The transition from business-as-usual to a net zero economy needs to be done quickly, at all stages of projects, and by everyone.

Our design approach seeks to reduce the construction and operational carbon impacts of the places we design towards net zero, but also considers ways to encourage more ecological living, biodiversity, minimum resource use, and carbon positive lifestyles and consumption.

Yorkshire Sculpture park pavillion

We pursued low energy design in the late 1970s because we didn’t think there would be fossil fuels any more, long before people made the link between carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.

Peter Clegg, Senior Partner
Our Route to Net Zero

Counting back from 2030, we have developed a routemap to guide us on our transition to net zero carbon design. Our design processes include carbon targets to be demonstrated at each project stage, incorporated into specifications, delivered on site, and monitored in use and how we can work on these with our clients and collaborators.

By March 2020, we had zero carbon action plans for every project. We have rolled out FCBS CARBON and are using it on all new projects. We are talking to, and working with our clients, planners, collaborators and peers. We are skilling up, training ourselves and others with the ambition that by 2025 our portfolio of projects starting on site will be designed to achieve net zero carbon by 2030. 

Read our detailed timeline below. 

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