Government Property Agency appoints Atkins as sustainability partner

03 December 2021 Consultancy.uk

As the Government Property Agency looks to help the Government achieve net zero goals, it has partnered with consultancy Atkins. The engineering firm will provide technical and design support to boost the organisation’s sustainability initiatives. 

The Government Property Agency (GPA) is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, a department of the Government of the UK. Since 2018, the organisation has been responsible for managing government property and advising government departments in their management of property. This means the entity plays a crucial role in a number of the Government’s key agendas, including its push for net zero.

The UK Government’s net zero goals for 2050 are among the world’s most ambitious targets. In June 2021, the plans were adapted to include a new target, published in law, to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035.

Government Property Agency appoints Atkins as sustainability partner

As 38% 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. With this in mind, the GPA is looking to lead by example, in retrofitting and installing sustainability aspects to the Government’s general purpose portfolio.

To support these changes, the GPA has announced a new partnership with global engineering consultancy Atkins. Atkins will provide technical and design support to the GPA, including due diligence, compliance and assurance, as well as cost management and annual planning cycles across the portfolio.

Steven Boyd, CEO of the GPA, noted, “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 is one of the world’s largest design, engineering and project management consultancies specialising 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. Recently this reputation saw the firm tapped for the innovative Whitetail Clean Energy project, which appointed consultants from Atkins to support its development and implementation.

Richard Robinson, Engineering Design and Project Management CEO for Atkins’ UK and Europe wing, 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.”

Earlier in the month, the GPA brought on board more consulting expertise, by way of a senior appointment. Debra Soper, who formerly worked with Aon and Accenture, joined as the organisation’s first COO.

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