Turner & Townsend has been appointed by the North East and Yorkshire (NEY) Net Zero Hub to drive the decarbonisation of public sector buildings across the region. 

The company will deliver programme management services for the North East & Yorkshire Public Sector Estate Decarbonisation (NEYPED) Programme creating and supporting heat decarbonisation strategies that will help schools, museums and other public buildings to realise the region’s net zero ambitions. 

Working in collaboration with technical consultants, Locogen, Turner & Townsend’s sustainability advisory team will assess existing public sector properties across up to 30 local authorities and create a technical strategy to develop heat decarbonisation plans for 60 sites to reduce carbon emissions associated with their heating systems. 

The project will also see Turner & Townsend deliver training and knowledge sharing to local authority project participants to help them deliver their wider net zero plans. 

Karen Oliver-Spry, manager of the NEY Net Zero Hub said: “Turner & Townsend, along with their collaborators Locogen, have significant expertise in this area and will provide valuable support to public sector bodies in addressing the challenges that confront them in decarbonising their estates. 

“This is vital work that will realise the hub’s mandate in rolling out the net zero agenda across the North East and Yorkshire region, creating opportunities for shared learning and capacity building across the public sector.” 

David Kemp, associate director and sustainability lead, north, at Turner & Townsend, added: “As investment begins to develop greener, more efficient ways to heat properties in the region, we need to see our public buildings playing their part by reducing energy usage and using less carbon intensive heating solutions. 

“With the scale of the country’s building stock, collaborative, cross-authority programmes like this will be critical to delivering net zero ambitions at pace. 

”Our appointment by the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub builds on Turner & Townsend’s extensive expertise in shaping a skilled supply chain to retrofit and decarbonise the UK’s homes, offices and public buildings.  

“We’re looking forward to working with the Hub on this progressive programme and making sure the public buildings of the local authorities we’re working with better support the region’s net zero ambitions.” 

The appointment adds to Turner & Townsend’s extensive work with the mayor of London and the GLA – leading the longstanding Retrofit Accelerator schemes for homes and workplaces. 

For the UK government (BEIS), the business delivers the Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator and Home Upgrade Hub – England-wide services helping local authorities and housing associations upgrade the homes of low-income households to make them more energy efficient.

The company was also appointed by Norfolk County Council (NCC) to support a major new programme of public sector decarbonisation works across the authority’s real estate portfolio.