Driving public sector decarbonisation

Turner & Townsend has been appointed by the North East and Yorkshire (NEY) Net Zero Hub to drive the decarbonisation of public sector buildings across the region.

The decarbonisation of public buildings is crucial to the UK being able to deliver net zero targets, with the most ambitious programme of carbon commitments in progress.

Turner & Townsend will deliver programme management services for the North East & Yorkshire Public Sector Estate Decarbonisation (NEYPED) Programme creating and supporting heat decarbonisation strategies that will help schools, museums, and other public buildings to realise the region’s net zero ambitions.

Working in collaboration with technical consultants, Locogen, Turner & Townsend’s sustainability advisory team will assess existing public sector properties across up to 30 local authorities and create a technical strategy to develop heat decarbonisation plans for 60 sites to reduce carbon emissions associated with their heating systems.

The project will also see Turner & Townsend deliver training and knowledge sharing to local authority project participants to help them deliver their wider net zero plans. This capacity building activity will create a lasting legacy from the programme beyond the specific timeframes of the project.

Karen Oliver-Spry, Manager of the NEY Net Zero Hub said: “The NEY Net Zero Hub is delighted to appoint Turner & Townsend as its contractor in delivering the NEYPED programme. Turner & Townsend, along with their collaborators Locogen, have significant expertise in this area and will provide valuable support to public sector bodies in addressing the challenges that confront them in decarbonising their estates. This is vital work that will realise the Hub’s mandate in rolling out the net zero agenda across the North East and Yorkshire region, creating opportunities for shared learning and capacity building across the public sector.”

David Kemp, associate director and sustainability lead, North at Turner & Townsend, said: “As investment begins to develop greener, more efficient ways to heat properties in the region, we need to see our public buildings playing their part by reducing energy usage and using less carbon intensive heating solutions. With the scale of the country’s building stock, collaborative, cross-authority programmes like this will be critical to delivering net zero ambitions at pace.”

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