Net Zero by SCAPE

Our approach

A better way to a sustainable future

We believe procurement plays a vital role in establishing the essential partnerships between the public sector and industry as part of the UK’s journey towards a low carbon, sustainable future.

In the face of a worldwide Climate Emergency, we must work together to create and maintain net zero assets that will protect our environment.

A collaborative response

A Climate Emergency has been declared by central and local government organisations. It is recognised by industry and the wider population as a critical priority.

As of 2018, the built environment sector accounts for around 40% of UK carbon emissions, so procurement must play a central role in accelerating the route to a low carbon, sustainable future.

Our response to the Climate Emergency is vital. We're committed to playing our part and have developed a suite of net zero ready frameworks and ambitious project standards that bring together a team of carbon literate contractors, and we will continue to develop the solutions you need.

Designing and constructing net zero buildings 1

Playing our part

Our environmental commitment

Our policy communicates the importance of our work in sustainable procurement and our own sense of mission.

As a public sector organisation, we understand the importance of a collective sector response, we set out how SCAPE Scotland can make a difference and identify our key areas of influence.

We have committed to our own journey towards carbon neutrality by 2028, in line with the incredible ambitions of our home city.

In addition to our overarching commitments to enable net zero, we pledge to promote the following across our projects and the wider construction industry, including creating project objectives that deliver low carbon outcomes, circular economics and waste reduction in construction, the elimination of avoidable pollution and single-use plastics and biodiversity net gain.

SCAPE Scotland | Net zero organisation by 2028
Enable the design of net zero buildings as early as 2021
Enable the construction of new buildings that are net zero to operate as early as 2022
Support the retrofit of existing buildings to deliver optimal in-use performance and minimise operational carbon
Minimise the environmental impacts and embodied carbon across all construction projects

Recommended Project Standards

Our new Recommended Project Standards are used to evaluate the capability of our supply chain during procurement.

They are also designed to support practical application, as you establish the sustainability brief for your projects and services.

These standards will help you to recommend working practices and outcome-focused objectives that enable the decarbonisation of building stock, as well as a wider environmental response.

The standards were reviewed and endorsed by the UK Green Building Council and draw from the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and the LETI Net Zero Design Guide.

Managing Carbon: PAS 2060 - Carbon Neutrality (suppliers) and PAS 2080 - Carbon Management in Infrastructure (projects)
Embodied, operational and lifecycle carbon emissions targets
Energy and water efficiency
Air quality and daylighting
Standards for new build and retrofit

Research and innovation

We are known for our procurement expertise, and we are raising the bar by establishing sector-leading frameworks in response to the Climate Emergency.

But we are making a contribution beyond just procurement.

We are working towards being a net zero organisation by 2028.

We have invested in the quality of our office space, switched to a green energy supplier and are actively exploring an electric vehicle fleet solution to mitigate our business mileage.

We are also making real investment in future solutions through research and development, in partnership with industry and academia. and our efforts to cut waste in construction.

We are committed to performance management and continuous improvement of our services.

Over 300 hours of R&D in developing innovation that matters
Lifecycle construction delivery pathway aligned to the Net Zero Public Buildings Standards
National Association of Construction Frameworks (NACF) collaboration in benchmarking embodied carbon
Developing innovative data-led tools for reducing waste and improving market engagement

Working in partnership

The built environment is a complex, technical and fast moving sector. Innovation emerges all the time. Climate action requires an emergency response, which means finding and acting on the solutions that work. This requires us to work in a truly collaborative way.

We bring our delivery partners together in industry special interest groups that enable the sharing of ideas and the adoption of effective working methods quickly. We play our part by adopting and specifying new requirements in our procurement regularly. In the sustainability space, we have convened collaborative working groups on:

Measuring and benchmarking carbon in construction
The adoption of our environmental standards and supporting the business case for net zero buildings
The adoption of BIM and design for manufacture

Environmental Policy

Working together to create environmental sustainability and enhancement.

The Community Legacy Programme is a symbol of our commitment to going above and beyond to support vibrant and prosperous communities and ensuring that the construction industry continues to act as a force for good

SCAPE Scotland launches scheme to ensure public sector projects deliver a lasting local legacy

Start your net zero journey

Our teams are ready to support your transition to net zero.

To discuss the next steps, please get in touch.