Recertified by Planet Mark: progress where it counts

Woodhouse have been recertified by Planet Mark, which makes this the third year running that we have measured and reduced our carbon footprint to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and had the numbers independently checked.

Reaching that milestone in the same year we mark 50 years in business feels fitting, because the thread connecting both is the same one: a sustainable future is the result of choices made today.

What recertification gives us, beyond the badge, is honesty we can stand behind. Every figure in the report is verified against the evidence we supply rather than simply asserted, and this year the figures tell a good story. Our combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions came down by 30.4% on a like-for-like basis, gas use at our Hatfield headquarters fell by 29.3%, and our electricity emissions remain close to zero on a renewable tariff backed by the solar panels on our own roof. The electric vehicles steadily replacing petrol and diesel across our fleet are part of the same direction of travel, and of our pledge to reach zero emissions by 2030.

The quality of the reporting improved too. We hit 100% on our Organisational Boundary Score, lifted our Operational Boundary Score from 70.6% to 82.4%, and held a Data Quality Score of 84.1%, which Planet Mark rates as “High”.

Our total measured footprint did rise this year, and we would rather be clear about why. It reflects the fact that we measured more of what we do than ever before, bringing company vehicles and additional energy-related activities into scope for the first time. A bigger number on paper, but a clearer picture underneath it, and a firmer base to reduce from.

All of this sits alongside our ISO 14001:2015 certified environmental management system and the low-carbon thinking we bring to every fitout. That thinking shapes the spaces we deliver as much as how we run our own business: prioritising low-carbon and recycled-content materials, requiring FSC-certified timber, specifying energy-efficient HVAC and LED lighting, and managing waste carefully on site to keep it out of landfill. It is also why we support clients pursuing accreditations such as BREEAM, Fitwel and SKA, with in-house sustainability ambassadors helping to embed that knowledge across every project. Measuring our own footprint honestly is part of the same commitment, and it is how we keep making better choices for our people, our clients and the spaces we create.