Corporate Climate Action

Companies like ours must look beyond meeting financial objectives — we have the power to make a difference, and with that, have a social responsibility to improve the world. This is more than simply saying if we understand our customers and improve the community, we will be more successful. Our actions are based on our vision, which is to make a significant positive contribution to the world.

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges our world faces. But the magnitude of the problem, along with the complexity of potential solutions, has given Thornton Tomasetti an unprecedented opportunity to have a positive impact on the world. We've structured our approach to climate action across three main goals:

• Achieving carbon-neutral operations by 2030
• Leading the industry in carbon reduction practices and policies
• Educating our employees, clients and partners on climate action strategies.

Carbon Neutral Operations by 2030

Our commitment to cutting carbon starts at home. In 2012, we established our goal of achieving carbon-neutral business operations by 2030. Since then, we’ve been reaching our annual targets by reducing energy use wherever possible and offsetting emissions for business-critical activities. We track and measure our progress toward sustainable business operations to keep each office accountable in our united goal. We do this by:

• Designing high-performance offices: We apply our sustainable fit-out policy to all major office moves and renovations, so our energy-performance goals exceed minimum standards. In our existing offices, green champions work to reduce energy use according to our sustainable-office guidelines.
• Using renewable energy: We’ve met our green energy purchasing percentage targets each year since 2015, and we continue to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) for our U.S. electricity use.
• Flying less, offsetting the rest: Every year since 2014, we’ve offset all our air travel, supporting renewable energy and efficiency projects. Since the pandemic, we’ve acquired the tools and mindsets to enable remote collaboration and relationships.
• Enabling flexible work: In 2017, we established a global flexibility policy, offering work options that reduce commuting emissions while maintaining our collaborative culture.

Industry Leadership

Our commitment to sustainability and carbon reduction is embedded in our corporate DNA. Beyond our own company, we are committed to promoting sustainability practices and policies across the industry. We were the first primarily structural engineering firm to join the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2030 Commitment and are an early adopter of the Architecture 2030 Challenge, which put forth the goal of making all new buildings and major renovations zero-carbon by 2030.

One of the main ways we have contributed to the AEC industry is through our embodied carbon (EC) practices. Our EC story is one example of how we’ve provided leadership and advocated for changes in the industry.

Since establishing our Embodied Carbon Lab in 2012, we’ve been conducting R&D to improve our understanding of EC and to address the scarcity of data and benchmarks in the building sector. We also performed research with MIT and the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) to produce the Embodied Carbon Benchmark Study and the Life Cycle Assessment Practice Guide.

Following years of carbon-related R&D, we worked with CLF and others to conceive and develop the Structural Engineers 2050 Challenge, which calls on structural engineers to “understand, reduce and ultimately eliminate EC in their projects by 2050.” And as an inaugural member and advisor to the Structural Engineers 2050 Commitment, we contribute significantly to SE 2050’s EC database.

Since the outset of our EC investigations, our aims have been not only to develop our internal expertise but also to support others in mitigating climate change. One outcome of our research was the development of Beacon, a free and open-source EC measurement tool, to assist others in the industry with EC reduction.

Beyond embodied carbon, our practices have set global sustainability standards in building and structural design. We are committed to furthering collaboration with non-profits and other organizations to continue the movement to a cleaner world.

Our climate-Action Leadership

We’ve signed on to many leading climate-change declarations, including:

• AIA 2030 Commitment member since 2010
• Architecture 2020 Challenge 2016 adopter
• Architecture 2030 COP26 Communique 2021 signatory
• Building and Real Estate Climate Declaration 2015 founding partner
• Carbon Smart Building Declaration 2018 signatory
• ConcreteZero 2022 Signatory
• Structural Engineers 2050 Commitment 2020 Inaugural Signatory
• U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership Continuing Member since 2015
• U.K. Structural Engineers Declare Climate and Biodiversity Emergency 2019 Signatory
• U.S. Architects Declare Climate, Justice, and Biodiversity Emergency 2021 Signatory

Employee Education

The AEC industry looks to us for leadership in sustainability – and for creative solutions. So we provide guidance to our employees, clients and partners on climate-related topics, decarbonization and resilience innovations. Here’s how:

• Encouraging employees to obtain USGBC LEED credentials. We reimburse exam fees, offer free access to the USGBC’s continuing-education portal and support green-building education.
• Offering a wide variety of opportunities to share in-house knowledge on climate change and related services. We host monthly Thornton Tomasetti University seminars and support our communities of practice, promoting active discourse about innovative and inspiring ideas.
• Educating our engineers and technical professionals on our embodied-carbon (EC) capabilities and in how to deliver them to clients. We present internal EC summits, regional training and monthly seminars on EC topics.
• Engaging our employees’ passion for sustainability to inspire and educate co-workers. We have more than 60 green champions, who work to lower our operational carbon footprint and organize events that offer environmental education.
• Educating our clients and partners every chance we get. Through business development activities, pivotal moments in early design stages, conference presentations and lunchtime seminars, we’re educating others and asking our trusted partners to join us in designing for sustainability.
• Collaborating with others in our industry to put climate change front and center. As a member of many industry associations, we contribute to guidelines, calls to action and advocacy for climate-action improvements by firms and governments in the building sector.
• Targeting 20% or more of our R&D to result in positive environmental and social outcomes. Through our CORE studio and its innovation tournaments, we develop new processes, tools and workflows that promote collaboration and enhance building design.