HTA are committed to achieving net zero for Scope 2 emissions and all fossil fuel related Scope 3 emissions by 2032, with a long-term target of reaching net zero across all scopes before 2050.

Since 2019, HTA has meticulously recorded its carbon emissions using the GHG Reporting Protocol, an industry-standard methodology for its London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Bristol studios. This tool enables us to quantify our emissions, including energy consumption, transportation, waste and other operational activities across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. In 2023, we established a new baseline year to mark a significant transition to our permanent London studio.

In 2024, we achieved a 20% reduction in our operational carbon emissions, our most significant year of progress. We continue to apply science-based methodologies and have made year on year improvements to our data collection.

In addition, our reduction was supported by updated DEFRA waste emission factors and improved data tracking. While 100% of our waste is diverted from landfill, and all our food waste is anaerobically digested, we continue to prioritise waste reduction guided by reduce, reuse and recycle.

We track our progress through monthly reporting, quarterly board reviews, and an annual carbon reduction plan.

Our ISO14001 and B Corp accreditations ensure we continue to monitor and report our environmental impact annually, holding ourselves accountable and remaining transparent. We do this through our annual Carbon Reduction Plan, which sets out clear, measurable actions to reduce emissions. It forms a key part of our wider environmental strategy and our long-term net zero ambition.

Download the full Carbon Reduction Plan here.

Our long-term net zero ambitions are set out in our Climate Transition Plan, which embeds climate responsibility into our future. Our first major step on our decarbonisation journey was the retrofit of our London studio, which is on track to achieve BREEAM Excellent.

With full control over our operational emissions at our London studio, we are already ahead of our energy target, achieving an 11% reduction in electricity use in 2024, with our photovoltaic array generating 8% of our energy demand. We’ve also made significant progress in reducing fossil fuel use across our leased studio, reducing consumption by 37.5% since 2019.

Our interim target of 2032 will see us fully transition to renewable energy and eliminate fossil fuel use across our studios. Scope 3 emissions, particularly those from business travel and supply chains, already account for more than 80% of our carbon footprint. As we improve data collection and reporting, this figure is expected to increase in the short term.

We currently purchase 100% renewable energy backed by REGO’s and have introduced a low-carbon business travel policy. Across the practice, we’re working closely with staff and suppliers to reduce emissions and embed low-carbon thinking into our day-to-day decisions.

While our focus remains on reducing our emissions, we also recognise the role credible offsetting and carbon removals has in reaching net zero. We’re committed to investing in credible carbon offset schemes and will gradually introduce removals as part of our long-term mitigation strategy.