trout habitat and spawning areas.
- Denverโ Stantecโs buildings teams designed theย Denver Water Operations Complex Redevelopment, which serves as a model for water conservation within the built environment.
- New Yorkย Cityโ Stantec has been selected to lead design for theย Battery Coastal Resilience Project, spanning one third of a mile of waterfront along the 25-acre Battery Park.
- Marylandโ In the sphere of Bioenergy, Stantec is the lead designer of theย Piscataway Water Resource Recovery Facility. The innovative facility closes a nutrient loop converting solids traditionally landfilled to create heat and power, clean gas for municipal use, and nutrient-rich fertilizer.
The Eddy in Boston illustrates how new development can afford communities much-needed resiliency. (Stantec)