Shaping a Sustainable Future: Inside Chapman Taylor’s Global ESG Strategy

With the built environment accounting for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, the role of architects in shaping a sustainable future has never been more critical. Chapman Taylor is at the forefront of addressing this challenge.

In a recent interview with architectural materials platform Material Source, author Laura Connelly kindly interviewed Chapman Taylor’s Head of Sustainability, Alex Esfahani, who shared his insights into Chapman Taylor’s global sustainability strategy, from embedding responsible design principles at every stage of the process to driving innovation in low-carbon construction, circular design, and smart city masterplanning.

Reflecting on the economic, regulatory and cultural shifts reshaping the industry, Alex highlights the importance of collaboration, the value of retrofit, and the urgent need to rethink how we design, build and reuse in a climate-conscious age.

What’s your role in terms of sustainability?

"As Head of Sustainability at Chapman Taylor, I have the privilege of working collaboratively across our global studios, sharing knowledge and advancing sustainable practices. Sustainability is not just a technical challenge it’s a responsibility shaped by the cultural and environmental contexts unique to each region. By treating it as a collective effort, we can pool resources, exchange insights, and accelerate the adoption of innovative techniques, ensuring a cohesive yet adaptable approach on a global scale.

“With the built environment responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, our role in tackling climate change is critical. Addressing this challenge requires a deep commitment to research and development, exploring new materials, construction methods, and operational efficiencies to enhance long-term sustainability.

“Establishing a central sustainability contact across our 15 studios has strengthened knowledge-sharing and ensured that sustainable principles are embedded in all aspects of our work. Our Responsible Design team integrates sustainability into every stage of the design process, ensuring it remains a priority rather than an afterthought.

“A key part of my role is championing sustainable design philosophies that question traditional approaches while balancing commercial viability. Engaging with the wider industry, representing Chapman Taylor at external events and industry bodies, and contributing to discussions around sustainable design all help push the agenda forward.

“One of the most rewarding initiatives has been the Responsible Design Collective a platform that gives younger architects the space to develop ideas and take ownership of sustainability within the practice. Encouraging engagement at all levels is essential to strengthening long-term commitment and keeping sustainability at the heart of our work.

“Chapman Taylor’s diverse portfolio, spanning large urban developments to highly specialised projects, demands sector-specific sustainability strategies. In addition to leading sustainability efforts, I oversee a group focused on sector specialism, ensuring each industry benefits from tailored, high-impact solutions. Beyond our projects, our ESG commitment extends to how we operate as a business, embedding social value, equity, diversity and inclusion into our studio culture and ensuring our work reflects a broader responsibility to people and planet.

“Ultimately, my focus is on creating momentum around sustainability within the company and across the wider industry. It’s about driving change, mentoring future generations, and challenging industry norms. The challenge isn’t just improving individual buildings — it’s reimagining how we shape cities. Concepts such as the 15-minute city, community-focused design, and adaptive reuse will be critical to reducing emissions and future-proofing the built environment.”

What is Chapman Taylor’s stance on lowering carbon?

“If we isolate the UK as a contributor to carbon emissions, it accounts for around 1% of global emissions. While that may seem small, it’s equivalent to the combined emissions of two average-sized countries. Notably, around 50% of the UK’s emissions come from the construction industry, highlighting the sector’s crucial role in addressing climate change.

“At Chapman Taylor, we take a whole-life carbon approach that assesses both operational and embodied carbon across the entire lifecycle of a project. The greatest opportunity to reduce embodied carbon arises during the feasibility and concept design stages, where early decisions have the most significant impact. The most effective strategy is to prioritise the reuse of existing assets, reducing the need for new construction. Where new buildings are required, optimising material use from the outset is essential.

“Material selection plays a key role. Low embodied carbon materials, such as timber or timber-hybrid systems and bio-based materials, are prioritised where feasible. When these are not technically or economically viable, we focus on material efficiency and optimisation.

“This includes specifying low-carbon cement substitutes, low-carbon steel, and carefully considering column spacing and beam/slab spans to reduce structural carbon. Reducing basement depth and overall building mass can also significantly lower emissions from substructure works.

“Beyond materials, the supply chain is critical. The manufacturing process, transportation emissions, and the distance between production and site all factor into our assessments. Prefabrication and modular construction further support efficiency, reduce waste, and improve quality control.

“We use a suite of sustainability software to evaluate embodied and operational carbon, enabling early-stage testing and verification of carbon values. This allows sustainable principles to be embedded from the outset and provides visual feedback to clients, empowering them to make environmentally and economically informed decisions. Small design choices, like adjusting room heights or spatial configurations, can enhance thermal comfort while reducing costs and emissions.

“Our carbon assessment tools are aligned with best-in-class Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and track lifecycle impacts in line with industry standards. Early-stage Whole Life Carbon Assessments (WLCAs), covering RIBA stages A1–A5, allow us to engage with contractors from the tender stage to align with carbon reduction milestones.

“Internally, we are also addressing the impact of our business operations. Since 2019, we have been measuring our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions under the GHG Protocol and identifying measures to reduce CO₂ emissions across our studios. Particular attention is given to Scope 3 emissions, including a re-evaluation of international travel and the selection of like-minded suppliers to reduce indirect emissions from purchased goods and services.

“Sustainability is not just about reducing emissions it’s about long-term resilience. By taking a proactive, science-led approach, we ensure that our projects and operations align with global sustainability goals, helping to future-proof both our assets and our environmental impact.”

Can you tell us about some of the low carbon projects you’ve worked on or are working on?

“When designing for the built environment, we’re not just designing a building — we’re designing a microcosm of the city. It’s vital to understand the project’s position within a wider masterplan, its microclimate, its form factor, and down to the material choices, technical systems, and final detailing.

“While a ‘fabric-first’ approach has its merits, it overlooks broader drivers. Achieving meaningful sustainability requires a much wider lens. Location, cultural context, local vernacular, climate conditions, and building function all demand unique strategies. It’s the sum of these considerations that creates truly holistic and sustainable design outcomes.

“Decisions made at the masterplanning level can have a major impact on carbon. In fact, 80–90% of embodied carbon in new urban development is tied to grey infrastructure, with just 10–20% relating to buildings themselves. That’s why placemaking is so important it enables car-free environments, implementing 15-minute cities, and embedding circular economy principles can significantly reduce emissions at scale.

“At Chapman Taylor, we use software such as Autodesk Forma to test early-stage masterplan options, gaining insight into factors such as building orientation, solar exposure, microclimate impacts, and even early embodied carbon (A1–A3) comparisons.

“In overseeing work across our international studios, I’m fortunate to see innovations from around the world. This global collaboration allows us to share expertise, develop regional specialisms, and apply research at different scales.

“Much of our focus is on optimising energy performance and reducing Energy Use Intensity (EUI). A good example is The Flow Building in Prague, where passive design strategies are combined with air-source heat pumps, a VRV-based HVAC system, and parametrically controlled solar shading to ensure efficient energy consumption.

“In Düsseldorf, our team is developing mass timber construction solutions for logistics facilities that showcase how timber can deliver structural and environmental benefits as a renewable, low-carbon material.

“At the city scale, our Shanghai, Bangkok and Dubai studios are collaborating on smart city concepts, integrating sustainability with digital technologies. These projects focus on resource efficiency, data-driven urban planning, and infrastructure that adapts to environmental and societal needs.

“We’re also deeply committed to retrofit and adaptive reuse, recognising that retaining existing structures is one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon. Our Interiors team actively sources sustainable materials including upcycled and repurposed elements to ensure every layer of a project contributes to our sustainability goals.

“A recent project, The Orange Building, demonstrates this ethos: raised access flooring and internal partitions were reused, reducing waste while maintaining design quality. There’s no scale too small — from large masterplans to interior fit-outs, every choice matters.

“Beyond implementation, we’re advancing research in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Offsite and modular techniques offer clear carbon and operational benefits, yet they’re often underappreciated. Studies show modular construction can reduce landfill waste by at least 70%, thanks to material efficiency, improved quality control, and higher recycling rates. Factory-controlled environments also enable shorter build programmes, reduce site congestion, and lower carbon impacts from transport and logistics.

“What’s most exciting is the opportunity to share these research findings across studios. This cross-pollination of knowledge accelerates innovation, improves sustainability outcomes, and allows us to drive real progress in decarbonising the built environment.”

Is there a desire from clients to be ‘more sustainable’ — or is the drive internal?

“There is a clear shift happening within the industry. Economic viability has long been a key driver, and global economic fluctuations continue to create challenges. However, it's important to recognise that truly sustainable design also delivers long-term economic value.

“Clients are becoming increasingly aware of this. Recent research by HomeViews shows that 66.1% of residents in Build-to-Rent developments now consider ESG and sustainability key factors in their decision-making. This growing awareness raises an important question: where does the cost of sustainability sit within a capitalist society?

“Consumerism, short-term profit, and the externalisation of costs have traditionally defined our economic systems. As Yuval Noah Harari puts it: ‘a conqueror possessed of extreme tolerance and adaptability, thereby turning people into ardent disciples. This conqueror is money.’

“Yet sustainability and capitalism are not necessarily incompatible. A shift is taking place, one that aligns market growth with environmental responsibility. Regulation and policy are accelerating this shift, especially through mechanisms like the EU and UK Taxonomy and the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), which are setting new benchmarks for responsible investment.

“Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ESG principles are becoming embedded in business strategies. Lenders and institutional investors are increasingly aligning with the EU and UK taxonomy frameworks, helping to future-proof developments and avoid the risk of stranded assets. The EU Taxonomy, in particular, outlines six overarching environmental objectives that demand genuine, demonstrable action from businesses.

“For architects, engineers, and developers, this means proving that projects meet not just regulatory requirements, but also long-term sustainability goals.

“Sustainability is no longer just a moral or environmental imperative it’s an economic one.

“As the financial landscape evolves, businesses must integrate sustainable strategies to remain competitive. As Harari said: ‘Money is anything that people are willing to use in order to represent systematically the value of other things for the purpose of exchanging goods or services.’

“Increasingly, the goods and services we value will be tied to developments that are future-proof, climate-resilient, and adaptable while also meeting the environmental standards set by regulation.

“Operationally efficient buildings lower energy costs, boost occupant satisfaction, and strengthen asset value which, in turn, fuels consumer demand. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle, where ESG policies lead to higher-performing buildings, which in turn become the expected norm, helping to minimise climate and financial risk.

“In this way, sustainability becomes embedded not just in design but in economic decision-making, enhancing the long-term value and viability of everything we build.”

How will the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard aid or challenge your work?

“The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard will be a valuable tool in aligning the industry around clear, measurable sustainability targets. For architects, it will establish consistent benchmarks for both operational and embodied carbon, encouraging more sustainable design decisions from the very beginning of a project. For clients, it provides a structured framework for futureproofing developments ensuring assets remain compliant, resilient, and financially viable in a fast-evolving regulatory landscape.

“However, there are challenges particularly in material reduction and optimisation. The industry and its supply chains are not yet fully equipped to meet the most ambitious targets. To do so, we’ll need to adopt more innovative material strategies, apply circular economy principles, and design with greater structural efficiency.

“Achieving net zero operational energy will also require more advanced performance modelling, smarter building management systems, and improved post-occupancy monitoring to bridge the gap between design intent and actual building performance.

“One key issue is that the Standard, while influential, is not currently legislative. Without legal enforcement, there’s a risk of uneven adoption across the sector. Some developers may hesitate to fully commit, depending on market forces, client priorities, or perceived financial implications. This lack of regulatory backing could slow the transition to a consistent, industry-wide standard.

“We’re also facing a skills gap. Delivering on net zero ambitions requires new expertise across the supply chain from designers and engineers to contractors and manufacturers. Meanwhile, low-carbon materials and decarbonised construction processes are not yet widely available or competitive at scale.

“Perceptions around cost are another hurdle. While net zero buildings offer clear long-term benefits including lower energy bills, better occupant wellbeing, and greater asset value the higher upfront investment can be a barrier in the short term.

“Despite these challenges, the Standard represents a significant step forward. It provides a strong foundation on which to build more consistent, ambitious, and accountable carbon reduction across the built environment.”

What’s your hope for the future?

“Before looking forward, we should also reflect on the past. When we study historic cities like Yazd in Iran, we see elegant, passive approaches to environmental design. There’s a certain romanticism to a city that has withstood the test of time for 5,000 years shaped by its climate, culture, and materials.

“Yazd didn’t aim to be ‘Net Zero’; it simply existed as a place for living and working. Sustainability was an outcome of necessity, not a label. That’s a key lesson for us: if we set the right goals, we’ll reach a point where buildings are no longer defined by sustainability metrics, but by how well they serve their communities.

“Of course, modern construction has brought enormous advances in comfort, safety, and efficiency. But it has also led to shorter building lifespans and a culture of obsolescence. Yet the concern for sustainability is not new; the German term Nachhaltigkeit (‘lastingness’) was coined in the 17th century in response to deforestation. Even Neanderthals practised resource management and reuse, but their extinction, likely due to climate change and competition, reminds us of what’s at stake.

“We must shift our mindset. The norm must change: build less, refurbish more, prioritise efficiency, use optimised structural grids, avoid over-dimensioning, and design adaptable, future-ready spaces.

“With around 80% of today’s buildings expected to still be in use by 2050, adaptability and resilience will define the built environment’s success. Buildings will increasingly be seen as carbon banks, repositories of valuable materials. Concepts like ‘material passports’, which track and catalogue materials for future reuse, will support the circular economy and reduce waste.

“Our carbon deficit is growing. Temperatures are rising. Time is against us. But over the last 20 years, we’ve seen incredible technological advancements. Artificial Intelligence, for example, is now helping us analyse sustainability data faster and more precisely and could be key to accelerating the transformation we need.

“All is not lost. Change is possible. But the time to act is now.”