Accelerating carbon reduction in the built environment: Arup and Autodesk team up to accelerate

industry-wide collaboration

The built environment sector is responsible for approximately 34% of energy-related carbon emissions worldwide. With the global building floor area expected to double by 2060, and three-quarters of infrastructure that will exist in 2050 yet to be built, this collaboration addresses an urgent need for actionable carbon reduction solutions.

The agreement marks the beginning of a broader initiative by Autodesk to partner more deeply with industry leading companies to develop actionable tools and frameworks for decarbonization. Arup’s leadership in this inaugural collaboration sets a strong example of how strategic alignment between technology and domain expertise can accelerate industry transformation.

By collaborating to bring streamlined AECO technology solutions for carbon assessment, the companies are seeking to drive an industry-wide scale of built environment decarbonization in alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement. This work will particularly target asset owners and investors as ultimate decision-makers in the built environment and will look to include other companies and partners as the work expands.

Key initiatives include:

• The development of Building Information Modelling (BIM) guidelines for carbon assessment through the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
• Exploring the whole life carbon data journey through industry standardization efforts, leading to a co-authored, industry-verified whitepaper.
• Enabling BIM-integrated automation of Whole Life Carbon Assessment methods for building projects.
• Collaborating on research and development to use AI to drive decarbonization of buildings.

Arup brings technical expertise in industry practice and significant insights on whole life carbon data management from developing its global data schema, and this expertise will inform the ongoing development of Autodesk's carbon management solutions.

"This work demonstrates our commitment to radical collaboration across the industry to tackle decarbonization," said Jo da Silva, Arup Fellow and Global Sustainable Development Leader at Arup. "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 focussed 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."

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, so we can collectively accelerate the AECO industry’s transition toward a low-carbon future.” 

This announcement comes at a critical time when the AECO industry faces multiple pressures, including technological advancements, rising material costs, and shifting labour markets. These factors are accelerating the need for businesses to be more agile, adaptable, and collaborative while balancing complex trade-offs among cost, compliance, performance, and environmental impact.

The collaboration stems from the shared industry knowledge that the only way to effectively measure, manage, and reduce carbon emissions is with the right data – data that is accessible, connected, and useful. One study projected that digital technologies, if scaled across the energy, materials, and mobility industries, could reduce global emissions by up to 20% by 2050.