An ambitious climate strategy has helped COWI come a significant way toward developing business in areas related to mitigating and adapting to climate change, as well as the possibility for development despite increasingly scarce energy and water resources.
In the future, COWI will increase focus on innovation which is a natural product of climate change awareness in areas such as sustainable concrete, sustainable water supplies in cities and consultancy in ‘smart energy’ systems.
Green buildings and municipal planning
Senior R&D Director Stig P Christensen says:
“As a consultancy firm specialising in engineering, environmental science and economics, the global climate agenda offers a unique possibility to integrate COWI’s business activities with the responsibilities and opportunities associated with creating a society which is less dependant on fossil fuels and better prepared to face the consequences which climate change can bring.”
According to Christensen, the climate strategy’s influence can already be seen in two green buildings built in Copenhagen: the Royal Playhouse on the city’s waterfront and Green Lighthouse, an administration office for the University of Copenhagen.
Climate plans for Danish municipalities such as Copenhagen and Århus have also been drawn up.
Three influential rolesChristensen adds that COWI’s climate strategy focuses on three areas where COWI is active: at the company’s workplaces and physical facilities; as consultants for customers; and in employees’ capacity as private citizens.
“It’s in our role as consultants that COWI has the greatest potential to make a real difference for the climate, since at any one time we are involved in 5,000 to 10,000 projects around the world.”
He notes that at COWI’s offices in Denmark, the company has registered its CO2 footprint as part of a green account. This has lead to initiatives which further reduce COWI's in-house carbon emissions and other negative effects on the environment.
“As a result of the green accounts, we have initiated three programmes,” says Christensen.
“We’ve looked at how we can become even better at saving energy at our own facilities. We’ve considered how we can influence our individual behaviour by using a mobile and Internet-based application called CO2 guide, which we have developed together with the company Mobile Identity. And we’re trying to change our work-related transport and communication patterns, which are the largest contributor to COWI’s carbon footprint.”
Christensen notes that in the future, COWI’s five other regions – Norway, Sweden, Central and Eastern Europe, the Gulf and Africa – will be expected to draw up similar green accounts and initiatives.
And to ensure that the issue of climate change is recognised throughout the entire company, all of the regions will incorporate and prioritise climate change initiatives in their business strategies ensuring that business related to global climate change is implemented with local differences, needs and business opportunities.
