The Government Property Agency (GPA) has appointed leading
consultant Atkins as its sustainability partner as it leads the
Government’s drive towards Net Zero.
The Government has updated plans to achieve Net Zero by 2050 with
the UK setting the world’s most ambitious climate change target.
In June 2021, the new target was published in law that would
reduce emissions by 78 percent which means that the UK will be
more than three quarters of the way to Net Zero by 2035.
Given 38 percent of all emissions originate from construction, a
number of laws have been passed to help regulate the industry,
for example Energy Performance Certificate targets which concern
all owners or stakeholders of property – commercial or
residential.
Steven Boyd, CEO of the GPA, said: “As the delivery body for the
Government’s office portfolio, we have a crucial role to play in
the Government’s Net Zero initiative. Our strategy is to partner
with industry leading companies to support successful delivery
and drive the best commercial deals in the market. Atkins is
world-renowned for its sustainability track record and we are
pleased to appoint them as our partner on this critical
initiative.”
Atkins will provide technical and design support including due
diligence, compliance and assurance, as well as cost management
and annual planning cycles across the portfolio.
, Engineering Design and
Project Management (EDPM) CEO, UK & Europe at Atkins, said:
“Net Zero will only be achieved through public and private sector
collaboration, as we step up together to tackle climate change
and deliver a greener future. As such, we look forward to working
alongside the GPA, recognising the impact we can make as we help
shape the Government’s wider Net Zero agenda.”
The GPA is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office formed in
2018. It is responsible for delivering the Government’s property
agenda across its office and warehouse portfolios, and currently
manages 9m sq ft of the Government’s property. It also provides
guidance on workplace services including design, technology,
sustainability, and the customer experience.
The GPA has a crucial role in the Government’s Hubs programme as
part of its Levelling Up agenda, as well as the Civil Service’s
Workplace Transformation programme and the Net Zero initiative.
The GPA is pioneering best practice as it offers guidance and
leads by example in retrofitting and installing sustainability
aspects to the Government’s general purpose portfolio.
Atkins is a world-leading design, engineering and project
management consultancy that specialises in sustainability. It
bases its sustainability strategy around the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals on climate change, amongst others, and is a
member of the UN Global Compact.
