WS Atkins PLC : Atkins continues on low carbon pathway by retaining the Carbon Trust Standard - 25 January 2012

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Atkins continues on low carbon pathway by retaining the Carbon Trust Standard - 25 January 2012

for successfully measuring, managing and reducing carbon emissions across its UK operations by more than seven per cent over the last two years.

The company was awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in 2009 and has honed its energy efficiency strategies even further over the past two years to cut carbon emissions by an additional 500 tonnes CO2e. 

Atkins has reduced carbon emissions in a number of ways, for instance by encouraging employees to choose greener company cars. The average carbon emissions of Atkins' 1500-strong UK company car fleet reduced to 136g/km in 2010/11 compared to 148g/km in 2009/10. Their Raising Awareness Cutting Energy campaign also targeted reductions in office energy consumption.

David Tonkin, Atkins' UK managing director, said: "The ability to mitigate carbon emissions is very much part of the day-to-day work for our engineers and designers, and recertification to the Carbon Trust Standard is something we have been committed to. We are tasked with finding innovative ways to cut carbon in our clients' projects so it is right that we show leadership in our own operations. By pushing the limits on what we can achieve in Atkins' offices it assists us to understand how we can better help our clients."

To achieve the Carbon Trust Standard, organisations must initially measure their direct carbon footprint (for example, onsite fuel and electricity use), prove that good carbon management practices are in place, and demonstrate genuine reduction in their emissions over a three year period.  The Carbon Trust Standard is valid for two years.  The recertification is equally robust and demands an even greater focus on carbon reduction since companies typically have targeted 'low hanging' fruit during their first certification.

Darran Messem, Managing Director of Certification at the Carbon Trust, said: "We are pleased that Atkins has joined a growing number of businesses that have recertified to the Carbon Trust Standard and has continued to measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions over the last two years. There are significant operational efficiencies and reputational gains to be earned from tackling emissions voluntarily, and we applaud Atkins for their on-going commitment to tackling climate change."

As one of the world's largest engineering and design consultancies, Atkins has also invested around £2 million in developing a suite of eight carbon measurement software tools as part of its Carbon Critical programme. This was a direct result of the need to tackle emissions at the design stage for its clients but the tools are also being used in-house to measure and reduce energy use in Atkins' own offices.  

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For more information: Rebecca Whitehead [phone]

Notes to editors: About Atkins ) is one of the world's leading engineering and design consultancies*, employing some 17,700 people across the UK, North America, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe. It has the breadth and depth of expertise to plan, design and enable some of the world's most technically challenging and time critical infrastructure projects. * It is the largest engineering consultancy in the UK (New Civil Engineer Consultants File 2011) and the 13th largest global design firm (Engineering News-Record 2011). Recent projects include: Major infrastructure works, such as the design and programme management of the civil works for the Dubai Metro red and green lines in the UAE; Key rail projects - providing architectural and engineering design services on Crossrail, Europe's biggest civil engineering project in London, UK, and designing stations, tunnelling and track systems for Gautrain, South Africa's first high speed line; Renewable energy schemes - transformer platform design for the Thanet offshore wind park in the UK's North Sea; Multi-year architecture-engineering construction management services for the US National Park Service, including projects such as rehabilitation of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and Administrative Complex at California's Death Valley to meet the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification standards; High profile transport planning and urban design - our innovative scheme to deliver a diagonal crossing at Oxford Circus in London, UK, has helped tackle the problem of pedestrian crowding; Water and environmental projects - critical programme management of storm protection works in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Southern Louisiana in North America, providing expertise in coastal restoration, engineering, environmental and GIS support to rebuild defenses and protect habitats; Multidisciplinary building design - Northwood Primary School in Darlington, UK, is an exemplar project which raises standards for environmental design and community engagement. Atkins was named among The Sunday Times 25 Best Big Companies to Work For 2011, won Consultancy of the Year in the CIBSE Low Carbon Performance Awards 2010, received the first ever certification of the Carbon Trust Standard awarded to an engineering consultancy in the construction sector, and was included in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2011 and The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2010. Atkins was also construction and civil engineering sector winner for the fifth consecutive year in the Target National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2010 and was awarded a RoSPA Gold Award 2011 for excellence in control of health and safety in the workplace. Atkins is the official engineering design services provider for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  About the Carbon Trust Standard Over 600 organisations have achieved the Carbon Trust Standard since it was launched in June 2008.  Collectively, the 600 Carbon Trust Standard holders have cut their emissions by over 3.6m tonnes of CO2e, as well as cutting their gas, electricity and fuel bills by over £165m.  To date, the total carbon footprint certified by the Carbon Trust Standard is over 43 million tonnes of CO2e; equivalent to over 18% of the total carbon footprint of UK businesses and transport.  All businesses and organisations, both in the UK and internationally, are eligible to apply for the Carbon Trust Standard including FTSEs, mid caps, SMEs and public sector organisations. Organisations that are awarded the Carbon Trust Standard hold it for a two year period and to maintain the certification they must reapply and demonstrate that they have continued to make year-on-year reductions in their carbon emissions. Organisations wanting information about getting the Carbon Trust Standard can call: 0800 019 1443 or visit . Organisations that are certified with the Carbon Trust Standard are listed at .   For further information or interviews on the Carbon Trust Standard, please contact Oliver Stewart on 020 7592 1200 or [e-mail]. About the Carbon Trust The Carbon Trust is a not-for-profit company with the mission to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy, providing specialist support to business and the public sector to help cut carbon emissions, save energy and commercialise low carbon technologies.  By stimulating low carbon action we contribute to key UK goals of lower carbon emissions, the development of low carbon businesses, increased energy security and associated jobs. We help to cut carbon emissions now by: Providing specialist advice and finance to help organisations cut carbon Setting standards for carbon reduction. We reduce potential future carbon emissions by: Opening markets for low carbon technologies Leading industry collaborations to commercialise technologies Investing in early stage low carbon companies.