Arup and Autodesk are collaborating to tackle carbon management. The partnership is Autodesk’s first with a customer as part of a wider engagement with industry to develop actionable tools and frameworks for decarbonisation.
Jo da Silva, Arup fellow and global sustainable development leader at Arup, explained: “By combining our technical expertise in whole-life carbon assessment with Autodesk’s innovative technology platforms, we’re creating data-driven solutions that will inform early design decisions focused on reducing carbon and costs.
“Together, we’re not just developing tools, but driving towards a unified path for net-zero buildings that aligns with the Buildings Breakthrough, coordinated by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, and delivers value for our clients and the sector.”
Key parts of the collaboration include:
- the development of BIM guidelines for carbon assessment through the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD);
- exploring the whole-life carbon data journey through industry standardisation efforts, leading to a co-authored, industry-verified white paper;
- enabling BIM-integrated automation of whole-life carbon assessment methods for building projects; and
- collaborating on research and development to use AI to drive decarbonisation of buildings.
No timelines have been given for these activities.
Three years ago, Arup launched its international whole-life carbon dataset for buildings, and “this expertise will inform the ongoing development of Autodesk’s carbon management solutions”, the two companies said.
Joe Speicher, chief sustainability officer at Autodesk, added: “Collaboration with industry is critical for accelerating the development of sustainable solutions – such that we can better measure, manage and mitigate carbon impacts associated with the built environment. Engaging with Arup and other industry leaders will allow us to validate carbon management technologies with our customers, such that we can collectively accelerate the industry’s transition toward a low-carbon future.”
