Real estate industry undergoing transformation
With digital planning expertise and a future-oriented mindset.
Working to support the green transition
How consulting engineering firms (must) drive the implementation of the (EU) climate targets.
M&P is witnessing a remarkable transformation in the construction and real estate industry, with the engineering sector developing into a driving force behind the global green agenda. It is clear to us that engineers are increasingly prioritising the achievement of the EU’s climate goals and implementing the commitments made at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai. It was there that the international community last year agreed to work together to phase out the use of fossil fuels by 2050. Investments and resources are therefore increasingly flowing into the development of sustainable infrastructure and buildings. At the same time, the transition to digital construction is also accelerating. Something that has been a core element of companies like M&P since their founding is now becoming an industry-wide necessity intended to pave the way towards the energy transition.
Consulting engineering firms, led by pioneers such as M&P, play a crucial role in the global fight against climate change. With an arsenal of expertise and innovative spirit, they are at the forefront of conceiving and implementing projects that not only minimise environmental impacts, but also drive profound change in the construction and real estate industry.
The pace of transformation in the industry is not powered by inner drive alone. The climate targets of the UN and EU hold those involved in the construction and real estate industry to account. The European Union, for example, committed itself to climate and energy policy goals in Paris in 2015 and is aiming for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from 2050 with the EU Climate Law. Efforts will need to be significantly stepped up if the roadmap to climate neutrality is to be followed successfully. One of the biggest challenges in this regard is increasing energy efficiency, especially in the building sector. At around 30%, it still accounts for a significant share of global CO2 emissions. Reducing the energy demand of buildings is an absolute must.
It is not only extreme weather events and climate change that are forcing us to rethink. Megatrends such as urbanisation, digitisation, decarbonisation and the responsible use of natural resources are contributing to a fundamental change in the significance of the industry. Engineering services that are implemented throughout the entire life cycle of a building – from project development and planning to construction, commissioning, use and operation – play a key role in this transformation. And, of course, the various elements of any later renovation and conversion should not be neglected, either.
It is in this dynamic environment that engineering companies such as M&P are designing and implementing high-performance buildings that meet the requirements of the future. They create smart buildings with impressive resilience and huge potential for energy efficiency and even climate neutrality.
M&P: a unique organisational structure for technological and ecological progress
M&P is taking on a leading role in an industry where sustainability is becoming an urgent necessity. With four business units – Energy, Engineering, Consulting and IT Solutions – we have the tools to create space for sustainable progress for any customer or project. In order to generate the greatest possible added value, we provide holistic support and system-based solutions throughout all phases of the life cycle of real estate.
The daily work of M&P is increasingly focused on supporting companies in their transition to a CO2-free energy supply. This commitment on our part has a wide variety of effects. Take a look at the diverse example projects on our home page or in this magazine to gain an impression of how wide-ranging the work of our experts is.
Sustainability has been a key concern for M&P since the very beginning. Even back in 1989, the year the company was founded, we carried out our first optimisation and efficiency projects using digital control technologies that were only just emerging at the time. We have been pioneers of the energy-efficiency movement ever since. In this context, we not only achieve a positive impact on the environment for our customers, but also for ourselves.
On the basis of our energy management system (in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 50001 standard), which has been certified since 2011, we continuously strive to reduce our own company-wide CO2 emissions. A few years ago, we laid the foundation for increasing efficiency with the energy-efficient renovation of the buildings at our inaugural site in Braunschweig. In the context of this undertaking, the reversible use of the cooling systems for heat generation (as heat pumps) in base-load operation was just as much a matter of course as the purchase of certified, renewable green electricity for all company locations. We now generate a large part of our electricity ourselves via an employee-financed photovoltaic system on all three building roofs in Braunschweig. This system also provides our company-owned fleet of electric vehicles with the power it needs.
We cannot currently directly influence our emissions in all areas. We therefore rely on regional offsetting measures, such as the renaturation of moorland, in order to fully offset our emissions and reduce our carbon footprint. All these measures, brought together in the ‘M&P Sustainability Toolbox’, have led to our Braunschweig site being CO2-neutral for more than three years. (You can read more about the great impact of our Sustainability Toolbox in the article ‘No room for CO2’ on page 62 of this magazine. It describes the instruments we are using to drive decarbonisation at our customer Hines.)
A new concept in addition to the well-known carbon footprint has established itself in recent years: the carbon handprint. While the footprint shows the negative impact a company has on the environment, the handprint represents the positive effects it achieves. For M&P, this handprint embodies a positive and future-oriented vision. Making it a reality with concrete measures is a source of great motivation for us. In this project, among others, we are going beyond mere action and making our efforts transparent.
The CO2 counter – technical expertise that has a big impact
For many years, we have been visualising our enormous savings progress with a CO2 counter on our website. True to the motto ‘Do good and spread the word about it’, we don’t just talk about our work; we also show what a positive impact it really has on the environment. The CO2 counter records the carbon optimisation effects achieved with our customers by showing the time they have been effective and the measures implemented (technical duration):
In this context, we differentiate between the reduction potentials outlined and those that have actually been implemented, which we have accompanied and proven using measurement technology. The actual implementation rate is significantly higher: many customers take our ideas and descriptions of measures as an opportunity to become active themselves. The measured values are updated daily to make the positive effects of our actions visible and to allow for comparisons and for informed decisions for a climate-neutral future to be taken.
These are more than just numbers. They are proof of the effectiveness of M&P as a driver of the energy transition. They show that real change is possible through joint efforts and technical expertise: through the work of our experts, energy optimisation measures are identified each year that effectively compensate for the carbon emissions of more than 100,000 citizens in Germany. Encouraging signs for all of us.
