Arup

Sector: Corporate

Employees:

> Over 9,000 employees in 86 offices in more than 37 countries.

TARGETS

> Arup is currently working on a number of projects that achieve sustainability goals at minimal impact to the climate while meeting standard cost targets. 

Achievements

> Winner of the ‘highly commended’ award in the Built Environment category of the City of London’s 2005 Liveable City Awards.
> Ranked 23rd in the CNBC European Business’ Top 50 Low-carbon Pioneers of 2006.

Benefits

> Quickly emerging as one of the world’s most influential and successful sustainability-focused design, engineering and business consultancy firms.

Low Carbon Solutions

Background

Arup is a global firm of designers, engineers and business consultants, a creative force behind many of the world’s most innovative and sustainable buildings, transport and civil engineering projects. 

Arup has nearly 9,000 employees, based in 86 offices in 37 countries, working on up to 10,000 projects at any one time. Its unique structure, with the firm held in trust on behalf of its employees, gives it independence. Arup’s multi-disciplinary approach means that any given project may involve people from any or all of the sectors or regions in which it operates.

> The principles of sustainability and environmental management are deeply embedded into Arup’s management strategies.
> It uses skills and influence in relationships with clients and partnerships to encourage the raising of environmental standards.
> The company’s “Drivers of Change” initiative is a research programme exploring issues such as energy resources, climate change, water resources, urbanisation, waste and demographic change.

> Arup is developing an eco-city in Dongtan, China with the goal to develop a city that encourages economic and social growth while achieving energy-related greenhouse gas emissions as close to carbon neutral as possible. The company is offsetting CO₂ emissions generated from air travel during the project. Project staff have also committed to offsetting carbon emissions generated in their personal lives, with Arup committed to covering half the cost of these carbon credits. The offset payments will support funding for a mini-hydro renewable energy project in China.

> Arup is a member of Business for Social Responsibility (BAS) and is an original signatory of the Global Alliance for Building Sustainability (GABS).

Arup offers sustainability services that focus on improving performance by identifying business risks and opportunities through sustainability-based risk assessment and strategic planning.
> The Sustainable Project Appraisal Routine (SPeAR) tool incorporates environmental protection, social equity, economic viability and efficient use of natural resources into business decisions.
> Environmental management services to assist clients in constructing a strategic vision, developing and implementing environmental management practices, and reporting environmental performance.